Healthcare Finance News reported that with less than one year until major reforms in the Affordable Care Act go into effect on January 1, 2014, the U.S. healthcare industry is rushing to put the pieces in place for handling new payment and care models and the expected influx of newly insured patients, according to The Camden Group's 2013 annual Top 10 Trends in Healthcare.

According to the report, investments in IT will consume a greater portion of providers' budgets. The right technology is essential for operating in the new era of health reform, from electronic medical records and computerized physician order entry to data warehouses and health information exchanges that will enable population analytics and web portals for patients and physicians.

The Camden Group is one of the nation's leading healthcare business advisory firms. The firm provides a broad array of healthcare consulting services such as strategic and business planning; mergers, acquisitions, and other transactions; physician-hospital alignment; clinical integration; and developing accountable care organizations. Since its founding in 1970, The Camden Group has advised more than 2,000 hospitals, medical groups, outpatient facilities, and other healthcare organizations nationwide.