At the start of a new year, it is customary for analysts in almost every industry to review the major trends and issues of the previous year and to predict key trends for the coming year. It is no less so with the healthcare industry.

Here are five key trends and issues to track during 2016 and beyond:

Healthcare real estate construction will continue to increase. Healthcare development has been strong in recent years, and there should be no letup in activity in 2016. A recent study by the American Institute of Architects says it expects “healthy growth” for nonresidential construction this year. That includes the healthcare sector, which AIA predicts will experience a 5.8 percent increase in 2016. The industry is experiencing an uptick in the development of a wide variety of healthcare properties, including rehabilitation hospitals, medical office buildings and off-campus emergency rooms/community micro-hospitals. Even so, the industry has not rea