Introduction
With the growth of content capabilities, endless social opportunities and over-whelming attention given to so many platforms, there is a huge amount of progress made in the healthcare industry. That being said, the industry is moving towards solutions from products and services. More than half of the changes made in the healthcare industry are because of the innovative technologies that never stops reinventing the way we do things in all aspects of our lives.
When it comes to change in technology, scientists continue to make huge strides in medicine and treatments. In this ear of technological advancement taking place every single day, you never know what new invention will come next. The way in which providers interact with patients and deliver care is also changing. Even the way in which providers are paid is shifting. All of this and more is surely an important part of all the existing and approaching trends of the healthcare industry.
Today is the time of medical platforms, big data, and healthcare analytics. Healthcare institutions are functioning in real-time results. The decades to come will be focused on preventive care, and new healthcare technology trends will come into play. But how the world of medicine will regulate all the technology is an ongoing and ever-changing debate. We will now have a look at the top healthcare technologies that will prove to be dominant in 2019 and all the years to come.
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Artificial Intelligence
The ear of technology that we all live in, it is next to impossible to talk about the future of any industry without mentioning artificial intelligence. It is one of the prime trends introduced in the healthcare industry in 2019. Artificial intelligence intends to and continues to change healthcare in so many ways. It is one trend that definitely promises to open the doors for humans and technology to connect in a way that we can monitor human activity more so than ever before.
When it comes to healthcare, this means providers will be able to use artificial intelligence to treat patients on a whole novel level. This groundbreaking technology could help providers to diagnose patients in parts of the world where there is a shortage of doctors, without the doctor having to actually be on location and physically see the patient. It is been predicted that artificial intelligence can enhance treatments. For example, radiology, it will prove to be useful to a point that providers will no longer need to take tissue samples from patients. These few examples are just barely delving into the surface of the ways in which the healthcare industry is using artificial intelligence.
It has also been reported that in 2019, artificial intelligence for healthcare IT application will cross to $1.7 billion and that it will increase workflow productivity in the industry by 10 to 15 per cent in the next two to three years. This investment will not only make healthcare providers more efficient, but it will save them time and money in processes that will make a world of difference in patient experience.
Electronic Medical Reports
As a matter of fact, Electronic Medical Records or EMR, aren’t new at all. Although these records have been around for some time, it took a lot of time for many healthcare systems across the country to implement this technology. Though this trend has been in the industry since quite a few years now, it is now being treated as one of the most beneficial trends. This is because medical professionals are able to maintain and provide records digitally.
The most interesting element about EMRs is there are more than just having patient’s records available in a digital format. They not only ensure that providers have all patient records immediately available to them, but the records in an electronic format open the door for providers across all systems of care to communicate and share that information. Electronic Medical Records ensures that whoever is treating the patient at any given moment has all of the patient’s medical history at their fingertips. This technology enables providers to make better decisions about patient care.
Since more healthcare systems are using EMRs, it can be expected to see more of the ways that this technology can improve patient care long-term. EMRs specifically assist in identifying patterns in patient care and recognizing the most effective treatment plans. Electronic Medical Records continue to be one of the biggest technological forces driving advancement in health care.
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IoMT
The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) includes various devices connected to each other via the internet. IoMT technology is still evolving and is forecasted to reach about 30 billion devices worldwide by 2021. Lately, this technology trend in healthcare is used for remote monitoring of patients’ well-being by means of wearables. ECG monitors, mobile apps, fitness trackers, and smart sensors are major examples of this trend. These devices can measure blood pressure, pulse, heart rate, glucose level, and more and set reminders for patients.
One recently introduced IoMT wearable device, the Apple Watch Series 4, is able to measure heart rate, count calories burned, and even detect a fall and call emergency numbers. There has also been an invention of a pill that can digitally track if a patient has taken it. With the growth in the industry, the IoMT will be able to help doctors gather analytics to predict health trends. It will contribute sensors and systems in the healthcare industry to capture data and deliver it accurately. Along with that, it will enable to reduce the costs involved in the healthcare solutions by allowing doctors to examine patients remotely.
Chatbots
The most innovative trend in the healthcare industry lately is chatbot. Chatbots in the industry offers a wide variety of benefits that are extremely normal yet novel. When it comes to chatbots the options are endless, including customer service to a potential diagnosis of mild conditions. With the potential for improvement in the organization of patient pathways, medication management, help in emergency situations or with first aid.
Offering a personal experience when it comes to healthcare is vital and a chatbot adds another touchpoint that impresses industry professionals. With the number of chatbots multiplying at an incredible pace, it’s becoming more and more expected, rather than the gimmick it used to be. There is surely more than one reason to be excited about within the technology.
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Blockchain
The blockchain is getting more and more popular in various industries, and healthcare is one of them. The blockchain’s main advantage is the ability to secure data and protect it from breaches. In 2018, blockchain technology has made it extremely easy for healthcare providers to share medical data safely. In 2019 and in coming years, this technology will help healthcare providers manage endless data. This will include patient health information, insurance claims, and electronic health records in order to keep it safe and encrypted.
The blockchain will also reduce the number of fake drugs introduced in the market and increase trust and transparency between drug manufacturers and customers. It works in a way where once a manufacturer creates a new medical product, they’ll register it on the blockchain and be able to track and control it through all stages. Customers, on the other hand, will be able to trust manufacturers by monitoring any pharmaceutical product throughout the supply chain. It has also been observed that blockchain-based applications can help to prevent counterfeit drugs. Let’s consider how the blockchain will work with drug traceability.
Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality
Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are making a revolution in the healthcare industry. It should be noted that these technologies are already used in treatments for a wide range of illnesses. What’s even more exciting is that the AR and VR healthcare market is predicted to be worth about $5.1 billion in a few years, with 3.4 million users worldwide.
Specialists in mental health are using AR to treat patients who aren’t able to come to a medical center for the usual treatment. While neurosurgeons are using AR technology to remove tumours safely and conduct orthopaedic operations. Along with these, there are several other examples of AR and VR tools that ease treatment and diagnosis. There are also numerous systems introduced in the healthcare industry. Systems like AccuVein show a blood vessel map in real time and helps doctors avoid valves and bifurcations.The future of these technologies in the healthcare industry is believed to have enhanced user experiences and increased mobility.
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Conclusion
Transformation trends in the healthcare industry are truly surprising individuals working in the industry and related to it. Looking at the speed of advancements there seem to be more novel technologies to be introduced. The concept of the overall healthcare technology trend is based on preventive care, enhanced patients experiences, lower expenses, and big data processing.
During the whole process of advancements, the number of healthcare deals has been doubled in the past couple of years, the size deals have grown as a result of repeat investor interest. Cutting-edge technologies like AI and AR are widely being used to help patients with remote diagnosis and medical prescriptions, highlighting that these healthcare trends are here to stay. Since 2019 has just begun there seems to be a lot more scope for more outstanding discoveries to be made in the healthcare industry.
