These 2019 Healthcare Trends Indicate A Digital Transformation
As technology transforms and enhances so many different spheres of life, it is only natural that these technologies have a huge impact on the healthcare sector as well. In fact, 2019 healthcare trends increasingly point to technological advances in the healthcare sector. It goes much beyond the digitization of health records, which provide comprehensive medical records and detailed patient data and private information.
Technology has made it possible to quickly identify disease and infection, create targeted medical solutions and offer minimally invasive surgical options. It has facilitated communication and has significantly eased workflow.
In this article, we look at the various ways by which advanced technology in the health sector improves quality of care, increases efficiency, and reduces costs while avoiding preventable deaths and reducing wastage. Experts predict that in 2019, the following trends will have or will continue to have a major impact on the healthcare industry:
Paper filing of a patient’s health records, test results etc. are almost a thing of the past in some advanced countries. Even digital records are now stored on the cloud rather than offline storage such as the hard drive of a medical facility. This gives easy access to health records to medical professionals as well as patients. The agonizing wait time of patients and their loved ones for test results or definitive diagnoses reduces significantly. The other benefit is that medical professionals on the other side of the world from a patient can quickly assess a situation to offer second opinions and better, advanced treatment options.
Telemedicine or ‘telehealth’ are commonly used terms that refer to video consultations between medical experts or interactions between doctors and their patients. Medical professionals can view scans, assess diagnostic reports, monitor symptoms and physical progression of a medical condition remotely. This means that the patient can consult without having to personally visit their consulting doctor; something that could be difficult, expensive or in cases unadvisable from a medical standpoint. Developments in telemedicine have several directly positive impacts: less travel for the doctors and their patients, less crowded clinics and waiting rooms, and more streamlined medical front desk operations. This has meant significantly improved access to medical facilities for patients in remote or rural areas.
AI is all around us today. In the medical field, it helps speed up and improve diagnostic processes, creates innovative solutions, and can even help with early treatment approaches. For instance, an AI-based diagnostic device that identifies conditions such as diabetic retinopathy by scanning the retina is already a reality and has been found to be highly accurate. Radiotherapists and oncologists are already using AI to speed up processes, increase accuracy and reduce costs. Chatbots are using AI-based message and voice systems to deal with patient queries and save money. Not only that, these bots can help with filling prescriptions, making appointments and billing processes. Right now, AI also plays an active role in pharmaceutical R&D: algorithms can test biological or chemical interactions safely and accurately. This helps speed up the process of drugs reaching the markets; effectively saving lives. In times to come, more specialists will be applying AI to diagnostic and treatment processes.
The idea of advanced robots performing complicated surgery is no longer in the realm of sci-fi. Robots in healthcare is an idea whose time has come! Robotic equipment performing high precision, minimally invasive procedures is a reality today. Additionally, robots are helping to deliver medical supplements, medications, and diets specifically tailored for individual patients. In the absence of a human presence, robots can monitor the vital signs of a patient, and call for human intervention when necessary.
