A lot is happening in the healthcare industry, especially in terms of technological advancements. Technology has always helped the healthcare sector, whether it be the internet of medical things or artificial intelligence or robotics. Technology is reshaping the healthcare sector in several ways, and if you are in the healthcare industry, you need to see how technology is expected to impact your business.
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Here are the leading technology trends, events, and predictions that are expected to impact the health sector:
1. Telemedicine
Telemedicine is one of the most prominent trends that refers to remote caring of the patients either through a mobile app or video conference. Telemedicine is growing exponentially and is all set to be a $103+ million global market by 2024. Patients are satisfied with telemedicine since they don’t have to travel, make an appointment, wait in a queue, and move from one clinic to another. It is indeed popular among patients as telemedicine is convenient in several aspects.
Research shows that more than half of the US hospitals have a telehealth program to meet the needs of their patients. The investment in telemedicine and telehealth will grow in the coming years. The number of telehealth patients has increased enormously in the past few years. There were more than 7 million telehealth patients worldwide in 2018:
The amount will grow significantly in the coming years, and the healthcare sector will have to respond appropriately by initiating telehealth programs, apps, tools, and ways to offer medical help electronically.
2. Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is useful for businesses of all types, but its significance in the healthcare sector is worth appreciating. AI has changed the lives of people across the globe. AI machines and tools process data and make decisions just like a human being. This technology has introduced a new set of technologies in the health sector. Artificial intelligence solutions for healthcare has introduced a new set of technologies in the health sector. For instance, AI applications are used in diagnosing diseases accurately and quickly. FDA approved the first AI device in 2018 that is used in diagnosing diabetic related problems in patients.
Robotic surgery is now used widely where AI-powered robots and applications assist surgeons in performing complex medical procedures accurately. Enlitic is an AI company that uses deep learning and artificial intelligence for medical diagnostics.
Artificial intelligence is closely associated and is helpful in telehealth. AI is used in chatbots that are used in telemedical tools and apps. The chatbot is one of the main areas where AI is exceptionally helpful.
The Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques are used in chatbots to make diagnosis easier and simplified by doctors. It is estimated that natural language processing marketing will cross $44 billion by 2025.
Conversational AI platforms like Hyro makes it easier for healthcare businesses to make sense of the conversations via AI and NLP techniques. It has several uses in the medical field. Israel Krush, the CEO of Hyro, explains how conversational AI is helpful for the healthcare sector:
“Imagine you are interacting with multiple patients simultaneously via chatbots. Conversational AI will make sense of the conversation by identifying patterns and trends that can help you channel patients to the right medical expert. This is just one way how artificial intelligence can help telehealth programs. We will, soon, see AI driving the majority of the telehealth apps and tools that will help medical experts as well as patients.”
The list of AI applications and uses in the medical field is gigantic and it is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. You need to prepare your healthcare business accordingly.
3. The Internet Of Medical Things (IoMT)
The internet of things (IoT) coupled with the health industry and telemedicine has introduced the internet of medical things (IoMT). It connects medical devices, apps, and tools with the IT system via Wi-Fi that lets devices communicate and share information. It is expected that 20-30 billion IoMT devices will be used by the healthcare sector by the end of 2020. This shows how closely technology and the health sector are intertwined.
According to Bernard Marr, one of the major areas where IoMT can be helpful in dealing with the aging world population. Devices can help elders with their health by tracking their heart performance, sleep time, etc., the information can be shared with the hospitals. Most importantly, patients can get timely reminders and alerts that might help save people from critical emergency issues.
IoMT has varied uses and it is even used in the development of pills. FDA approved a sensor-fitted pill that was first of its kind. It tracks if patients have taken their medicine and notifies them accordingly if they have missed their medication.
IoMT creates an ecosystem of devices and sensors that continuously monitors the patient and tracks health based on set parameters. Hospitals and doctors can access patient records anywhere through the cloud. This helps save lives across the globe.
The good news is that patients are comfortable sharing their data and medical details through devices and sensors. Research by Cisco revealed that the majority of the patients are comfortable sharing their medical history with the hospital and/or doctor via the cloud.
Final Thoughts
Technology has reshaped the healthcare sector already and its impact will get stronger in the future. You need to prepare your healthcare business for the future by adopting a technology-focused approach.
Ask yourself: How these technological changes will impact your healthcare business and what steps you can take (or already taking) to secure the future of your business? For instance, are you using artificial intelligence to effectively diagnose and cure diseases? Do you have a mobile app? It is essential to figure out how technology will impact your business and if you are prepared for it.
If you are interested in even more technology-related articles and information from us here at Bit Rebels, then we have a lot to choose from.
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