Top 10 Digital Healthcare Technology Trends in 2022. Healthcare has seen many technological innovations over the centuries where people have been practising medicine. Healthcare innovations can be as simple as changing a form to admit or discharge a patient faster or as complex as immunotherapy. Any development made in the healthcare industry to improve the services for patients is considered a healthcare innovation.
So in today’s blog, we are about to understand what healthcare technology refers to, what are the top digital healthcare technology trends, and how they benefit the healthcare industry.
What is Healthcare Technology?
Information technology (IT) is built to improve the productivity of hospitals, clinics, and health administration services while enhancing access to and quality of healthcare. According to World Health Organization (WHO), “Healthcare technology is the application of organized knowledge and skills in the form of devices, medicines, vaccines, procedures, and systems developed to solve a health problem and improve quality of lives.” These healthcare technologies can consist of pharmaceuticals, organizational systems, devices and procedures.
Rapidly evolving healthcare technologies are driving profound changes. Health systems and hospitals are working to reduce the burden on healthcare providers while improving care for the patients. On the other hand, the government and payers are working towards enhancing results by providing a comprehensive view of every individual they serve.
Top 10 digital health technologies trend in 2022 that are being used by the healthcare industry to obtain such outcomes? Let’s check it out!
Top 10 Best Digital Healthcare Technology Trends for 2022
Here is the list of top 10 digital healthcare technology trends for 2022. With the new challenges coming in the way of the healthcare industry, technology solutions are helping healthcare professionals to improve collaboration across systems, increase performance and reduce costs. Some of the digital healthcare technologies that are popular among healthcare industry are:
1. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The vast amount of data collected by the healthcare industry over time cannot be analysed without the help of artificial intelligence making AI one of the most wanted technologies for healthcare leaders. Using AI-enabled tools can separate through large, complex sets of data from the images, notes, sensors, devices, and records to detect trends that can improve care for the patients and help researchers in developing enhanced medical condition treatments.
2. Cloud
Usually, when we think about cloud technology the first thing that comes into our mind is the place to store data. But only a few know that cloud environments are much more than just being a passive data storage. Specifically, hybrid cloud environments can provide security features that can help healthcare organizations with the flexibility to move data around to where it is needed while maintaining HIPAA compliance and other security regulations.
3. Blockchain
As we know blockchain systems provide a ledger that is transparent and consists of distributed records that cannot be changed without the changes being recorded in the system. Using blockchain technology in the healthcare industry, professionals can secure and anonymize patients data while offering interoperability and transparency over distributed, diverse and highly fragmented systems in healthcare.
4. Telehealth
During the pandemic, many healthcare providers chose to offer appointments through telemedicine. And even after the pandemic, the technology ecosystem supporting telemedicine will persist due to its convenience and flexibility. It will help patients living in remote locations or those working outside of traditional hospital hours to connect with the clinicians from their computers or phones.
5. Interoperability
Interoperability is the seamless exchange of data across organizations and systems. It is important for the healthcare industry as it can drive crucial digital transformation. With interoperability, it becomes easier for patients and providers by making relevant data easier to access without security or privacy problems. Moreover, interoperability in the healthcare industry can reduce the cost of care by minimizing the need for repeated or unnecessary tests and making diagnosis faster.
6. Robotic Surgery
Robot-assisted surgery or robotic surgery allows doctors to perform several complex procedures with high control, precision and flexibility than is possible with conventional methods. The commonly used clinical robotic surgical system comprises a mechanical arm and camera arm attached with surgical instruments. The surgeon controls the mechanical arms through a computer console near the operating table that gives the surgeon a magnified and highly defined 3-D view of the surgical area.
7. Smart Inhalers
Smart inhalers are inhalers that have extra digital features, i.e., they are linked to an app on your smartphone that allows patients and doctors to manage asthma better. Smart inhalers even have sensors that can work out if you’re in high pollen or high pollution area. These sensors send reminders and even let you know when an inhaler is needed. Smart inhalers are designed to automatically track how often someone is using their inhalers and keep the record.
8. IoT and Medicine
The Internet of Things is another trend in healthcare industry technologies as more people are using wearable devices, integrated applications and monitors for healthcare needs. Along with ML & AI, medical IoT can offer enhanced variants of traditional medical devices.
9. Virtual and Augmented Reality
Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in the healthcare industry provide a wide range of practical applications including surgical training and planning that helps both patients and surgeons to become more comfortable with medical procedures. AR and VR also offer help to treat mental health and chronic pain management.
10. Machine Learning
With the rise of big health data comes increased importance on machine learning in healthcare. ML can sift through medical data and detect patterns to be used for better patient results. In the upcoming years, healthcare will be more focused on ML for drug development, drug discovery and improved pharmaceutical industry processes. The predictive analysis of ML will work through genetic details and will determine how individual health will react in certain circumstances.
Benefits of Healthcare Technologies
But what are the benefits these healthcare technologies can offer? Let’s check them out!
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Enhance Patient Experience
Using healthcare technologies, one can measure and store data of patients across the whole system of multiple health organizations. Technology also helps to automate the analyze the data so healthcare organizations review the results and use them to spot issues that need to be addressed and find ways to improve patient care and experience.
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Flexibility For Clinicals and Patients
The help of telemedicine technology and patient portals offers more ways to communicate with health professionals. With wearables technology, clinicians can find more ways to calculate the well-being of their patients. These technologies help healthcare professionals to record and analyze symptoms as patients live their normal lives.
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Real-time Information Exchange
Access to complete records of patients has always been difficult. But with the integration of technologies like Blockchain, AI and Cloud, it becomes easier to securely store patients records and have access to it whenever needed.
Conclusion
With all of the above mentioned technologies and their benefits, you must have found some technologies more intriguing than others. And if you are a healthcare industrialist, you can use one or more of them in your organization to not only save time but also costs. Needless to say, using these technologies will help you improve the overall experience and care for the patients.