The healthcare industry, like many others, thrives on the use of new technologies. Admittedly, factors like COVID-19, lockdown measures, and even breakthroughs in adjacent or parallel industries have sped up revolutionary medical practices. While the emerging healthcare technology trends lay the groundwork for future developments, the growing preference for accessible, high-quality medical care drives their expansion. These trends also impact how we diagnose, prevent, and treat diseases. Hence, we must stay on top of them as we move forward. So, what are the current healthcare trends?
Top 10 Technology Healthcare Trends That Providers Must Watch
Here are the ten biggest healthcare tech trends in 2023 to be aware of and incorporate into hospital management.
1. Increased Adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
With a
CAGR of 37.2% between 2022 and 2030, the overall healthcare AI market was projected to be valued at around 188 billion USD by 2030. \
AI enables computer systems and other machines to mimic human intelligence, acquire knowledge, reason, and make decisions on their own.
The essence of Artificial Intelligence in healthcare is that providers can use it in conjunction with Machine Learning to collect and analyze medical data.
Thus, AI and related technologies will maintain their place in future healthcare technology trends as they are increasingly utilized in various aspects of healthcare, including;
Patient care
Doctors use AI systems for data analysis and decision-making in order to diagnose, investigate, and assist with patient care. Artificial Intelligence tools provide statistics on pertinent data to help other healthcare specialists and public-health researchers in their work. With such intelligence, it is simpler for doctors to determine the next treatment step, thereby enhancing the accuracy of the prognosis and the quality of patient care.
Public Health Management
The primary function of public health is to screen large populations for disease prevention and early detection. By analyzing data from the government, medical services, and other sources, AI is able to predict morbidity and mortality rates. As a result, AI has the potential to contribute significantly to global public health as a tool for combating pandemics and epidemics.
Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
As robots have become more adept at collaborating with humans, they are being trained to perform various hospital-related tasks. They become more intelligent as additional AI capabilities are integrated into their operating systems. Furthermore, surgical robots enhance surgeons' ability to see and make precise, minimally invasive incisions, suture wounds, etc. More advancements in AI for healthcare are likely to be integrated into physical robots in the future.
Administrative Processes
In healthcare administration, AI is used in a variety of administrative applications.
2. Predictive Analysis and Data Integration Will Grow
During the COVID-19 pandemic, it became clear that we needed information quickly to avoid stumbling into a complex and escalating situation. Data analysis in healthcare has now progressed from a mere option to one of the critical tech trends in healthcare.
These dynamic data and visualizations aid medical professionals in implementing a comprehensive well-being strategy in care models, including incorporating Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) data.
The patient population is segmented using analytics to identify members who are at risk of falling behind on their care plans and what to do about it. Predictive AI/ML can recommend the best future actions when these insights are derived from data.
3. Tighter Control on M-Health Applications
Mobile devices provide innovative methods for obtaining assistance, tracking progress, and gaining greater insight into medical analytics. For example, before a patient's mental deterioration or a crisis occurs, the app for mental wellness alerts the user that assistance is required and demonstrates how to obtain it. Others are simpler, with some aimed at improving memory or reasoning skills or facilitate communication between the user and a healthcare professional or counselor.
Having said that, growing concerns about patient data privacy means that more stringent HIPAA compliance regulations will be implemented.
Because mental health apps (mostly available for smart devices) frequently collect information about a user's typical behavior patterns, patients must be able to opt-in and out of the agreement to allow data usage.
Aside from HIPAA compliance, there is a question about the efficacy of mobile health apps. While some m-health software has proven useful in managing mental health issues, the majority cannot. This explains why extensive testing is required during the development of healthcare apps. During quality assurance, inefficiencies can be identified and significantly reduced at a lower cost.
4. The Internet of Things (IoT) Will Play a Role in Shaping the Future of Health Service
The Internet of Things is one of the future technology trends in healthcare to keep a pulse on. Among the various reasons why include these below:
- Internet of Things services can provide instantaneous access to precise and accurate patient data. Time and life saved.
- Regardless of the distance between doctor and patient, remote access to a centralized data source provides the doctor with a comprehensive view of the patient's condition, which aids in guiding treatment.
- For conditions requiring care or monitoring, such as heart conditions, diabetes, etc., it is simple to monitor a patient's health in real-time, regardless of their location.
- Even for medical professionals, acquiring, processing, and analyzing information from various sources is arduous and dangerous. IoT enables rapid collection, notification, and accurate real-time data analysis.
5. Providers Will Embrace Remote Monitoring of Patients and Telemedicine
Emerging healthcare technology trends such as remote patient management and telemedicine will be the next big thing.
They entail the application of technology to bridge the gap between traditional physical settings of treatment facilities and residential homes.
Simply put, RPM is the ability to obtain medical care from the convenience of one's own home or place of business. It brings healthcare into people's homes, where they live, work, and play daily.
Patients' engagement and participation naturally increase when they are at home, and remote patient monitoring can help improve their care as a result. Because effective RPM models are convenient, patients are actively encouraged to participate in their recovery, and healthcare providers are better prepared to manage and monitor patients' health conditions.
6. Digital Therapeutics Will be Combined more Frequently with Conventional Medicine
In 2021, the
In some cases, they are used alone; in others, they are used in conjunction with medications, devices, and other treatments. For instance, pain, diabetes, anxiety, PTSD, and asthma can be managed using certain physical and behavioral health conditions.
7. Keep an Eye on Wearables
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In 2021, the market for medical wearables was valued at $16.2 billion, and it is projected to reach $30,1 billion within the next five years.
Wearable technology in healthcare refers to various smart devices with sensors, actuators, and cloud-based software that enable the real-time collection, analysis, and transmission of a patient's health data. Electronic skin patches, ECG monitors, and other similar devices are examples.
They are typically employed for patient monitoring, therapy delivery, and other outpatient applications.
8. Bioprinting and Organ Care Will become Emerging Technology Trends in Healthcare
Due to a severe lack of organ donors, complications with accepting organs from donors, and immune rejections, the need for a tissue/organ transplant can pose a significant medical challenge.
Three-dimensional bioprinting is a significant organ care technology addressing this difficulty (3DBP). It has evolved into a multidisciplinary technology for engineering complex three-dimensional (3D) biological tissue architectures and compositions.
It has produced in vitro models, preclinical implants, and tissue/organ-like structures with success. 3D bioprinting is used to create in vitro models that are then used to study cancer, infections, drug testing, and safety evaluation.
9. The transition from Paper Records to EHRS
In 2018, the
percentage of doctors using electronic health records in the United States was 92; in Europe, that number was 81.
In other words, the usage of this technology has skyrocketed in the last 15 years, reflecting this trend. There were projections that by 2024, the global EHR market would be worth close to $40 billion. The term "electronic health record" (EHR) is often used interchangeably with "electronic medical record" (EMR), both of which mean the same thing: a digital record of a patient's medical history.
There is still wide variation in the adoption of EHRs from one country to the next, but usage is generally much higher in more economically developed nations.
As of 2019, nearly all primary care doctors in countries like New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom used electronic health records.
10. Augmented and Virtual Reality Are Here to Stay
Consumer and enterprise VR revenue will reach
Hence, using augmented and virtual reality in healthcare is an additional development worthy of note. Among the applications of this trend are:
- VR & AR can reduce the time and resources required to acquire the assistance of a seasoned consultant in situations where their assistance is required.
- This study found that patients who had surgery under regional anesthesia and wore headphones with relaxing images before and during the procedure reported a more positive experience. 80% of patients reported less pain and 73% less anxiety.
- In some instances, it could replace the need for general anesthesia, as anesthesia can result in a sluggish recovery.
- AR/VR may be implemented to simulate specific experiences and study the brain's response to them. As such, a patient's recovery could be accelerated by simulating a soothing environment.
Which Trends Are You Applying?
For healthcare companies to implement a true, long-term shift that will benefit patients and providers across the country, they must enable the sustained introduction of advanced technology and the rise of a flexible workforce and environment.
In the coming years, the healthcare industry will also be essential to continue working toward a common goal: ensuring that all patients, regardless of socioeconomic status or social strata, have access to high-quality, low-cost care. For this to become a reality, it would require collaboration with these emerging trends in healthcare technology.
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