Digital trends transforming healthcare

When people think about going to the doctors, they usually think about the wait.

The wait to be seen, the wait to get test results back, the wait for follow-up appointments. However, with the health tech industry booming, major advancements are being made in the way people access care, transforming healthcare for the better.

Reports show that in 2019 the digital health industry received a total 13.7 billion USD in funding worldwide, whilst predictions for the global value of the EHR/EMR 2020 market hit 24 billion USD. With so much investment in health tech, it’s no wonder that many healthcare services have started to become digitised, the current coronavirus pandemic only pushing these services further onto an online space.

With such a focus on the digital during this period in time, we’ve rounded up some of the top trends currently transforming healthcare, helping us to access the care we need in safer, more efficient ways.

Privacy and security

One of the major concerns surrounding health tech, as with healthcare as a whole, is the patients’ privacy and security. However, with advancing technologies, certain health tech trends are able to disrupt various healthcare operations whilst still keeping patient data safe.

For example, certain e-signatures have made sure they are classed as HIPAA-compliant esignatures, to help safeguard patient information, and subsequently helping healthcare to digitise operations whilst still abiding by necessary rules and regulations.

Telehealth

An advancement many around the world are thankful for during this time of social distancing, telehealth is making healthcare accessible through a range of different technologies. Telehealth helps healthcare professionals monitor patients remotely, using equipment as sophisticated as blood oxygen sensors and as simple telephone check-ups.

Healthcare software development benefits each aspect of the treatment process and improves industry standards. Technical solutions on patient data management and monitoring, telehealth, hospital departments arrangements, and healthcare CRMs impact a medical establishment’s worth and the quality of life of its patients.

There are now a range of different apps available, helping patients to connect with health professionals, and access the care and advice they need from the comfort of their own homes. This trend is convenient not only for patients, giving them access healthcare remotely, but also for healthcare professionals, enabling them to connect with and help treat patients all from their smartphone.

With COVID-19 still a major concern amongst healthcare facilities everywhere, this remote access is also beneficial in helping to slow the spread of infection, lowering the face-to-face interactions between healthcare professionals and patients, whilst still providing support and advice for patients with health concerns.

AI

AI technology can also be used to improve the efficiency of various different healthcare processes, one of these being results for certain tests. AI and deep learning have been shown to speed up the rate at which CAT scans are analysed, which could drastically reduce the waiting time for patients and free up the hospital staff’s time to make their hours even more productive.

Additionally, AI can also be used for more administrative roles, such as booking in appointments, confirming referrals and verifying key information about a patient. From CAT scans to the receptionist desk, AI technology can be incorporated into various different roles, helping to boost efficiency and further the overall productivity of healthcare.