The COVID-19 pandemic has seriously impacted the medical industry and how we optimize body and mind as a species. The global problem has sparked numerous industry developments and revolutions. Digital technologies have, however, had an impact on the healthcare sector before. Transformations were already in motion, but what transpired in 2020 only boosted them in terms of investment and adoption. In 2023, these technologies will be much more potent and give the healthcare industry more leverage.
The use of technology in medical settings opens up new possibilities for patients and medical professionals to live more sustainably and to treat even previously incurable diseases. There are countless examples, like an online blood report analysis of how technologies enhance medical facilities. Here are the top seven digital technologies that help you track your health.
1. Machine Learning or AI In Medicine
For instance, machine learning has been used to analyze CT images to treat the coronavirus’s impacts. But aside from preventing pandemics, artificial intelligence has several additional applications.
A detailed evaluation of the material in intricate, large-scale projects is made possible by specialized software that enables microbiological image processing and analysis. Algorithms are employed in microbiological research to investigate bacterial colonies and evaluate their characteristics efficiently, laying the groundwork for the foundations found in drug research laboratories.
Successful automation can help reduce paperwork for a general physician and boost productivity for procedures like patient discharge and follow-up. To improve consistency and success rates in ongoing therapy, patients are given standardized care plans that are automatically monitored. Medical staff having access to patients’ daily activities enables them to step in as soon as process abnormalities are observed.
2. Telemedicine
Healthcare providers can now deliver care virtually, thanks to telehealth. Because it allowed medical professionals to continue caring for their patients despite their isolation during pandemic times, the method attracted particular attention during those times. Many services, such as remote doctor consultations, health education, and vital sign monitoring, can be offered under the general term “telecare.” This term encompasses telemedicine and telecare that help track and monitor your health.
3. Healthcare Apps
The most efficient way to achieve maximum patient engagement has proved to be through mobile apps. Thanks to mobile health apps, contacting medical professionals in an emergency has never been more straightforward than now. These applications have greatly aided in preventing, treating, and managing several severe diseases in various regions where mobile app development has permeated the healthcare infrastructure globally.
In many facilities worldwide, mobile health apps have become indispensable resources for managing healthcare and providing daily patient care. Mobile apps’ promise to the healthcare environment is restricted to better treatment, but they have also significantly contributed to healthcare being more accessible and inexpensive.
4. Big Data Collection
The discovery of novel drugs and treatments, illness research and prediction, eliminating unnecessary doctor visits for full checkup blood tests, and automation of hospital procedures are just a few of the ways that vast volumes of data are changing the face of modern medicine. Big data remarkably impacts modern medicine, providing new tools for healthcare workers and revolutionizing the field. The development of personalized patient profiles and predictive models aids in overcoming disease-related knowledge gaps.
5. Blockchain And Healthcare
Patient data preservation, protection, and prevention of all threats to and vulnerabilities in data security are among the top issues for healthcare facilities globally. This is especially true for linked healthcare devices, which rapidly pose various security dangers. Healthcare systems can handle these problems with support from blockchain, the most secure decentralized database technology.
Blockchain is now the best and most capable technology available for data security. With safe encryption and a “write-once, never-delete, never-change” protocol, blockchain is a decentralized database that provides open access to information for all stakeholders inside an organization. This prevents data theft and manipulation. Patients’ personal information is safe when Blockchain enables healthcare data for a medical company.
By eliminating so-called defensive security processes like registration and passcodes, blockchain technology allows health apps to guarantee a far better user experience.
6. Mental Health and Technology
According to WHO, mental health conditions and substance use problems have increased 13% over the past ten years, mainly due to demographic changes (2017). As a result of mental health problems, 1 in 5 people today have a disability.
Many new technologies have emerged in the last 12 months that can help with the ongoing needs of a patient’s mental health. Several psychologists and psychotherapists offer assistance via video communication, as many things have been done since things first got online. Also, there are digital therapeutics, and some applications are starting to finish patient intakes and provide a preliminary diagnostic. To help as many individuals as possible, medical professionals are looking for answers.
7. Virtual Reality in Healthcare
Virtual and augmented reality have a variety of applications in the medical field. With the use of these technologies, it is possible to connect the physical and digital worlds in a variety of ways. Artificial intelligence plays a crucial role in the development of augmented reality. Image recognition technology can be used to find cancer. In areas like mental trauma, where it can treat phobias, VR can be employed in physical treatment. A general physician can use AR glasses to overlay CAT and 3D scan data to see inside patients’ bodies.
What’s Ahead?
When considering the immense promise and opportunities they offer to alter healthcare services, these digital healthcare trends can be seen as the tip of the iceberg. Throughout the world, these technologies will keep improving patient care and transforming it.