New waves in technology are changing every business and every industry, and healthcare companies are no exception. It will allow healthcare professionals and systems to use crucial data better, speed up accurate diagnosis, and replace manual processes. From medical software to extended reality, let’s explore different technologies and their impact on the healthcare industry.
1. Medical Software
Medical or healthcare software allows healthcare providers to enhance medical research, provide better patient care, and streamline operations. The programs can vary according to the functions they perform. Here are a few examples:
- Electronic health record software (ERPs): They help digitize patient’s health records, making it easier for hospitals, doctor’s offices, and medical institutions to monitor and keep track of their records.
- Scheduling software: It aids administrative staff in efficiently and effectively managing personnel and automating administrative tasks.
- Medical equipment management software: Intensive care units (ICUs) typically use this to monitor emergency room machines and equipment’s health.
- Telemedicine software is used for remote
Practice management software is used for medical practices’ day-to-day operations, such as billing, administrative functions, and scheduling. Other features they may have include:
- Payment and invoicing
- Listing features
- Chat features
- e-prescriptions
- Reporting and analytics
- Booking features
- Doctor and user profiles
2. Artificial Intelligence
AI is on the rise and has a dramatic influence on healthcare; for example, it can analyze radiography or medical imaging to discover any anomalies in a patient’s body. It can also assist hospitals and clinics in early disease diagnosis and detection, reducing errors, allowing better care, and ensuring more efficient resource management.
Artificial intelligence can even provide personalized therapy recommendations. It can even make medication or treatment recommendations, expediting decision-making. Hospitals can also use AI-powered chatbots to answer patients’ queries, coordinate patient care, data entry, manage appointments, and more, freeing the administrative staff to focus on more relevant tasks. You can also use AI to manage medical records. It makes finding and retrieving relevant information easier and ensures timely treatment and faster diagnosis.
3. Portable Diagnostics Devices
Portable diagnostic devices are compact, easy-to-use tools that allow quick and accurate health assessments outside traditional clinical settings. They enable immediate testing and diagnosis at the point of care, whether in a clinic, at home, or in the field, leading to faster treatment decisions. It further helps patients monitor their health conditions more easily and by themselves, which leads to better self-management and adherence to treatment plans. Some examples of portable diagnostic devices include:
- Automated insulin pumps: Type 1 diabetes patients can use this latest technology, which adjusts their insulin level without needing the user’s input by simply tracking their glucose levels.
- Blood pressure monitors: You can attach these highly portable wireless BPMs to your upper arm, which uses smart technology to monitor changes in your blood pressure.
- Glucose monitoring systems: You can connect these devices to your phone to monitor your blood sugar level and share them with your practitioner.
- Portable ECG/EKG/Monitors: You can use these during electrocardiogram tests to assess your heart activity.
4. Extended Reality
Extended reality (XR) has the potential to create engaging and immersive patient education experiences that can lead to reduced patient anxiety, positive educational outcomes, and enhanced patient satisfaction. XR encompasses virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), and augmented reality (AR), which merge our physical and digital worlds.
- Virtual reality creates an immersive experience by using specialized hardware, such as a headset, vests, haptic accessories, and more, that place patients in a 3D environment. Healthcare providers can use VR to simulate medical procedures and help patients better understand their treatment process and medical questions.
- Augmented reality provides visual overlays of medical information or anatomical structures in patient education. They can use their phones on an AR target and get a 3D visual of their internal organs to understand their treatment options and conditions better.
- Mixed reality combines elements of AR and VR and AR. By interacting with virtual objects, Doctors can use MR to help patients understand complex procedures in a realistic surgical environment. Patients get a better understanding of what to expect, which helps reduce anxiety.
5. Health Wearables, Trackers and Sensors
Health wearables, trackers, and sensors empower individuals to better take care of their own health. It allows patients to monitor their health from their homes and remotely share results with their doctor. Some examples include:
- EEG (electroencephalogram) aids meditation, enhances sleep quality, and boosts concentration. It measures brain sleep patterns and brain waves to offer personalized recommendations to sleep better, such as gentle audio or smart alarms.
- Wireless glucose monitors give insight into your blood glucose level.
- Smart or digital tattoos continuously monitor hydration levels and blood pressure, sending real-time data to your phones.
6. Telemedicine
Telemedicine provides remote clinical services using mobile applications, phone calls, or video conferencing. It is typically used for non-emergency medical problems that do not require patients to visit a doctor.
It can be cost-effective and convenient as patients can receive medical advice and treatment from the comfort of their homes, reducing the need for time off work and eliminating transportation costs. It is especially ideal for those in underserved or remote areas, as patients can consult with specialists without the need to travel long distances.
Telemedicine facilitates continuous monitoring and follow-up, and It’s ideal for patients with chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol, as they can call their practitioner and get help for prescription refills, lifestyle regimens, and dosage adjustments. It enhances post-operative care.
Telemedicine further helps reduce the burden on healthcare facilities by decreasing the number of in-person visits. It allows healthcare providers to manage more patients efficiently and provide optimal care.
7. Robotics in Surgeries
Compared to traditional procedures, robotic surgery enables doctors to perform more complex procedures with more control, flexibility, and precision. A robotic surgery system, also known as robot-assisted surgery, uses mechanical arms with attached surgical instruments and a camera arm, which the surgeon controls through the console or control center near the operating table. It shows the surgeon a high-definition, magnified, and 3D view of the surgical site.
Surgeons typically perform robot-assisted surgery through tiny incisions but can also utilize it in open surgeries. This essentially reduces recovery time and minimizes pain and scarring for patients.
Endnote
As you consider implementing these technologies, it’s important to remember they are meant to enhance relationships between hospitals, workers, and patients, not replace them. The right tech can enhance diagnostic precision and accelerate the treatment pace, so it’s best to keep an eye out for new developments.
