There’s always a search for a brand-new vaccine, cure, or therapy technique to fight diseases. Probably, no industry like healthcare relies so heavily on technology to expand its frontiers.
That’s why we see many healthtech trends promising a healthier future. But, you may wonder which trends will be strong enough to drive the future of health tech. We have six.
1. Artificial Intelligence
Making sampling for the new drugs research takes way too much time. There is also a shortage of skilled medical personnel in both established and emerging economies. MedTech companies offer significant cost and time savings by optimizing medical records, automating the collection of patient data, producing assessments and diagnoses, as well as improving the overall service delivery with artificial intelligence (AI).
One example is using AI in CT scans. AI systems can quickly evaluate CT scans of countless patients, detect certain patterns, and communicate them to physicians. This would make up for the lack of trained personnel in this industry. As a result, most modern clinics use AI as an adjunct rather than the sole diagnostic or therapeutic tool. It is ideal for verifying current diagnoses or supplementing traditional research data.
2. Robotics
Autonomous robots and semi-automatic tools can greatly assist medical staff by minimizing hygiene and care management tasks. For example, Circolo Hospital in Varese, Italy, used autonomous nursing robots during a major COVID -19 epidemic. These smart assistants can monitor blood and oxygen levels remotely, as these are critical parameters concerning the patient’s health status.
As a shining example of this medical technology trend, Zipline has revolutionized the delivery process in rural Africa. The company is able to deliver vital supplies such as blood via drone directly to those who need it most. Wired states that “the necessary items are kept inside an insulated cardboard box and parachutes down from the sky before being whisked back away.” This groundbreaking approach currently operates within two districts in Rwanda with up to 500 deliveries made each day!
3. Big Data and Cross Registries
Healthcare institutions can leverage the medical data of a population to identify common patterns, prevent and cure diseases, lower costs, and save time. This is a game changer when working with electronic health records (EHRs). Having several registries in sync gives the doctors and asymmetric advantage and the full patient history. Additionally, projects like OCEAN protocol allow for discoveries by scanning and analyzing vast amounts of data within these registries.
Several biopharma startups rely on big data analytics, in addition to AI and machine learning, to improve the flow of clinical drug research. Since most of the tests can be performed electronically, this strategy helps scientists optimize on-site research with reagents and high-tech lab equipment. It also helps accelerate the discovery of important scientific advances.
4. Mobile Health or mHealth
Today, there is a larger portion of the population using phones and smartphones to access the internet. This gives room for trivial but successful use cases like SMS for Life program in Tanzania or mental health apps that gained popularity especially during COVID times, such as Calm, Moodfit, and Talkspace. Besides, there are video games specifically made to improve mental health. The FDA recently approved EndeavorRX, the only video game made for children with ADHD.
Another example of mobile healthtech is digital therapeutics. A physician prescribes digital therapeutics to patients for their specific medical problem. mHealth is also a prerequisite for telemedicine and AR/VR simulations for future doctors.
The challenge here is that custom medical software development requires a very skilled tech team with a solid background in the healthcare tech industry.
5. Wearables and Internet of Things (IoT)
Wearable technology is an extension of the omnipresent medtech. With IoT and big data exchange, healthtech professionals and patients now have access to bio data that can serve as insightful information. Plus, cloud connection allows wearable devices to capture, store, and process data in real time.
For instance, wearables such as Fitbit use light-based sensors to continually track physiological indicators, useful for patients who have diabetes, neurological disorders, and cardiovascular conditions. With real-time monitoring, they can gather data on sleep patterns, blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen levels, and other vital signs to maintain patient health in the long term.
6. Blockchain for Privacy & Accountability
Whether it’s tech, finance, or manufacturing, blockchain has a potential to transform it for good. As medical institutions eventually replace centralized and disconnected EHRs with consortia of distributed ledgers, this offers several benefits to the patients and hospitals themselves.
First, is privacy. By using Zero-Knowledge (ZK) proofs, patients receive full control over their data and can see who was viewing or interacting with it.
Second, is accountability, since blockchain itself is an immutable ledger storing information (and history of working with it) that cannot be removed.
Third, is added value. Insurance companies with limited access (possibly, via ZK-proofs) can verify that their clients follow a healthy lifestyle and decrease the cost of the service to them. Also, a case with medical blockchain consortia and big data suggest more interoperability and potential for better partnerships and faster scientific discoveries.
Bottom Line
Like any other industry, the healthcare sector has no choice but to embrace digitalization fully. As new challenges and diseases appear, only technology can aid healthcare professionals find the root cause and create an environment where patients are encouraged to receive care. A skilled dedicated software development team involvement is a must for any healthcare industry player to ensure smooth, safe, and efficient digitalization.