Healthcare is one of the most important fields that allows the testing and application of newer technologies. Healthcare technology has continuously adapted to the ever-changing needs of patients. Many healthcare companies have realized the necessity of becoming digitally mature. Thus, they are working to imbibe the best technology in the healthcare industry.
The situation due to the COVID-19 outbreak has made us realize the need for making healthcare facilities digital. Healthcare has had to be made available to the people through their smartphones, laptops, or desktops. The pandemic has made it necessary for hospitals to look after the health of the patients as well as healthcare professionals. Also, implementing personalized healthcare services has been required.
Technology helps in addressing various problems and brings a lot of value to customer-based care. Healthcare is now accessible in remote places. Doctors virtually scan patients and offer personalized treatment plans to them. The use of technology has also allowed healthcare professionals to detect the presence of life-threatening diseases even before symptoms occur. Moreover, the use of technology in healthcare marketing strategy has had profound impacts on the revenues generated by healthcare brands.
Here are the top eight technology trends that have impacted the healthcare industry:
1. Telemedicine
The spread of the COVID-19 virus has resulted in work-from-home becoming the new normal. This ensures that people stay socially distanced and away from infected people. However, healthcare professionals have to be at the frontlines in the fight against the Coronavirus. Thus, the WHO and the CDC have actively advocated the use of technology in the form of Telemedicine.
Doctors connect with their patients with the help of smartphones. This way, they can maintain a safe distance from infected patients. Also, it allows for the efficient use of the facilities at the urgent care near me. Only those with severe conditions can get admitted. This reduces the stress on the available healthcare facilities. Also, with doctors not having to visit the patients physically, they can now care for a greater number of patients at once.
2. Internet of Medical Things (IOMT)
Smart wearables have been in use for quite some time now. Healthcare facilities have started the use of Internet of Medical Things (IOMT) devices. These measure vitals of patients, like a heartbeat, body temperature, etc. The devices send measurements to a central database. The data is analyzed by the database system automatically. Any anomaly is reported directly to nurses.
3. Online Dashboards for Data Analysis
The massive amount of data from IOMT devices need to be analyzed to make sense. Therefore, IOMT makers have come up with online dashboards. They provide device users with an analysis of the data. This makes it easier to understand patterns in the data and detect any abnormalities that may have been recorded.
4. Robots
Robots have been in use for quite a long time in the healthcare industry. They have assisted doctors in surgeries. Further, they have completed complex surgeries accurately without any human assistance.
The use of robots has gained significant importance during the pandemic. Doctors have been using AI-powered robots to measure temperatures of patients, perform frequent checkups, and administer drugs remotely.
5. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Healthcare has become a patron of AI. The use of IoMT devices, robots, predictive models,etc.n the healthcare sector depends on AI. With the help of AI, computer-based systems can manage the workload and take decisions.
AI has also helped in expediting drug discovery and made the process cost-effective. Again, AI is useful for quick verification of health insurance documents.
6. Chatbots
Chatbots have made it possible for people to interact with a virtual assistant and get primary assistance. They have already been quite useful in the business world. Chatbots provide answers to the most frequently asked questions using Natural Language Processing. They can quickly provide basic healthcare assistance and refer serious cases to a human professional.
7. Predictive Analysis
AI-based predictive models help doctors identify the presence of diseases even before the symptoms show up. This helps control diseases before they get worse.
Also, analysis of patient-generated data helps in providing personalized healthcare. Drugs are scanned and recommended by the AI-powered algorithms that can help in the treatment of the disease.
Plus, such systems help reduce readmission. They identify the risk of readmission using predictive analysis.
8. Efficient Healthcare Marketing
Marketing strategies adopted by healthcare brands have become more effective with the introduction of technology. Video marketing has taken over other traditional forms of marketing. It helps in educating potential patients better. It can present content in a more easy-to-understand and compact manner. Also, using videos in the webpage results in a higher Search Engine Page Results (SERP) rank.
Conclusion
Innovation in healthcare technologies will help the healthcare sector become digitally mature. It is heartening to see how healthcare brands have recognized the importance of using technology to improve their services. With the changing needs of the patients, technology should be used to the fullest extent.