Healthcare is an industry that is under constant evolution and it is all thanks to the advancements that have been made in technology in the last few years. As a result of these technological advancements, the healthcare industry is a lot more capable of handling the unique challenges that are being presented by the 21st century.
Technological advancements are helping healthcare professionals meet the growing demand for healthcare services, especially in this uncertain pandemic environment. Technology is also helping healthcare professionals to deliver improved patient care while lowing the costs associated with offering this care.
If you are interested in learning what the biggest advancements in health technology are, here are a few advancements that you should be aware of in 2021:
Advanced Telemedicine
No one needs to tell you about the devastating effects of the ongoing pandemic, not just on the world’s economy but also on the healthcare market. Telemedicine has been around for at least a decade.
However, it wasn’t until the advent of the pandemic that its application skyrocketed. As a result, at least 24% of healthcare organizations across the country have incorporated a telehealth program.
Forced entirely into functionality, the numerous barriers that telehealth was dealing with earlier have since been eradicated with healthcare organizations now relying heavily on advanced telemedicine to survive. As time progresses, more healthcare organizations will continue to focus on how best to incorporate telehealth services into their existing physical operations.
Virtual hospital visits will continue to become the norm and will be used as a tactic to enhance people’s access to primary, as well as urgent care. In the long run, advanced telehealth will be instrumental in ensuring that there is enhanced corporation between clinics, chronic illness treatment centers such as dialysis treatment centers, mental health, as well as long-term care institutions and facilities.
Because telemedicine seeks to encourage 2-way interaction and communication between patient and doctor at a distant site, many experts are predicting that telemedicine will be the biggest transformation to take place in healthcare in the last few decades.
As mobile and electronic gadgets continue to become more advanced, telemedicine will only continue to become more accessible.
Advanced Drug Development
According to Healthcare Weekly, drug discovery today is vastly different from 5 years ago and this can mostly be attributed to Artificial Intelligence technology. Highly regarded as a game-changer in many industries, not just healthcare, we have seen increased adoption of AI technology in daily life from day-to-day products and services to large-scale innovation.
In the pharmaceutical industry, AI and machine learning are being utilized to advance as well as address the demands of modern drug development. Thanks to AI, the creation of treatments used to handle complex diseases such as Alzheimer’s is not only more effective but also more cost-effective.
AI-powered drug discoveries have allowed big pharma, as well as biotechnology firms to streamline their research and discovery efforts. According to Digital Authority, big pharma is using AI to carry out important tasks such as calculating broad patient datasets into easy-to-understand information. AI is also being used to identify personalized medical opportunities while forecasting what people’s reactions to a drug may be.
When fully implemented, AI can usher in a new era of quicker, more cost-effective, and more effective drug development. Of course, skeptics abound that doubt the efficacy of AI and machine learning to develop high-quality drugs. However, AI applications across healthcare have already proven that the technology is more beneficial than it is damaging.
Advancements in Nanomedicine
Over the last several years, the healthcare industry has witnessed the unprecedented growth of various studies and applications in the field of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Experts believe that nanotechnology could be just the thing to revolutionize the field of medicine as we know it, which will in turn deliver considerable advances in the diagnosis is diseases, as well as its treatment. Nano technology is being utilized to deliver drugs, as well as cell therapy. Nano medicine is also being used for the production of biocompatible materials.
Because nanotechnology mainly concentrates on the manipulation and fabrication of materials, the process of creating nanotechnology often comes with the construction of highly organized molecules that bear specific properties. What’s so fascinating about nanotechnology is that it is a field that combines many areas including physics, chemistry and biology.
As such, nanotechnology often calls upon scientists in various departments to work together. So far, nanomedicine is being utilized to diagnose, treat, as well as prevent various diseases such as traumatic injury. Nanotechnology is also being utilized in the relief and management of pain, all while enhancing public health.
The Internet of Things
The internet of things is affected every aspect of modern human life including healthcare and it is easy to understand why. Today, internet-connected gadgets and devices are being utilized to enhance efficiency, while also helping to lower medical costs significantly. All in all, the internet of medical things has become particularly essential in driving better outcomes in healthcare.
As technology keeps improving and as computing power and wireless capabilities keep advancing, more healthcare organizations will continue to leverage the power of the internet of medical things. This technology has an uncanny ability to collect, analyze, as well as transmit important health data.
For healthcare professionals, the internet of things is being utilized to tracks and prevent chronic diseases through an integrated ecosystem. When the internet of things is paired with smartphones, the technology is allowing patients to send detailed information to their health practitioners for a more improved diagnosis and treatment.
Final Thoughts
As the world population keeps growing and as technology becomes more advanced, technology is presenting healthcare professionals with better ways for not only identifying various diseases but also diagnosing different conditions.
Technology is also being utilized to better monitor and manage health crises such as the ongoing pandemic. More importantly, technology is being used to make medical and clinical research more efficient by better handling the demands of the modern healthcare system.