Technology has influenced most of the aspects of our lives, and the health sector is no different. There have been some impressive developments in scientific healthcare trends over the last few decades. This leads to a rise in the need for remote monitoring and treatment of patients with chronic diseases like diabetes and CVDs. It has led to a need for a healthier future with adaptable and convenient care. As a result, the global digital health market’s growth was recorded at a high of 96.5 billion USD in 2020.
But the digital health sector still has a long journey ahead. The advent of the Covid-19 pandemic has made it evident that further development of healthcare technology is necessary. This article discusses the advancement we might expect in the future of digital health tools in detail.
A digital network for the health sector
There’s an abundance of fake news going around on the internet. While searching online for symptoms of a minor issue, we find fake results that add unnecessary worry and a lack of peace of mind to our life. Moreover, we tend to believe all of it. The imminent development in the medical sector will ensure that there’s an authentic health network online that provides reliable information and statistical data about health-related issues. This network will bring together all bodies of the medical sector, namely patients, doctors, specialists, hospitals, and rehab facilities, just as the U.S. Soybean Export Council brings together all bodies involved in the production and selling of soybeans.
A rise in the use of healthcare apps
People have been relying on the internet to diagnose their symptoms for a long-time now. And ever since the healthcare apps made an appearance a few years back, they’ve stuck around. Patients use these applications to monitor their sugar or blood levels. It also sets reminders for their medicines or checkups routines. In the upcoming days, however, we’ll consult doctors and receive prescriptions using such apps. Various studies have proven that people are more inclined to discuss their medical issues through text or video chats than consult doctors in-person. Such meaningful developments have already been witnessed with the Digital Health Care Act in Germany, and soon, more countries are inevitably taking similar steps.
Human-centric Artificial Intelligence
There’s an ever-rising increase in requirements of healthcare officials with the rise in the human population. But a similar growth hasn’t been seen in the number of doctors. As a result, the system is becoming unsustainable, and healthcare staff is overburdened. Health officials have turned to the application of artificial intelligence to alleviate this problem. The use of Japanese nurse robots and its American version, the Moxi, are examples of such AI. Chatbots and virtual health assistants such as va.care are also AIs used in the medical industry to fulfil customer service agents’ roles to diagnostic tools and even shrinks.
In the future, the application of AIs will transform many ways in which we treat medical concerns. The health sector will also use them to administer healthcare providers, patients, and pharmaceutical organizations.
Portable diagnostic devices
Portable diagnostic tools are pocket-friendly devices that make the process of monitoring and assessing health issues more manageable and faster. We already have various portable and wearable medical devices like devices that measure blood pressure & diabetic levels, heart rate sensors, oximeter, and sensors for other vital signs of patients. These devices can observe and track data in a matter of minutes without having to visit hospitals. In the future, this facility won’t be limited to devices that conduct small tests but will extend to bulky and time-consuming machines such as ultrasound and ECG.
Due to this development, patients will be able to diagnose diseases quickly and upload the results to the digital healthcare applications for a professional assessment. Doctors can thoroughly evaluate and prescribe medications for these reports within minutes. These tools will make healthcare more accessible to people living in remote areas that lack such facilities and medical experts.
Electronic health records
The healthcare industry’s heavy investment in Blockchain lately is indicative of the future, where most health record data will be computerized. A blockchain is a convenient tool used to share data across a network of computers without any breaches. The records of Blockchain are digital versions of the medical chart of a patient, which will help improve the accurateness of health records. Customers can also exchange financial information with suppliers without the bank’s interference and cut costs of treatments.
Conclusion
The healthcare industry has come a long way in its development of the digital aspects. However, this is just the beginning of it. The system is evolving to accommodate the needs of the patients and the medical staff. However, the Medical sector is likely to face significant structural changes in the future, transforming our treatment methods.
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