The healthcare sector has been pretty slow when it comes to adopting emerging tech; however, the potential benefits are very vast. The use of emerging technology is most likely to change the way healthcare officials provide care, enhance patient outcomes, and curtail costs. Let us highlight seven prominent emerging technologies that indeed hold a great future for the healthcare sector.
AI
Artificial intelligence pertains to the development of computer systems that happen to be capable of taking care of tasks that call for human intelligence, like problem solving, language understanding, and decision-making. In healthcare, AI has the potential to change the way diagnosis and disease treatment are done. Some of the examples of AI applications in healthcare include:
- Precision Medicine
This makes use of tailored medical treatments for the genetic makeup of the patients. It is well to be noted that AI can help in analysing a great deal of generic data so as to identify specific generic differences that go on to contribute to disease risk. It can also go on to maintain and develop personalised treatments that are based on the genetic profiles of individuals.
- Predictive Analytics
AI can also be used to identify patients who happen to be at risk of developing particular medical challenges. For instance, AI algorithms can go on to gauge electronic health records so as to identify patients that have a certain level of high heart disease risk. Because of this, healthcare providers can intervene a bit early to prevent the creation of these conditions.
- Virtual Nursing
This can help reduce the nurse’s workload by providing patients with guidance as well as virtual support. They can aid in monitoring patients’ vital signs, provide solutions for medications and treatments, and also go on to offer emotional support to them.
INTERNET OF THINGS
IoT is the interconnectedness of everyday elements that happen to be a network of sensors and software. The industrial IoT development is the use of IoT tech when it comes to industrial settings, which include healthcare facilities. IoT can go on to transform the way medical organisations help in delivering care by
- Monitoring patients remotely
Through IoT, healthcare providers can track and take control of equipment and processes remotely, thereby reducing the need for on-site staff. This remote monitoring makes use of IoT sensors so as to track the vital signs of patients from a distance. With IoT-powered solutions, the carers can go on to detect the changes in patients’ health status much before, thereby allowing them to intervene much earlier before any complications crop up.
- Smart hospital spaces
These happen to make use of IoT sensors in order to adjust room temperature as well as lighting, and certain other environmental factors so as to help meet the patient’s requirements. Such solutions can go on to help elevate patient comfort as well as reduce the risk of infections that are acquired in hospitals.
- Smart Wear Tech
It is well worth noting that fitness trackers as well as smartwatches can aid patients in monitoring their health and sharing data with healthcare providers. These providers, in turn, can go on to identify trends as well as offer personalised treatment plans.
BLOCKCHAIN TECH
It is a digital ledger tech that helps in secure, decentralised, and transparent record-keeping. By reaping the benefits of blockchain, medical organisations can go on to optimise several processes. For instance, the electronic health records that happen to be stored on a blockchain can be accessed securely as well as shared amongst healthcare providers, thereby aiding in the reduction of data breach risks. Another scenario of the supply chain happens to be tracking it when it comes to drugs so as to make sure that counterfeiting of products is pushed away from entering the system. When it comes to clinical trials, blockchain can go on to help track the consent of patients, agreements related to data sharing, as well as other requirements pertaining to compliance.
3D PRINTING
It is a process of creating a three-dimensional object from a digital file. This amazing technology can be of great help when it comes to the healthcare sector. Hence, 3D printing can be used when it comes to creating tailor-made healthcare solutions. For instance, a 3D-printed prosthetic can also be personalised so as to specifically fit a patient’s limb. Applying this technology can go on to help in enhancing the patient’s comfort and also lessen the risk of complications.
Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality can involve the use of imagery generated by computers so as to enhance the real-world environment and also create a simulated picture. In the healthcare gamut, AR as well as VR can be applied in numerous ways, such as by surgical residents who can use VR simulations in order to practise complex surgical procedures in a low-risk environment. All this can help enhance the quality of medical training and, at the same time, curtail the risk of complications when it comes to procedures in real-time.
AR & VR
AR and VR can also be used to educate patients about their own medical treatments and conditions. The result of taking up these technologies is an improved understanding of the patient as well as treatment plan adherence. In addition to this, AR and VR can be used for pain management so as to distract patients from procedures that happen to be painful or also help with virtual environments that lead to stress relief.
NANOTECHNOLOGY
Nanotechnology is basically the manipulation of materials on an atomic or molecular scale. This technology can go on to change the way one delivers drugs, goes ahead with the treatment of diseases, and also diagnoses medical conditions. Nanoparticles happen to be applicable in the case of targeted drug delivery, thereby allowing medications to be delivered right away to the diseased cells while also lessening the side effects when it comes to healthy cells. These particles can also be used when it comes to treating cancer by delivering chemotherapy to the tumour cells.
It is well to be noted that nanotechnology can be used when it comes to creating diagnostic tools that happen to be capable of tracking medical conditions within the blood stream before they go on to become tumours, thereby allowing for prior interventions as well as timely treatment.
ROBOTICS
It is the use of machines so as to perform tasks that are typically performed physically by humans. Apparently, it has several use cases within the healthcare sector. For instance, the surgical robots elevate accuracy as well as precision when it comes to surgical procedures, thereby reducing complication risks and also enhancing the outcomes of patients. On the other hand, the rehabilitation robots go on to assist the patients with mobility as well as reduce the need for human assistance. So, they are, in a way, eldercare robots that can go on to offer companionship and also help elderly patients, improving their quality of life.
INFERENCE
The healthcare sector is on the verge of a prominent change, all thanks to the emergence of AI, blockchain, and IoT, as well as all the elements discussed above. While the adoption of these technologies presents some issues for healthcare providers, the benefits at any point in time outweigh the challenges that are faced.
As these technologies continue to evolve with time. Healthcare professionals have to stay in sync with the latest developments and also harness their entire potential so as to give out the best possible care across patient communities.
