In the early 2000s, robotic surgery was the latest development in healthcare, but in recent years, machine learning and big data have paved the way for a digital healthcare transformation. Investments made into big data and big tech research are not only aimed at yielding profits to hospitals and manufacturers, but they also aim to individualize healthcare.

Pointer finger inserted into blue pulse oximeter

The biggest digital healthcare trends are aimed at customizing a person’s access to care and driving data-based decisions in everyday lifestyle choices. For those working in the fields of medical technology and healthcare administration, these trends may dominate the next decade. What’s on the horizon in this new wave of digital healthcare transformation, and what can we expect next?

1) AI’s Preventative Powers On The Small & Large Scale

Artificial intelligence has already made noteworthy contributions to the digital healthcare transformation. Office administration is more agile with efficient data management and retrieval, and both diagnoses and treatments are more precise and better informed.

AI’s capabilities extend far and wide—capturing data and making sense of its chaos is one of its prized capabilities. Consider medical imaging. Currently, AI quickly translates medical images like X-Rays, MRIs, and CT scans. It also provides information regarding the spread of communicable diseases, like COVID-19. AI augments the power of surgeons, providing them with superhuman vision so that they can precisely perform procedures on patients. AI’s automation powers allow for triage and initial patient contact processing to move faster.

Following this trend, future healthcare technology will likely focus on the field of preventative medicine. Why react to a diagnosis when you can anticipate its onset? As big data can better predict an individual’s likelihood of contracting a disease or developing a condition, the medical field will become more preventative and less reactive.

2) Genomics & Medicine Tailored To You

Genomics is the study of genes and DNA sequences, and it’s a frontrunner in this digital healthcare transformation. Medicine as we know it has been a one-size-fits-all industry, but with diagnosis and treatment recommendations based on genetic profiles, treating patients will be a unique user experience.

Since many cancers have a genetic basis, clinicians have found it challenging to comprehend all the genetic variants of cancer and their response to new drugs and treatments. As one example, the pharmaceutical company Roche specializes in genomics to create new diagnostics.

There will be some logistical hurdles to overcome. In a broader movement to decentralize data and protect privacy, individuals will likely need to opt in to many instances of genetically-informed healthcare. But with the popularity of programs such as AncestryDNA and 23andMe, perhaps this trend is already primed for new healthcare technologies.

3) Telehealth Brings Care Into Your Home

In a coordinated effort with preventative care measures, telehealth already provides patients with greater access to health resources, provider engagement, and overall care. Providers are able to connect with at-risk populations faster and more efficiently with virtual visits.

So what’s the future of an office visit on Zoom? The coming years will likely see more integrations with health apps and live reporting. Sharing health data from a smartwatch or using apps to monitor physical performance may become regular components of telehealth check-ups. In other words, doctors may be able to physically examine you in a virtual check-up. This digital healthcare trend will make quality care more accessible to all.

4) Wearables: The Fashion of the Digital Healthcare Transformation

Speaking of smartwatches—wearables already track an individual’s health statistics such as heart rate, steps walked, running distance, and more. Wearables are expected to increase in usage and demand in the coming years as consumers are becoming more open to sharing their personal health statistics with providers and insurers. For example, launched in 2017, the Apple Heart Study monitored users’ heart rhythms and alerted those who were experiencing atrial fibrillation.

Apple’s 2021 Series 7 iWatch includes native sleep tracking capabilities, an FDA-approved electrocardiogram, a blood oxygen saturation monitor, and fall detection that will immediately call 911 if the device detects the user is no longer moving.

The Move ECG measures the user’s electrocardiogram and sends the information to the patient’s doctor. It can also detect atrial fibrillation. Wearable blood pressure monitors are also on the market, most notably Omron Healthcare’s 2019 HeartGuide, which is the first wearable blood pressure monitor. Not only can the user share their data with their physician, but the device provides insight as to how personal habits affect their blood pressure.

We should see this as only the tip of the healthcare transformation iceberg. Soon “how much does this hurt on a scale of 1-10?” and “when did you first experience symptoms?” will be antiquated questions. Wearables will share health information more accurately than a person can put into words.

Four people sitting watching virtual reality near lamps

5) Virtual Reality Used to Ease Reality

Although virtual reality has been around for years, it’s becoming more common in psychiatry and a leading digital healthcare trend. Used to manage a range of psychological illnesses such as anxiety and depression, virtual reality is a non-drug choice for stress management. It is also used on patients who suffer from dementia and are on the autism spectrum.

This digital transformation could push healthcare into a wider acceptance of virtual and augmented reality apps. Implications exist for medical education, too. Health professionals often undergo repeated training, but now virtual reality has made lectures and labs more accessible by transporting the student inside the human body.

Perhaps more commonly in the future, when a doctor is diagnosing a patient, the doctor can provide the patient a virtual reality experience that will help them understand their diagnosis. Maybe your doctor will submerge you into your problem area, like the knee, the lung, the heart, or the ovary, so you can get a close-up view of your surgery or treatment.

6) 3D Printing For Prosthetic Perfection

Whether you’re opting for an implant or in need of a joint replacement, 3D printers have changed the face of surgery and the digital healthcare transformation. They are able to meet the patient’s measurements down to the millimeter, increasing effectiveness and efficiency of the surgery’s overall outcome. Patients are now given increased mobility and comfort with these state-of-the-art printed joints and implants.

Surgeons can now take on challenging procedures in the operating room due to 3D printing capabilities. Printers can mimic the patient’s problem areas, giving the operating team opportunities to practice the procedure beforehand, reducing operating room errors.

The Digital Healthcare Transformation For the Better

In any effort to increase the use of technology in our daily lives there will be privacy concerns. But with these particular advancements in healthcare, the benefits truly outweigh the risks.
If you have a big idea that needs refining or you’d like to make some improvements to your current administrative or clinical processes, get in touch with us. Schedule a pre-consultation to see if Soluntech is the right fit for moving your vision forward.