The medical technology industry has changed a lot since the invention of the stethoscope and eyeglasses over a hundred years ago. The rise of the middle class, the increasing number of people with advanced medical skills, and the availability of mobile internet are some factors driving the changes. According to a report by the World Economic Forum, by 2030, over a billion people will need to be reskilled to keep up with the technological advancements in the healthcare industry.
Many new technologies need to be integrated into the healthcare industry to improve care quality. Some of these include medical devices and software that can help improve the efficiency of primary care.
The emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 forced the development of new medical technologies. In 2022, the question is how these innovations can be used in a post-pandemic world.
Digital Therapeutics Technology
One of the most common factors that people with chronic illnesses face is the need for ongoing care. This can involve various forms of therapy, such as medication adjustment and patient education. It can be very time-consuming for both the patients and the medical staff. With the availability of digital therapeutics, it can now be done more personally.
Doctors can now prescribe digital therapeutics to their patients for various medical conditions. These software programs are designed to be accessed through a patient’s smartphone or a personal computer. They undergo the same rigorous testing as other medications. Some of the conditions that are commonly used for digital therapy include cancer, diabetes, anxiety, ADHD, substance abuse, and musculoskeletal pain.
The applications allow patients to keep track of their health and provide their physicians with information about their condition. This eliminates the need to see their doctor regularly and allows them to spot potential problems earlier.
Remote Patient Monitoring
Through remote patient monitoring, physicians can now keep track of their patients’ conditions without being physically close to them. There are many advantages to this type of technology, such as its ability to improve the quality of care and reduce the cost of care. In addition, it can help minimize patients’ exposure to harmful effects.
Due to the approval of various forms of RPM for reimbursement during the Covid-19 pandemic, the popularity of this technology has increased.
According to a study by Prevounce, in 2020, about 23.4 million people used remote patient monitoring. This technology was most commonly used for monitoring various conditions, such as blood pressure, glucose, and heart rate.
IoT
The rise of the internet of things (IoT) has led to the development of new technologies designed to improve care quality. These include wearable sensors, remote patient monitoring, and 5G-enabled devices. Hundreds of thousands of medical devices are now interconnected to the internet to allow healthcare providers to provide the most accurate and timely data.
As the development of new software and technologies continues, smart medical devices will eventually be able to connect with other smart devices to improve the outcomes of patients. This will allow doctors to monitor their patients’ status in a holistic manner.
AI
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a type of technology that can be used in various fields, such as healthcare. In 2022, the main trend for AI in this area will be the development of machine learning programs that can analyze large amounts of data. Programmers can create programs that can learn, act, and think like humans.
This technology does not mean that robots will suddenly become the providers of medical care. It merely means that doctors will eventually be able to provide patients with suggested diagnoses and treatment plans based on their current symptoms and their medical records.
Through the use of data collected from various sources, healthcare leaders can improve the quality of their services and reduce their costs.