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With disruptions caused by both the pandemic and the growing use of technology, there are many note-worthy healthcare trends that both consumers and service providers need to be aware of.
Major digital innovations in recent years, a large proportion of which was triggered by Covid-19, have altered the conventional practices of both clinicians and patients. Now is the time we identify the behavior shift and acknowledge the latest healthcare trends.
AI Integration in Healthcare
Many AI-based technologies, such as natural language processing and computer vision, are prominent healthcare trends. Their adoption will continue to grow with increasing use cases and impressive usefulness.
Some examples of healthcare aspects in that AI is involved are drug discovery (the prediction of clinical trials’ outcomes) and medical imaging (scanning medical imagery to detect early signs of diseases or infection). In addition, it has already been implemented in the detection and treatment of neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer’s Disease.
Retail healthcare is on the rise
Forrester researchers have predicted that a growing amount of healthcare business will be done via retail outlets. In the US, many services are already offered by retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and CVS. These services include blood tests, vaccinations, and medical check-ups – which traditionally are delivered at hospitals and clinics.
The biggest reason for this healthcare trend is that health systems tend to fail to meet demands in terms of convenience, accessibility, and experience due to inadequate resources.
Remote care and virtual services
During the pandemic, one of the healthcare trends that grew rapidly was remote care. Speed, accessibility, and convenience are some of the benefits that make remote care a favorable choice for many patients and providers – even when there is no more lockdown or restriction.
There are many interesting examples of remote care services: healthcare communities, virtual hospitals, and telehealth. Healthcare communities can be led by patients, practitioners, or charities. Their discussions surround specific health conditions and how to treat and recover from them.
Meanwhile, virtual hospitals leverage technical tools to provide remote care to patients – ranging from telemedicine and care navigation technologies to digital therapeutics. Practitioners are placed in a centralized location to offer patients from afar.
Wearable devices as a healthcare trend
One of the growing healthcare trends of 2023 is more and more individuals will leverage wearable devices to monitor their wellness. IoT technology has made contact-based hospital visits become non-obligatory, and now patients can track their health status using an easy-to-carry device. This approach to IoT in healthcare is known as the “Internet of Medical Things”.
Real-time health and fitness data can be shared with the assigned doctor who will give out advice and guidance. These statistics range from simple vital signs such as blood oxygen levels, sleep patterns, and heart rate to more complex ones like ECGs. These devices also have evolved rapidly with smart textiles and sensory features.
However, this healthcare trend also raises concerns about information safety. Wearable devices rely heavily on mass data collection for effective analysis, hence many are worried their data can be exposed. They can also be very expensive, thus not very accessible to general users.
Cloud-based healthcare systems
Another notable healthcare trend is powered by cloud technology. A shared medical-record platform could make remote consultation way more feasible. As medical histories are stored and updated in a uniform manner, clinicians could easily access them and track patients’ states. Thereby, doctors would provide early diagnosis and prompt treatment.
It may be possible that cloud computing will leverage the engagement of healthcare providers with patients across their care journey. Sharing and exchanging medical records across healthcare providers, however, have been nearly impossible because the organizations operate independently and differently. To this end, data interoperability remains a significant hurdle
All in all, technological advancements are endorsing a wide variety of healthcare trends. These trends promote excellent care quality for patients and optimal efficiency for providers. Therefore, it can be said that technology plays an important role in the protection of a community’s wellness.
