In today’s world, where access to quality healthcare is a fundamental right, the medical market plays a crucial role in ensuring that individuals have access to the medical care they need. According to Statista, the revenue in the Health Care segment is projected to reach US$63.90bn in 2023, showing an annual growth rate (CAGR 2023-2027) of 10.15%, resulting in a projected market volume of US$94.07bn by 2027.
Now, as we stride through 2023, the healthcare industry is undergoing a revolution with the integration of cutting-edge technology. As Deloitte forecasts, a wave of innovations in telemedicine, health wearables, and neurotechnology will push MedTech companies to spend more in the next few years. From telemedicine to AI-powered diagnostics, it is clear how healthcare is becoming more technologically forward, and the United States is leading the way in healthcare innovation.
In this blog, we’ll dive deeply into the latest trends and advancements in healthcare technology, exploring how they will change the face of medicine and improve patient outcomes in the next few years. So buckle up and get ready to discover the exciting world of digital health!
Healthcare Marketplaces
When we talk about the future of healthcare, we cannot leave aside the use of healthcare marketplaces. These platforms allow for better innovation and collaboration for companies offering technological solutions in the healthcare space. Their goal is to increase competition among insurance providers and make it easier for individuals to find and enroll in affordable health insurance coverage.
Customers already feel comfortable using healthcare marketplaces to browse physicians and insurance options. But according to Forbes, in 2023, we’ll see an increase in marketplaces use by innovators creating devices, software, apps, and other offerings that will help advance healthcare. These marketplaces are evolving to offer new features like open-source integration so different companies can work toward digital solutions or physician-facing training in using new technologies to improve diagnosis, workflow, and reporting. Ultimately, these marketplaces will aim to create an ecosystem of technology-first companies that work together to bring healthcare tech to its full potential.
Robotics to Automate Hospital Workflows
Faced with all the post-pandemic challenges and demands, governments worldwide recognize the need to modernize hospital care. On that note, 2023 is promising in the AI sector as companies worldwide start to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in the development of robotic systems.
Of course, the ultimate goal is not to replace humans with machines, as this will cause unemployment and a decrease in social standards, but to help medical facilities that already experience an acute deficit in nurses and clinicians accelerate their processes, automate workflows, improve efficiency, and enhance patient outcomes. For example:
- Surgical Robotics: Surgical robots assist surgeons in performing complex procedures with greater precision, reduced invasiveness, and improved outcomes.
- Pharmacy Robotics: Pharmacy robots automate the dispensing and distribution of medications, reducing the risk of errors and increasing efficiency.
- Rehabilitation Robotics: Rehabilitation robots help patients recover from injuries or disabilities by providing targeted, repetitive therapy and monitoring progress.
- Telemedicine Robotics: Telemedicine robots allow healthcare providers to remotely examine, diagnose, and treat patients, particularly in remote or underserved areas.
- Clinical Workflow Robotics: Clinical workflow robots automate tasks such as specimen handling, sample preparation, and data analysis to improve laboratory workflow efficiency.
- Patient Monitoring Robotics: Patient monitoring robots constantly monitor vital signs and other health parameters to ensure prompt and appropriate care.
Overall, using robotics in hospitals can help improve patient outcomes, reduce costs, and enhance the efficiency of various healthcare processes. However, it is essential to carefully consider each type of robot’s benefits and limitations and integration into existing workflows to ensure that the technology is used effectively and ethically.
Patient Experience
Healthcare is rapidly changing and evolving, and one of the critical aspects of this transformation is the focus on the patient experience. From now on, providing a positive and seamless patient experience will be crucial for the success of healthcare providers.
Gone are the days when healthcare was just about diagnosing and treating medical conditions. Today, patients have more choices, more information, and higher expectations regarding their care. They want to be heard, they want to be treated with empathy and compassion, and they want to be fully involved in the decision-making process. According to Forbes, 78% of patients said they want to be able to engage with healthcare systems on their preferred channel. Additionally, 84% said it’s important that their “customer service issues are solved quickly and accurately” with their healthcare provider, and 75% said they are more loyal to healthcare providers that focus on improving their patient experience.
To provide an exceptional patient experience, healthcare providers must focus on patient-centered design, leveraging technology and data to create customized, seamless, and efficient care journeys. They must also invest in the training and development of their staff, equipping them with the skills and competencies to deliver empathetic and compassionate care. By creating a culture that prioritizes the patient experience, healthcare providers can differentiate themselves in a competitive landscape and better meet their patients’ evolving needs and expectations.
On that note, the importance of the patient experience in healthcare cannot be overstated. As the industry continues to evolve and change, healthcare providers must emphasize delivering exceptional patient care experiences. By doing so, they can improve patient satisfaction, enhance their reputation, and secure their place as leaders in the healthcare landscape.
Enabling Remote Operations through Virtual Collaboration
As technology keeps gaining room in the healthcare world, one of the new trends becoming a must for any state-of-the-art hospital is remote guidance and virtual collaboration. By leveraging technology and data, hospitals can connect healthcare teams, patients, and other stakeholders, regardless of location. This has been revolutionizing the way healthcare is delivered and has become particularly relevant in the wake of and after the COVID-19 pandemic, accelerating the need for remote operations.
One of the primary benefits of virtual collaboration in hospitals is the ability to facilitate remote consultations, diagnoses, and treatment plans. For example, through telemedicine, doctors can connect with patients in remote or rural areas and provide care without needing in-person visits. This reduces the need for travel, saves time, and increases access to care for patients who may have previously struggled to receive adequate medical attention.
Another important aspect of virtual collaboration in hospitals is the ability to bring teams of healthcare providers for collaborative decision-making. With virtual tools and platforms, doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals can work together in real-time, sharing information, discussing cases, and making decisions, even if they are located in different parts of the country or world. This can improve patient outcomes by allowing teams to pool their knowledge and expertise.
Finally, virtual collaboration enables hospitals to enhance their operational efficiency through improved communication and collaboration. For example, virtual rounds and teleconferencing can streamline processes, reduce errors and increase productivity, enabling healthcare providers to focus more time on direct patient care. As technology continues to evolve and become more widely adopted, the virtual collaboration will likely become an even more integral part of healthcare delivery in the future.
Remote collaboration is also showing its value in other medical settings, such as acute care. Tele-ICU programs extend critical care resources to the bedside via technology, independent of the health facility’s location. An intensivist-led team in a central facility can monitor up to 500 remote ICU beds to support care teams on-site, combining audio-visual technology, predictive analytics, and data visualization to help ensure that patients get specific attention when they need it; similarly, in stroke care, where every second counts, emergency care clinicians can provide virtual guidance to their peers at rural or underequipped facilities to aid clinical decision-making for improved patient outcomes.
AI-backed Technologies By Hackers Targeting Healthcare
Unfortunately, AI in healthcare is not only used to save human lives or assist medical professionals in their daily tasks, but it’s also being exploited by hackers to attack medical systems and steal protected healthcare information. Sophisticated AI-powered malware is a real issue for medical cybersecurity professionals and one of the rising health tech threats in 2023 and beyond.
One of the critical challenges of AI-powered malware is its ability to adapt and evolve. Unlike traditional malware, which uses predefined scripts, AI-powered malware can analyze its environment, identify new vulnerabilities, and evolve its attack techniques to evade detection. This makes it much harder for security teams to detect and respond to threats and increases the risk of a successful breach.
The consequences of a data breach can be significant in the healthcare sector. Patients’ personal and medical information can be stolen and used for malicious purposes, such as identity theft, fraud, and extortion. Breaches can also disrupt care delivery and lead to costly penalties, reputational damage, and loss of trust among patients.
To mitigate the risk of AI-powered malware in healthcare, it is important for organizations to adopt a proactive and multilayered approach to security. This includes implementing strong authentication and access control systems, regularly patching vulnerabilities, monitoring network activity for unusual behavior, and conducting regular security audits. Additionally, healthcare organizations should invest in security awareness and top-notch developers to help them build the right IT solutions to recognize and respond to potential threats.
Closing
If something is clear with these current trends is that technology is advancing healthcare and improving the patient experience. But technological evolution doesn’t just appear out of nowhere. Rather, dedicated developers are the ones creating the future of healthcare technology.
It is not the time to let their guard down. It is crucial for healthcare leaders to stay on top of trends and be more flexible and creative than before to sort out whatever the future brings.
You may want to read more,
