Digital healthcare trends 2021 - A future of healthcare

We all know that technology is growing exponentially. Innovation has led to a rapid increase in living standards. Technology has become increasingly important for healthcare organisations around the globe. Health technology covers numerous aspects, such as telehealth, telemedicine, digital health, and electronic health services.

In this article, we explore some digital healthcare trends in 2021 and the future of healthcare.

The use of digital technology helps us stay alert and aware of our mental and physical well-being, while also tracking any changes in our conditions. Furthermore, it provides cost-effective, efficient, and effective care to the responsible authorities before it is too late.

Digital technology is advancing at a tremendous pace. It is a low-cost method that allows the typical man to gain access to healthcare facilities. As a result, now is the most critical period for healthcare authorities. They must take steps to broaden the reach of digital technology while also taking remedial actions to make it more efficient.

Digital technology has become an essential component of healthcare and is poised to transform medical procedures. Digital technology has substantially enhanced operational efficiency in terms of medical care standards. The transition has considerably improved the overall experience of both healthcare personnel and patients.

Technology and healthcare are inextricably linked. However, many people are wondering what the future will look like. The digital healthcare sector has been attracting massive investments, including telemedicine, IoT, and virtual reality surgical training, which have helped improve health equity.

The concept of health equity is about providing access and affordability to healthcare for all, and digital health trends are at the core of it.

Technological Applications in Healthcare

Technology companies are increasingly repurposing health data to gain insights into health. Technologies used in the health sector include:

• Health mobile applications (apps that detect or prevent health issues)

• Information and communication technology in health (electronic medical records, electronic prescribing)

• Medicine with pinpoint accuracy (customised health care based on genetic information)

• Analytics that predicts (use of data to predict health outcomes)

• Telemedicine and telehealth (remote access and use of health care services)

• Consumer technology is used to track and manage health data (wearables).

• Connected devices that are solely utilised for medical purposes (e.g. connected pacemakers)

• AI-powered examinations

• Observatories that map and track disease outbreaks/epidemics

• Biotechnology/bioinformatics is a branch of science that deals with the study of living organisms (computerization to study genetics and other biological data).

• Medical Robotics is a branch of robotics that focuses on (precision machines aiding in surgery, nursing, blood services, and many more)

• Prosthetics of the highest quality (3D-printed prosthetics)

Digital Health Trends of 2021

The epidemic caused tremendous change in the healthcare industry, forcing it to invest more in new technology. Some of the following digital health trends gained traction during the epidemic and are expected to impact the face of medicine in the future:

1. Telehealth

Telehealth refers to the use of digital communication technology such as computers, mobile phones, and tablets to help in the delivery of healthcare services.

Healthcare providers had to shift rapidly when social distancing diminished in-person visits. By April 2020, telehealth services would have accounted for more than 43 percent of Medicare primary care visits.

Even as the COVID-19 vaccines become available around the world, telemedicine appears to be here to stay. According to Fortune Business Insights, the telehealth market will exceed $185 billion by 2026.

Benefits of Telehealth

• Increased healthcare access

More people, including the medically fragile and those without transportation or a provider in their neighbourhood, will be able to receive health-related services.

• Reduced contact

Because there are fewer patients in medical buildings, there is less interaction between healthcare professionals and patients, as well as a lower risk of illness spreading.

• Treatment for non-COVID-19 emergencies

Patients with chronic diseases who require frequent checkups may be able to plan remote appointments if no in-person testing is required.

• Continuity of care

By communicating consistently, physicians may foster their connections with patients and potentially avoid any negative outcomes caused by missing or delayed in-person appointments.

2. Apps for employee wellness

2020 offered immense mental health issues for people all throughout the world as the painful reality of lockdown life set in. Mindfulness applications like Headspace, Liberate, and Calm were no longer restricted to the niche meditation audience, as mainstream usage drove download statistics in the wellness app sector. 

According to The New York Times, Calm gained 10 million new members, and venture capitalists pooled their resources. $75 million to increase the company's valuation above $2 billion.

Employers are becoming more aware that wellness apps may be beneficial to their staff. Corporate health trips, office yoga, and team-building events have been around for decades, but the employer-provided wellness app is a novel notion.

Benefits of employee wellness apps

• Increased job satisfaction

According to research, 48% of US employees say they would be more confident in digital health tools if their employer provided them. Furthermore, 26% claimed they would be more likelyto stay with their current employer if such apps were available.

• Reduced expenses

The increased use of health applications will help cut overall health costs for providers and patients. According to studies from 2018, health apps might save the United States healthcaresystem $7 billion every year. 

• Personalised healthcare

Many health and wellness apps allow users to create a personal profile, which subsequently tracks crucial metrics such as weight, calorie count, and blood sugar levels. Users can also share health information with their providers.

3. IOT and medicine

The Internet of Things IoT is a developing network of physical things that incorporate software, sensors, and other technologies that enable connections and data exchanges with diverse devices and systems across the Internet.

Medical IoT is a rapidly expanding industry that employs wearable devices, monitoring, and integrated applications to meet healthcare needs. With AI and machine learning technology, medical IoT can provide improved versions of traditional medical equipment, such as the smart inhaler, a gadget that syncs patient usage with a smartphone app.

Benefits of IoT and medicine

• Remote monitoring

Patients can use wearable gadgets while going about their daily activities. Meanwhile, healthcare providers can remotely monitor patients' illnesses using real-time data insights, lowering the frequency of in-person appointments.

• Improved convenience

With the emergence of 5G and smart technologies in healthcare, patients have more control over their ailments and health demands. Smart insulin pens and glucose monitoring devices, for example, assist people in keeping track of their health demands while causing the least amount of disruption to their lives.

• Lower patient costs

As technology advances, many IoT devices will become more affordable, bringing us closer to health fairness. That is excellent news for patients.

• Hospital costs will be reduced

Complex medical equipment, such as X-ray machines, CAT scanners, and magnetic resonance imagers, is used in hospitals. The cost of replacing one such piece of equipment is prohibitively expensive, and any amount of machine downtime is costly. Hospitals can do better predictive maintenance and avoid costly downtime by using IoT devices that monitor this machinery and warn technicians about concerns.

4. Virtual and augmented reality

Not long ago, virtual reality appeared to be a novelty best suited to video games. Beyond gaming and entertainment, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technology now have a wide range of practical applications.

In healthcare, virtual reality (VR) aids in surgical training and planning, allowing both doctors and patients to become more comfortable with treatments. There have also been numerous publications on the effectiveness of VR in the treatment of chronic pain and mental health issues.

Markets and Markets published a study on the predicted growth of AR and VR in healthcare, forecasting a 30.7 percent annual growth rate between 2017 and 2025.

Benefits of Virtual and augmented reality

• Medical professionals are already using virtual reality to treat a variety of ailments, including mental illnesses like anxiety, phobias, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

• VR and AR technology can be used by providers to construct simulations of real-life settings in which people feel psychologically challenged, such as dealing with eating disorders, a fear of heights, or social anxiety.

• Although people recognize that the scene is artificial when they put on a VR headset or utilize an augmented reality program, the simulation allows them to tackle challenges and overcome their fears with practice. 

• VR assists medical practitioners in expanding their skill sets. 

• VR is a new technology that is still in its early stages. Its skills foreshadow significant possibilities in fields such as preventative healthcare, rehabilitation, and cancer therapy as it advances.

Conclusion

The technology that powers telemedicine, IoT devices, and healthcare apps did not emerge in 2020; we've had it for years. However, it needed the COVID-19 pandemic to propel healthcare forward and encourage health institutions, clinicians, and patients to embrace digital health trends and new technology.