More so in healthcare than any other industry, improvements in medical IT are transforming healthcare delivery and best industry practices in ways that we never could have predicted. Take a look at some of the current trends in technology that are shaking up the way healthcare operates in the 21st century.
New Information Platforms
Between wearable devices, mobile apps, and cloud technology, we can now gain a more comprehensive view of patients' health data than ever before. Health data can be stored and accessed across variety of integrated platforms that work together to give healthcare providers and patients a consistent, real-time picture of a patient's health profile. As this trend progresses we can expect to see improvements in platform interoperability, such as with EHRs.
Outcome Economies vs Product/Service Economies
In the past, health economies were comprised of material markets for healthcare services and/or goods (such as durable medical equipment and pharmaceuticals). Today we see technology bridging the gap between tangible health services and digital health data to create a new type of economy that is based upon positive healthcare outcomes, rather than goods or services rendered. Bottom line: data integration allows us to focus on positive health results as a consequence of effective health services.
Big Data
We are living at the crux of the information age in which we have been witnessing a massive influx of health data. Since last year, nearly half of healthcare administrators have seen the volume of data managed by their organization explode by double. As software intelligence continues to advance, this data can be used to create a wealth of health knowledge that is accessible for a variety of applications to further improve our understanding of medicine and the human body.
Personalized Medicine
No two patients are the same. Now we are able to account for variations in a patient's medical history, activity, and other factors to provide healthcare designed for the individual. This trend is seeing more and more healthcare organizations invest in precision medicine systems, which allow them to customize healthcare for specific patients in the hope of improving health outcomes. 73% of healthcare organizations that implemented personalized medicine have reported seeing a return on investment after investing in these technologies.
Technological Workforce
Technology has advanced to the point of overturning the healthcare workforce. Whether for scheduling appointments, providing simulators for medical training, or creating comprehensive medical records free of human error, technology is undoubtedly streamlining all aspects of modern healthcare. The idea of replacing humans with machines in these types of roles might leave some feeling uneasy. However, it is important to recognize that a technology capable of alleviating responsibilities from the workforce allows that human workforce to better focus on aspects of healthcare provision that require improvement.
We are in the midst of a digital healthcare revolution. Any savvy physician will hop on board and embrace the opportunities that technology provides - or risk being left behind in a technologically backwards world.
