Despite being a negative event, covid spurred many industries to increase their use of technology to deal with lockdown restrictions. The healthcare industry is no exception and many new technologies have arisen as a result. These technological tools are bringing about great improvements in how medicine is practiced. Below we look at some examples.
Medical devices in the form of software that can be used on a smartphone, laptop, PC, or tablet have been and are being developed to provide a range of medical care based on scientific evidence. The devices are worn by patients and connected to software, which leads to a comprehensive database. Examples are blood glucose meters and insulin pumps. Likewise, wearable medical devices also fall into this category.
Digital therapeutics gives patients more direct control over their health outcomes. Solutions are personalized and/or adapt to the individual patient. These devices have access to clinical evidence. They can deliver therapy to a patient in the privacy of the home. For example, for mental health diseases, and help in goal setting. Here is an example of a patient getting help with their psychosis.
Technologies like wearables and DNA sequencing produce vast quantities of data that is difficult to analyze effectively. This is where AI comes in within the healthcare industry. It can detect subtle nuances between different patients’ biology, lab results, and ongoing measurements. It can also handle the processing of volumes of information. Not all patients have the same responses to a medication or dosage as a result of the differences that AI can interpret.
As fintech gains ground in the healthcare industry. Health insurance companies are finding ways to improve the health of members. Not only are they dealing with active disease but they can provide easy-to-use solutions. For example, Blackhawk prepaid cards provide one example of healthcare solutions focused on the customer. These and similar solutions allow you to pay for doctor’s visits, get over-the-counter medicines, and buy healthy food. All by providing a single card that can be used to access all the benefits of the insured.
Technology makes it simple for patients to book appointments, change dates and times, or see a doctor with online software from the comfort of their homes. Users can also fill out consent forms, and pay for treatments and services. Unfortunately, this is one area patients are slow to take advantage of.
AR and VR are being used in operating procedures to provide 3D animations of the operation site. This can guide surgeons, train them to perform new surgeries, and assist them while performing them. The process is especially helpful for doctors in rural areas who must perform uncommon surgical procedures they have not been trained on. Additionally, an augmented reality surgical navigation system can be implemented during surgeries to improve doctors' precision and success rates in delicate situations. It does this by superimposing 2D or 3D images over the patient's body, providing a roadmap to guide the surgeon and allowing unparalleled precision.
Due to Covid, trainee surgeons have performed half the number of surgeries under supervision in 2020 as trainees did in 2019. The greatest focus in hospitals was treating the pandemic. When medical students in training have been isolated at home because of Covid, AR and VR have allowed surgical techniques to still be taught. Additionally, students trained to perform surgery with AR and VR were 230% better at it than their counterparts who had the standard training.
New procedures are being tested all the time, such as the first heart transplant. AR and VR allow other surgeons around the globe in the healthcare industry to gain the skills to perform these surgeries.
