Over the last three years, the healthcare sector has been undergoing an accelerated process of
accelerated process of digitalization
technology has become essential to achieve timely and quality medical care, even in situations where there are mobility restrictions.
The digitalization of the healthcare sector has also been
also been momentous from a business point of view.
. Among other things, it has given medical institutions the opportunity to simplify a wide range of administrative processes and increase their operational efficiency.
The industry is currently moving towards the integration of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics and the use of internet-connected devices.
integration of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), data analysis and the use of internet-connected devices.
. These elements promise to improve the diagnostic capabilities of healthcare professionals, enabling them to identify and treat diseases more quickly, accurately and efficiently.
Below, we will review the major technology trends that are anticipated for the healthcare sector in 2024 and what the impact will be on both patients and healthcare professionals.
Telemedicine boom
The use of
ICT to provide health services at a distance
became a necessity during the 2020 health emergency. According to the projections of Statistathe global telemedicine market is estimated to reach US$277.9 billion by 2025.
The telemedicine industry represents an important tool to support the work of telemedicine
important tool to support the work of healthcare professionals.
health care and the operation of medical institutions. Among other things, it helps to
reduce congestion
in clinics and hospitals, while avoiding
avoiding unnecessary
while avoiding unnecessary trips by placing the patient actually in the center.
Thus, 2024 is the ideal year for the consolidation of telemedicine, which would be possible thanks to the convergence of factors such as investment in technological infrastructures, cloud consolidation, higher quality connectivity and the development of specialized platforms.
investment in technological infrastructures, consolidation of the cloud, higher quality connectivity and the development of specialized platforms.
.
Smart Hospitals powered by the IoMT
As the adoption of the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) grows,
multiple devices
in the hospital setting have evolved.
Nowadays it is possible for health professionals to use devices that allow the
devices that allow continuous monitoring of health parameters, remotely and in real time.
. This facilitates the management of chronic diseases, in addition to contributing to the prevention and early detection of complications.
The current trend is the gradual transition towards “Smart Hospitals”.
“Smart Hospitals”
hospital centers driven by the IoMT, where available technology is leveraged to
optimize and redesign existing clinical processes or create new ones.
. Among other advantages, it will improve emergency response capacity, allowing for more proactive and personalized hospital care that avoids saturation of resources and provides high quality care to patients as a whole.
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality
The use of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) in healthcare is becoming widespread. This type of immersive technology capable of providing powerful tools not only improves the quality of medical care, but also is a
powerful training tool for health professionals
.
With regard to patient care, VR is being used to recreate activities that serve as therapy for pain and anxiety relief.
recreate activities that serve as therapy for the relief of pain and anxiety.
. It is also a key tool in the recovery of various pathologies. There is nothing that creates more uneasiness than going into an operating room. Thanks to VR
the patient will be able to “see” the type of intervention he/she will undergo and have a better understanding of the
and thus have a better understanding of the procedure.
In the case of RA we can
find training that allows medical professionals to move from theory to practice with better knowledge and familiarity.
with the human body. This will allow junior doctors or doctors in training to have greater safety, less stress when performing complex interventions and a higher success rate in their interventions.
Digital Avatars + Generative AI + Genomics
Both virtual assistants and chatbots powered by Generative AI algorithms become powerful tools that support the work of specialists.
By training the AI model with medical literature, practitioners can obtain
treatment advice
,
diagnoses and medications
all of which influence clinical decision making.
When you combine Generative AI with the creation of digital avatars for patient interaction, you get a useful resource for providing personalized patient information, answering common questions and providing guidance.
providing personalized information to the patient, answering common doubts and providing guidance on their
treatment in situations where the physical presence of the physician is impossible.
The World Health Organization (WHO) itself counts on
Florence
an interactive avatar that uses AI to guide people interested in adopting a healthier lifestyle.
Applying AI to the field of medicine can lead to more targeted treatment for patients, creating almost a
personalized medicine
. If we add the historical information of a disease and cross it with the particularities of each patient, we will be able to establish procedures with a unique combination of drugs for each patient, thus increasing the success rate.
At this point, genomics, i.e. the study of an organism’s genome
genomics, i.e. the study of the genome of an organism, will shed a lot of light, allowing us to advance in these specific treatments.
. Consolidating the available information to be able to put it into practice will be increasingly frequent and crucial in the treatment of serious and complex diseases.
The need for cybersecurity and data protection
The mass adoption of telemedicine is accompanied by the digitization of medical records and the integration of personal information from Internet of Things-based monitoring devices.
This combination of elements has raised the awareness of having the best measures around cybersecurity in the healthcare environment, as well as the protection of your data. There is little information more sensitive to a person than that relating to his or her health. In that sense, medical institutions should consider investing in strengthening their cybersecurity protocols, especially in matters such as data protection with information encryption and access restriction.
Undoubtedly, this is an important issue because access to confidential medical information and data manipulation, in addition to representing a violation of patient privacy, can have negative consequences on diagnosis and treatment.
of the patient’s privacy, can have negative consequences on the diagnosis and treatment of the patient’s condition.
.
Focus on sustainability
The use of technology applied to the healthcare sector can increase the sustainability of the hospital’s
sustainability of hospital activity
. It is a strategic response to the need for greater efficiency in resource management and environmental challenges such as climate change.
Thanks to telemedicine, it is possible to
reduce CO2 emissions and the environmental footprint of hospitals.
. In turn, the digital management of medical records and digital files helps to reduce dependence on paper.
Sustainability is an important business trend in 2024, being a pillar of initiatives that seek to improve
initiatives that seek to enhance reputation and demonstrate social commitment.
and demonstrate social commitment.
As we can see, 2024 presents great opportunities for the healthcare received by citizens around the world to continue to improve over the course of this year. The accelerated process of digital transformation that the sector is undergoing is also making it necessary to
address a variety of ethical, safety and equity challenges
The aim is to ensure that the technological advances implemented translate into tangible benefits for patients and healthcare professionals.
This need, of which medical institutions are well aware, will be a factor of distinction and quality in patient care.
and quality in patient care, will be a factor of distinction and quality.
. The new tools favor better health care, which is resulting in a prolongation of our life expectancy. Therefore,
responsible and courageous digitization will be the best treatment that healthcare
that healthcare professionals will have to apply over the next few years.
David Espinilla, KAM AAPP and Digital Health in Grupo Oesía