The Insight Corner Hub: The top 10 trends in healthcare technology

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One of the most significant businesses is healthcare, and advancements in this field often lead to the treatment of rare diseases. mostly because of the technological developments in the medical field, which allowed for a deeper comprehension of humans.

Technology significantly contributes by increasing our understanding of the human body. But advancement is impossible without taking into account other factors that are impeding the development of a better and healthier future. Rising healthcare expenses, widening inequality, and climate change are a few examples.

Patients and medical professionals now have new chances to live in a more sustainable environment and treat even previously incurable diseases thanks to the use of technology in medical applications. A few examples of technologies that enhance medical facilities include artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, virtual care, the Internet of medical things, and 5G. How? Learn more by reading.

1. Healthcare and Artificial Intelligence

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The development of artificial intelligence is occurring in numerous fields, including healthcare. AI is one of the most significant healthcare technologies, with a variety of uses include reviewing patient information and other data, the development of new pharmaceuticals, and the improvement of the efficacy of diagnostic techniques. The healthcare industry is greatly impacted by machine learning, a subset of artificial intelligence. Recently, this technology has been useful in treating the effects of the coronavirus, for instance, by analyzing CT images. 

However, there are a number of additional applications for artificial intelligence besides fighting pandemics. AI, for instance, enhances cancer diagnosis. For many years, a biopsy was the primary method for diagnosing cancer, however this method did not give a complete view of the organ tissue. Digital scans of a specific area that cell mutations may affect are now a crucial aspect of modern histopathology methods. Using whole slide images or WSI (whole-slide imaging), pathologists can view far larger areas of the human body at once.

Artificial intelligence in medicine holds the promise of providing composite, panoramic views of individuals' medical data; improving decision making; avoiding errors such as misdiagnosis and unnecessary procedures; assisting in the ordering and interpretation of appropriate tests; and recommending treatment. Microsoft, for example, developed Project InnerEye, a radiation AI system. The project reveals how artificial intelligence can increase clinicians' ability to schedule radiation 13 times faster. 

2. Data Integration and Predictive Analysis

Data integration and predictive analysis, when combined with AI and other technologies, aid in extracting meaningful insights about patients' diseases. Medical professionals have insights into the patient's medical record, can create more accurate diagnoses, and select what therapy would work best for them thanks to AI-devices such as robots that enable integrated data and predictive analysis. 

Robots collect data and predict (sometimes ahead of doctors) what is needed for a patient. However, it raises concerns about the presence of robots, such as whether they can truly replace people in their occupations. Such visions are already frequent in science fiction films; for example, in Big Hero 6, the robot 'Baymax' can detect the degree of a patient's discomfort, inform and act when the patient is in danger, and indicate what medication is needed.

However, reality does not always correspond to movies. AI may not replace doctors, but it may assist them in receiving suggested diagnoses, medications, and treatment plans based on a patient's individual medical data, history, and current symptoms. Healthcare professionals will be able to use the findings of this in-depth examination of healthcare data to improve patient outcomes, save expenses, and boost employee job satisfaction.

3. Mental Health Technology

According to the World Health Organization, mental health problems are becoming more prevalent over the world. Mental health problems and substance use disorders have increased by 13% in the last ten years, owing mostly to demographic trends (2017). One in every five people today has a disability as a result of mental health concerns. The COVID-19 pandemic and the usage of social media have had the biggest influence recently. 

New technology that can help address a patient's ongoing mental health needs have emerged over the previous year. As more and more items moved online, many psychologists and psychotherapists now provide their assistance through video chat programs. Digital therapeutics (DTx) are another option, and some programs can now finish patient intake forms and provide a preliminary diagnostic. As a result, medical professionals are looking for ways to assist as many individuals as they can.

AI in mental health is widely utilized in apps, but it can also be used to diagnose conditions like dementia that have a variety of mental symptoms caused by chemical changes in our brains. Alzheimer's disease is one of the most common types of dementia and is distinguished by problems with logic, memory, and communication. There are many other varieties of dementia. Early detection is one of the most effective dementia treatment methods.

4. Virtual care and remote patient monitoring

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The term "Internet of Things" (IoT) refers to both the larger network of connected objects as well as the technology that permits communication between objects and between clouds. Modern medical technology including wearable sensors, 5G-enabled gadgets, and remote patient monitoring are all part of the medical business, which is also referred to as the "Internet of Medical Things." You may get some of these gadgets from Moxa; take a look here.

One of the Internet of Things (IoT) innovations is a smart pill that provides medical professionals with data from inside the bodies of their patients (referred to as the Internet of Bodies). Smart pills, according to Gartner, are ingestible sensors that can capture different physiological parameters. Additionally, they can be used to gauge a patient's response to the drug and confirm that they have taken it as prescribed. In 2017, the first FDA-approved smart medication was made available.

Security, location services, teleconferencing, appointment administration, secure messaging, healthcare professional evaluations, visit history, and wearable connection are additional characteristics of virtual care. Additionally, primary care clinics and facilities can now function as remote hospitals, for instance, by doing fundamental ultrasound tests on expectant mothers and remotely sharing data for online collaboration.

5. Digital Therapeutics

Patients with chronic illnesses who require continual care can find solutions in the previously stated field of digital treatments. The treatment may include behavior changes, medication adjustments, and symptom monitoring. A patient's doctor may prescribe such digital therapies, granting them access via computer or app on a smartphone. 

Serial-based bedside monitoring systems that let medical staff to electronically monitor their patients' conditions are another form of remote care. This article describes a few of these gadgets.

6. Wearable Medical Devices

Wearables, also known as wearable technology, are a class of electronic devices that can be incorporated into clothing, implanted in a user's body, or even tattooed on their skin. They were just stated within the IoT innovation. However, we will discuss wearables as a significant advance in the healthcare sector rather than as a toy. For instance, smartwatches that provide data on heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, and blood vitals enable remote monitoring of a patient's status. The physical health of patients can also be measured by wearables like pedometers and different sensors.

But biopatch technology and smart hearing aids aren't the only wearables that are helping doctors better diagnose a patient's condition. Biopatches can provide more information about a person's health. Artificial intelligence can potentially improve the noise isolation of hearing aids.

7. Bioprinting and the technology of organ care

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The technology behind bioprinting is 3D printing, which we covered in the article Discover Industrial Applications of 3D Printing. In the healthcare sector, 3D printing is used to create items like customized airway stents, cranial or orthopedic implants, and external prosthesis. It has, however, also proven useful in surgical planning and has been used in difficult open-heart surgeries, even the Cleveland Clinic's full face transplant. 

The Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State University is developing a method that they believe will enable robotic surgery tools to print living cells, bones, and eventually even organs within patients' bodies. something that has the potential to save the lives of cancer patients. In this way, we have come to the topic of 3D printed organs, or bioprinting. Although it might seem impossible, the concept has previously undergone clinical testing. Ears, corneas, bones, and skin are some of the organs that are now being investigated in clinical settings for 3D bioprinting. 

8. Immunotherapy for cancer 

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Despite the fact that immunotherapy, also known as immuno-oncology, is a sort of cancer treatment that has advanced and can now significantly extend a patient's life, we did not include it when we discussed cancer in this post. Based on the concept that cancer can be treated by genetically altering a patient's cells so they work in tandem with their immune system, immunotherapy is a form of cancer treatment. It increases immune system function to support the fight against cancer. Unlike chemotherapy, which results in collateral damage to healthy cells, immunotherapy does not. It slows the growth of tumors while utilizing the body's immune system to recognize and remove specific cancer cells.

9. Virtual and augmented reality in healthcare

Augmented and virtual reality (AR and VR) have several applications in the medical field. These technologies provide multidimensional connectivity between the digital and physical worlds. Artificial intelligence is largely responsible for the creation of augmented reality. As was already noted, image recognition can be used to find cancer. VR can be utilized in physical therapy to treat phobias in conditions like mental trauma. Doctors can examine inside patients' bodies by superimposing CAT scan and 3D scan data using augmented reality (AR) glasses. Microsoft, the company behind the HoloLens augmented reality headset, is one of the manufacturers of such spectacles.

As augmented and virtual reality technology develops, it may be used for a range of remote medical treatments, including full-fledged surgical procedures with robotic assistance, moving beyond simple virtual check-ups. 

As an illustration, senior care is provided by healthcare robots in Japan. How effective are they? Learn more about Honda's Hoko Assist, an alternative for sticks or wheelchairs for persons with disabilities that supports part of the body, in the document published by the Telegraph.

10. Decarbonization and sustainability

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Healthcare is attempting to improve the environment as the world works toward a more sustainable future, for example by offering ecolabelling. A voluntary method of environmental performance certification and labeling is called ecolabeling. An ecolabel emphasizes products or services that have been demonstrated to be more ecologically friendly within a certain category.

As a result, businesses spend money on eco-friendly label printer solutions for laboratories, healthcare facilities, and clinics. Additionally, these printers help medical personnel print high-quality pressure-sensitive labels with patient and account information, medications, medical alerts, cage cards, and more.

Decarbonization is the other strategy that the healthcare sector prioritizes. The need to track and reduce carbon footprints across all sectors is a result of the European Union's more aggressive decarbonization targets. One of them is healthcare, which accounts for 5% of all emissions. 

Conclusion: The key to improving the medical environment is assessing the social impact and putting green solutions into practice, such as green hospitals, innovative care models, improving patient diets, and selecting more environmentally friendly medical equipment.