The healthcare evolution has arrived. In fact, much of healthcare has been evolving over the last few decades, giving patients and providers numerous alternatives that not only improve healthcare outcomes but also speed the delivery of services to patients.
Innovative techniques and medical advances have taken hold in nearly every facet of healthcare. From wearable technology and telemedicine to robotic medicine and artificial intelligence, the field of medicine has expanded well beyond the office visit. The benefits brought by advancements in medical technology benefit both providers and consumers.
Healthcare providers can see improved collaboration with patients, a better picture of patient health, improved accuracy in diagnoses and surgical procedures, and more efficient delivery of services. What patients can expect: better symptom identification, more accurate diagnoses, better surgical outcomes, and faster recovery times.
Technology advancements in medicine have opened up new ways for healthcare consumers to receive care and interact with providers.
Telemedicine
Between January and April of 2020, telemedicine went from a scarcely used option to a widely used method of healthcare delivery. According to McKinsey data, telehealth use increased from 11% in 2019 to 46% by May 2020. The McKinsey data found that providers are reporting anywhere from 50 to 175 times more patients accessing their services via telehealth methods.
A trend sparked by a pandemic, telemedicine has gained significant ground with healthcare consumers in a relatively short time. Telemedicine save both time and money. Patients save travel and wait time, and telehealth visits are typically less expensive than in-office visits.
Wearable Technology
Thanks to wearable technology, telemedicine services give healthcare providers access real time information, allowing them to diagnose and treat people remotely. The benefits are significant — patients and healthcare providers save time, getting to diagnosis and treatment faster, ultimately leading to better outcomes.
Wearable technology can track a patient’s heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, glucose levels and oxygen levels. All of this data can be delivered to healthcare teams in a fraction of the time it would take to gather that information via more traditional methods.
Artificial Intelligence
That same speed is thanks in part to the use of artificial intelligence (AI). In nearly every aspect of healthcare, from new drug discovery and development to identifying appropriate treatment methods, AI has vastly increased accuracy and predicted outcomes more accurately. The use of AI can help hospitals better predict hospital visit outcomes. AI is used to detect stroke faster, to detect breast cancer earlier, and to manage information flow between patient and healthcare provider
AI can also deliver personalized medicine. Providers can use AI to quickly analyze patient data and come up with treatment options that fit that patient’s medical profile.
Robotics
Should treatment include surgery, technology will also be present in the operating room. Robotics are already in use to assist surgeons during surgical procedures, and have been for a while. As technology improves, robotics is becoming more mainstream in the operation suite.
One robotics development that is improving patient outcomes is 3D printing technology. Medical device providers are able to craft better-fitting implants. Healthcare providers are able to create patient-specific models of a patient’s imaging results, plus develop surgical devices that are crafted to the patient’s own physiology. Prostheses can be constructed with more accurate, comfortable results for patients.
Technology For Better Health
Right now, healthcare consumers have access to exciting tools and technology that can help them improve and manage their own health. Their healthcare providers are using technology to better diagnose and treat. And technology is conveying records and data across provider networks to ensure better, more targeted treatment. The result: better outcomes and healthier patients.
Have a conversation with your healthcare provider. Find out if there are technologies that could help you manage your health and stay connected to your providers. Improving treatment through technology is not only possible, but is a proven way to improve health.
Source
McKinsey & Company, "Telehealth: A Quarter-Trillion-Dollar Post-Covid-19 Reality?"