Healthcare is the combined structure of technology. It is obvious that healthcare without technology is impossible. For many decades technology has become a helping hand in healthcare, whether making care delivery more flexible or bringing new innovative tools into healthcare.
It all starts when technology came into use for health care for the first time in 1895 when Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen discovered the x-ray. It was a turning point in the adoption of technology in healthcare. While in the mid-90s, computer technology was also introduced for healthcare to improve care delivery and to enhance the practice of medicine.
Gradually, computer technology was widely accepted all over the world. Meanwhile, the graphic user interface and network technology(internet) were used to connect the computers. In addition, technologies such as EMR, and AI(artificial intelligence) were also found in that era.
According to the report of the National library of medicine, “the possibility of EMR(electronic medical records) was studied in 1991 when the institute of medicine published computer-based patient records.” So far, we have much more advanced technology in healthcare.
The current scenario of healthcare
Currently, health tech is making an effort to make effective use of technology in healthcare. Because still, the percentage of using the highest potential of technology in healthcare is less. Many healthcare enterprises and healthcare professionals are still using traditional methods in care delivery.
It needs to be changed and spreading awareness for the adoption of technology is one of the major steps which can increase the usage of technology in healthcare. However, the availability of health care facilities is also a primary concern for the healthcare ecosystem. There are still many places in the world where healthcare facilities are not present.
In addition, the shortage of health care professionals is also one of the major problems all over the world. According to the report, “In 2016 the actively licensed physician in the U.S. per patient ratio was 295 per 100,000 population.”
As a result, there is still a light of hope in the dark hole of healthcare. With the increasing number of healthcare start-ups that are fulfilling these gaps and coming up with problem-solving ideas.
Latest technology in healthcare
With the changing time, new technologies were innovated in healthcare. Some of the latest technologies in healthcare are…
Telemedicine
Telemedicine is the modern way of connecting with doctors through live video calls. Virtual communication takes place here. It is the tool that helps health care professionals to treat the patient virtually and on the other hand, patients can get consultations from doctors in their comfort zone with a 24*7 support system.
It is mostly useful for chronic patients who need to visit hospitals for regular check-ups.
Drug discovery using AI
AI is one of the most effective techniques used in health care. Especially in drug discovery. It is used in testing the drug samples and helps in identifying the right sample.
Earlier, medicine was costlier due to the high cost of drug discovery. But when AI was used for drug analysis, the cost of medicine decreased as it reduced the cost of drug discovery by assisting in drug diagnosis.
Neurotechnology
Currently, neurotechnology in health care is in the developing and research phase. However, it is already being practically applied in the medical and wellness industry.
It is being used in brain imaging by recording the electronic field produced by the electrical activity within the brain. Neurotechnology is expected to see considerable growth in health care in the upcoming years.
IoT device
IoT devices such as patient monitoring are beneficial in care delivery. It helps in monitoring patients’ real-time symptoms such as blood pressure, pulse rate, and so on. Health care professionals can monitor and guide patients from anywhere anytime.
Blockchain
Blockchain is an emerging technology being used to create innovative solutions in health care. Moreover, It is used in healthcare to exchange patient data through hospitals, and pharmacies. Thus, it can help in improving the transparency of sharing medical data.
Applications of blockchain are used to analyse medical records as well. Although, technology is also used to increase the potential of salesforce for healthcare.
Health-tech start-ups: An initiative towards making healthcare more accessible
Health care start-ups are filling the gaps between care deliveries and coming up with innovative ideas and solutions. Currently, the number of health-tech start-ups is increasing every year.
As per the report, “There are nearly more than 2,500+ startups in the health care sector right now.” In addition, digital health start-ups are rising year by year. Every year new players are participating in the market with huge funding and investments.
According to Rock Health, “the overall investment in digital health doubled by $29.1 billion across 729 deals in the year 2021.” Major healthcare start-ups are targeting mental health services nowadays and are also the top money raiser in 2021.
Recently, game changers start-ups like Grow therapy, Lyra health, Rippl, and Transcarent entered with problem-solving ideas. Other start-ups are launching new products and some of them are working on specific needs of healthcare.
Even though small health care businesses are improving using technological solutions like telemedicine, Alaycare alternatives, patient management software, and so on.
Also Read : How Much Does Hybrid App Development Cost
The Future of technology in healthcare
The future of technology in health care is promising. There is no doubt that technology will be the future of healthcare.
Modern technologies such as telehealth, patient monitoring software, IoT, AI, machine learning, EMR(electronic medical record), EHR(electronic health record), and blockchain are proven to be the most effective technology in healthcare.
As per the report, “the global health-tech market is valued at USD 167.4 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow with a 27.7% CAGR from 2020-2030.”
Image source: Grandviewresearch
Considering it as an opportunity numerous new players are entering the Health-tech market.
Final words
Although, using the highest potential of the technology can improve care facilities and can help healthcare professionals to treat patients more effectively and accurately.
In addition, tech solutions such as health care software development, and health care app development can support health care enterprises to provide proper care, which is necessary to make health care flexible and available for all.
I am Parth Patel, Founder, and CEO of SyS Creations, a top healthcare app development Company. For the past 8+ years, I’ve been decoding the technical, business, and compliance concerns of healthcare startups, enterprises, and organizations to help them achieve their business goals hassle-free.