In recent years, we have seen many changes in the healthcare industry, and this trend seems to continue. However, with the rise of artificial intelligence and virtual reality, some healthcare trends are more compelling than others.
In Deloitte's 2019 Global Healthcare Consumer Survey, they found that patients are opening their doors to using technology and VR in healthcare. This is a good indication of the direction of the industry.
After observing the healthcare industry, we have compiled a list of five major healthcare trends. Keep reading to understand what they are.
1. Increased Use of AI
As one of the many emerging technologies in healthcare, the increasing use of AI is one of the biggest trends worthy of attention. Threats such as fraud and malware can be solved using technology, and artificial intelligence can also help patients better manage their care.
There are wearable devices for patients to use, and chatbots to diagnose less severe conditions and diseases. Another resource currently under development can be used to perform examinations that radiologists need to ignore before performing the examination.
2. Virtual Reality
No, not only gamers but also the most tech-savvy among us. Virtual reality technology is a new technology in the field of healthcare, which can help patients with memory-related diseases and distract patients who may be uncomfortable or undergoing treatment.
Another advantage of VR is that it can help professionals imagine and predict the problems they may encounter during surgery and treatment. It can also be used to help explain the patient's condition to them in detail.
3. The Cloud and 5G
When using various channels and platforms, it may be difficult to transfer information smoothly.
To solve this problem, cloud-based solutions are becoming more and more commonly used, and this trend will continue. By making information more immediately available, means that doctors and patients can view treatment history and other documents as needed, saving time and effort.
Similarly, the advent of 5G will make it easier to transfer large files, monitor patients, and work remotely. Services will become more accessible-if you are looking for a doctor to compensate workers, you will be lucky. Combined with the use of the cloud, it has the potential to change healthcare in the next few years.
4. Rise in Telehealth
With the expansion of Medicare Advantage coverage, procedural telemedicine has been increasingly used. Vulnerable patients can receive consultations online without having to go to the doctor.
Although there are still inequalities in Internet coverage and technology ownership, telemedicine can provide people in remote communities with the health care they need and enable patients to connect using methods they are already familiar with. Many people are using tools like FaceTime, Skype, and Zoom to connect with others.
5. More Homecare
Similar to telemedicine, another trend in our healthcare is the increase in-home care. In cases where video calling is not suitable, patients can be cared for at home.
Now, more technologies have been transported and used outside the traditional medical environment. This again saves the patient from travelling.
6. Healthcare ecosystems
The impact of changes driven by digital technology and artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) will expand. Tech giants are caught in a trillion-dollar battle to win the share in the public cloud and maintain consumers’ share of thought and participation. As a result, they invested billions of dollars in research and development funds on the platform to create services that can be easily used by many customers and a series of applications that can accelerate innovation (for example, predictive analysis).
In addition, in the past five years, institutional investors have invested more than $80 billion in the field of medical technology. Regulators are promoting interoperability and releasing data to be aggregated around patients.
The combination of these digital advancements has created fertile ground for the development of a consumer-centric personalized, intuitive, and integrated health and social care ecosystem. The ownership of consumer relations, and therefore the ability to add and gain value, is likely to change. Leading participants will need to clearly understand their expected roles in these future ecosystems; investigate partnerships, alliances, and acquisitions; and find how they want to organize procedural mergers and acquisitions and innovation capabilities.
7. Healthcare reform
The 2020 presidential election will probably put healthcare at the forefront. Although all major health care regulatory reforms occurred after the economic downturn, affordability issues directly felt by consumers through cost-sharing increase the chances of real change. The proposal will continue to develop, including "universal medical insurance", "enhanced ACA" or other alternatives, which increase the uncertainty and require program planning. However, some common elements will continue to apply, such as guaranteed problems without medical coverage, catastrophic coverage for everyone, subsidies after economic status investigations, and a managed management model that transfers risks to providers. Payers, providers and other service participants who successfully operate in Medicare Advantage will largely have an advantage in most future situations. In addition, many organizations are carefully studying their employer-sponsored health benefits by increasing employers’ sensitivity to employee affordability.
8. Social influencers of health
Healthcare organizations will expand their horizons to fully understand the health of patients and consumers. Obviously, social and non-medical factors (including socioeconomic factors, community, employment, and personal safety) play an important role in personal and population health. Behavioural health disorders affect one-fifth of Americans, and 70% of patients with behavioural health disorders also suffer from physical health. 2 In 2016, 6% of hospitalizations in the United States involved a major diagnosis of mental substance use disorders (2.2 million hospitalizations) )), while 22% have a secondary diagnosis (7.7 million person-times). 3 Leaders will innovate to integrate behaviour and physical health and address access to social care.
