10 Best Healthcare Technologies: Contributing To The Advancement Of Humankind

Technology is the only way ahead in the future. It became the most common word in the latter part of the twentieth century.

Technology has made our lives easier with high-powered, portable, and multi-functional devices. It has also revolutionized the healthcare system.

Digital health technology has become more prominent today. With its advanced applications in the healthcare industry, it has improved all healthcare solutions.

Healthcare technology has transformed the system into more sustainable ones. The relationship between medical professionals and patients has drasctically improved.

Few significant benefits of technological infusion in the healthcare industry

“For the first time really we’re discovering physicians are expressing much more openness and willingness to consider information about their patients coming from DIY devices.”
– Ceci Connolly, Leader of PwC’s Health Research Institute .

Healthcare technologies have changed the attitude towards the whole healthcare practice, by:

• Bringing consistency in patient data

• Providing more data-driven insights

• Reducing healthcare costs

• Helping to predict epidemics

• Preventing avoidable deaths

• Providing hassle-free services

• Reducing healthcare waste

• Improving efficiency and providing quality health information

• Regulating advanced drugs and treatments technologies

• Improving organizational standards

Read: 5 Advantages of Digital Wellness For Employees And Workplace Wellness

Here are the 10 healthcare technologies changing lives today:

1. Artificial intelligence

Photo by Owen Beard / Unsplash

Artificial intelligence has increased the potential of healthcare technology over the years. It is now a flagship for all healthcare decision-makers, governments, investors, and innovators.

AI has enhanced the healthcare experiences of practitioners. It has also helped them to spend more time in direct patient care by reducing burnout.

AI has changed healthcare by:

• Improving population health outcomes

• Advancing new operational techniques

• Strengthened innovation in healthcare

“A year spent in artificial intelligence is enough to make one believe in God.”
– Alan Perlis.

The healthcare industry with AI-powered technology has become the key to critical health problems.

2. Amazon Echo

Amazon Echo enables users to connect to a voice-controlled personal assistant, Alexa.

Amazon can also enable Alexa in healthcare to assist patients and medical professionals.

Amazon shows a transparent and vested interest in healthcare technology today. Recently, Amazon acquired an online pharmacy called PillPack. It has a dedicated "Health & Wellness" division for Alexa.

Here are 10 things Alexa can do :

• It helps the diabetes patients to manage their solution

• It is more convenient for the elderly people

• It also helps to control blood pressure

• It also helps with buying and managing insurance claims

• Provides live first-aid tutorials

• Allows all kind of information on hospitals and clinics

• Advice health tips

• It also assists in EMT cares

• It also offers diagnostic suggestions

Alexa also represents the future of voice search in healthcare technology.

3. Personalised wearables

Health trackers, wearables, and sensors have made managing healthcare more easy and accessible.

US consumer use of wearables jumped from 9% in 2014 to 33% in 2018, according to Accenture.

Wearables like Fitbit and Apple watches collect health data. The sensors keep track of the user's physical activity and heart rate. Apple smartwatches include "Movement Disorder API," which helps get insights into Parkinson's disease.

AI helps these wearables to analyze data. It alerts the users and healthcare professionals on potential health risks. Also, it eases the tension of unnecessary hospital visits and appointments.

4. Video marketing

Photo by NordWood Themes / Unsplash

Digital Video is finally taking strides in healthcare offerings and marketing.

It includes compelling quality videos in all formats, from short to long clip videos. Live-streaming and immersive storytelling are also included to make things interactive and exciting.

According to a study in 2021, 8% of all ,mobile traffic would be videos. So, it can be a good marketing technique in healthcare system. For instance, UK Bupa: 'fairy tooth' film received more than 1 million views on YouTube alone.

Videos are the best way to humanize what you're promoting. It is the easiest way to establish trust and relatability. Video marketing has already brought a considerable difference to the healthcare system.

5. 3D printing

3D printing is working wonders in the healthcare system today. It enables the printing of bio tissues, artificial limbs, pills, blood vessels, etc.

3D printing helps to regenerate human cells or tissue. It helps in skin grafting for burn victims and other severe skin injuries.

Organovo and EnvisionTEC are the leaders in 3D printing technology. They also manufacture precision and personalized pharmaceuticals. 3D Systems have also designed and manufactured open-source PPE for healthcare workers worldwide.

3D printing also treats cancer, diabetes, arthritis, cardiovascular (CV), or Alzheimer's disease.

6. Robotics

One of the most futuristic technologies that the world is leveraging today is Robotics. Robot-assisted procedures are becoming more accessible and efficient.

Robotics in healthcare ranges from surgical robots to pharmaceutics, disinfectant robots, or exoskeletons. Personalized health programming in robots enables users to leverage them for multi-functional purposes.

Robotics in surgical procedures converts complex surgeries to simpler ones.

Robotics has a significant impact on the healthcare system in the covid-19 scenario. It is keeping the doctors and nurses away from direct contact with the infection.

For example, MAiRA, from the company NEURA Robotics. It has changed the entire architecture of health technology. MAiRA's automated assistant integrates faster into the doctor-patient relationship.

7. Chatbots in healthcare

Chatbots in healthcare have made lives sophisticated.

They comprise machine-learning algorithms. The intelligent algorithm manages the conversations via auditory or textual methods in chatbots.

They include natural language processing (NLP) to engage in real-time conversation with patients. It is offering customer services to potential diagnoses in healthcare.

Some of the benefits include:

• Saves time waiting time the doctor

• They are cost-effective

• Saves money on unnecessary treatments or tests

• Provides easy access to the doctor

• Helps in remote patient monitoring

Chatbots provide a wide variety of exciting programs. They are multiplying at an incredible rate. Some of the known chatbots are OneRemission, Youper, Safedrugbot, Babylon Health, etc.

8. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR)

Medical VR is an area packed with fascinating possibilities. Medical Virtual Reality goes beyond conventional technological beliefs.

Virtual Reality is being used to provide:

• Medical training
• Patient treatment
• Medical marketing
• Disease awareness

VR teaches empathy to medical students. It makes vaccination more sufferable and helps individuals get rid of phobias. It also helps relieve chronic pain and fulfills the patient's desire to die in case.

Medical AR does not lose touch with Reality, and it puts information into eyesight as fast as possible. AR superimposes computer-generated content over a live view of the world.

It integrates real-time user's environment with digital information. And, also makes it convenient for medical education, dentistry, or nurse training.

AR aims to become the driving force in the future of medicine.

It can address behavioral and psychological health problems as well. It creates a more engaging and motivating environment.

9. Advanced social media

In the 21st century, things are changing. Social media has become a way of life and the hotspot for all kinds of information. It is leading in healthcare technologies today.

It uses metrics, analytics, and user engagement data to drive social strategies. Sprout Social is a renowned social media management platform today.

People tend to seek any information via social media. It has all sorts of information for people seeking medical help.

Social media posts on reviews or other comments also help in many ways. But, it is crucial to make sure that it is from an authentic source.

10. Personalized Apps

Health technology continues to expand and evolve. Mobile apps are bringing great possibilities in healthcare.

There are many patient scenarios that a mobile application can serve like:

• Booking physician appointments

• Checking-in to hospitals

• Uploading a patient's medical history

• Monitoring records

• Getting test results via a mobile app, etc.

Organizations have created apps that are more convenient today. Personalized apps relieve the tension of the medical staff as well as the patient.

They are reducing operational costs and other expenses. Mobile apps have become a great medium of communication to stay in touch with the patient. Some apps include a nutrition tracker.
Also, medication adherence, remote patient monitoring, health tracking by considering patient's safety.

Conclusion

"We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten."
– Bill Gates (1996) .

Other healthcare technology includes Blockchain, telehealth or Internet of medical things (IoMT).

Technology has changed doctors' and patients' relations by changing the expectations of wellbeing. Technologies in the 21st century are capable of bringing significant changes to lives.