Healthcare industry has always been at the forefront of innovation in technology and the latest mandate is to embrace the power of data to power better patient outcomes. Emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, IoT, Chatbots and Blockchain are helping to leverage clinical data to create proactive and efficient healthcare regimens for patients and boost productivity in the workforce.
The deeper integration of these techno-digital breakthroughs is transforming the healthcare sector for the better and creating new avenues for healthcare providers to drive differentiation inpatient care.
Internet of Things (IoT) – Delivering Critical Patient Data in Real-time
Before IoT, patient’s interactions with doctors were limited to visit, text and call. But now, IoT is erasing the barriers between doctors and patients by providing various healthcare applications like remote monitoring, smart sensors, and medical device integration that help in constant monitoring of patient data in real-time to flag improvements or deterioration of a health condition.
IoT devices are able to collect, report and analyze the data instantaneously and turn this data into meaningful insights so that doctors can have a deeper understanding of the patient’s health status and come up with a more accurate diagnosis.
Real-time monitoring via connected devices will save lives especially for conditions where a timely diagnosis is critical for diseases/conditions like strokes, heart attacks, and asthma. Studies conducted by public health organization CCHP (Center for Connected Health Policy) noted that remote monitoring on heart failure patients reduced readmission by 50% in a 30 day period.
IoT devices have the potential to save patients lives by making it possible to remotely monitor high-risk patients for longer periods of time. This would help proactively prevent emergencies without affecting their mobility and quality of life.
Blockchain – Driving Transparency and Accessibility of Patient Records
With an ongoing increase in patient numbers, healthcare providers have to manage more and more clinical data on a regular basis. As the data increases each year, its harder for hospitals and care providers to process, store, secure and share information. Blockchain networks can help in creating a public/private hyperledger of patient data that is reliable and cannot be tampered.
The main advantages of blockchain as a distributed yet connected hyper ledger are data integrity, transparency, and immutability. Patient records can be maintained on Blockchain networks and healthcare providers can keep updating health records securely. The use of smart contracts ensures the correctness of the data that can be cross-checked by multiple stakeholders in the healthcare continuum. This allows for the sharing of patient data quickly across organizations, helping patients, healthcare providers, and insurers access their medical records anytime, anywhere.
Artificial Intelligence: Delivering Personalized Healthcare on the Go
Healthcare providers can take patient care from the hospital and into everyday lives by creating personalized bots and apps where patients can track their health regimen. AI chatbots and assistants can be configured to give coaching and feedback based on data that the patient inputs.
Wearables and other IoT devices that capture data can be synced with these bots to improve medication adherence and fitness. These bots can also improve the customer service experience for patients by helping them schedule appointments, follow-ups, and online consultations.
The Way Forward – Universal Adoption
As technology develops, patients are increasingly becoming more aware, informed and involved in the healthcare process and demanding improved quality of healthcare. Healthcare providers that leverage these innovations have high potential to improve quality of care, increase efficiency and reduce healthcare costs across the board to emerge as winners in the increasingly competitive healthcare sector.
Finding the Right Innovation Partner:
One thing that goes unnoticed very often is the contribution of technology and innovation partners that are helping the healthcare industry leverage these technologies.
Forward-thinking organizations are outsourcing Focussed Technology Services to key Innovation Partners to keep the bar high while still keeping costs down.
Gleecus TechLabs
is the preferred partner for leading healthcare providers around the world in developing bespoke proprietary technology and software solutions in AI, Chatbots, Blockchain, Mobility, and EHR/EMR platforms.
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