David Orsburn
September 4, 2024
As means for digital business transformation, new technologies have been adopted tremendously fast by numerous industries. Those technologies, however, now go by unnoticed, having become the norm in today’s digital age. In the healthcare industry, however, the use and recognition of modern technologies have been far from subtle. With the rising costs of medical care and the increased involvement of patients in their own care, innovative technologies are making their presence known, seeking to benefit both businesses and customers within the wide spectrum of the healthcare industry.
There are many ways businesses can leverage technology trends today to transform the healthcare industry. The following are just a few of those possibilities:
- Using Machine Learning and Data Analytics to Mitigate Catastrophes
Bymaking use of predictive analytics to analyze patient data and identify general medical trends, healthcare providers are in a better position to predict medical crises, pinpoint the origin of those potential crises, and prevent an outbreak from every happening.
Let’s take the example of an infectious disease, originating in and spreading throughout a hospital. By utilizing predictive analytics, a company can collect data on who saw or delivered treatment to impacted individuals, and thereafter, can track each individual’s movements. Depending upon the capabilities of the analytics system, within a matter of a few days to a few weeks, the spread of the infection can be identified and stopped, dead in its tracks.
- Utilizing Video Games and Virtual Reality (VR) to Help with Rehab
Today, video games and virtual reality go far beyond recreational use. With the creation of motion-sensing controllers, games have become significantly more interactive. Users are forced to get up and play in order to complete tasks required within the game. For individuals recovering from strokes, or for those in long-term care facilities, games have been essential to gaining full motor skills once again. As a preventative measure, VR is helping the elderly retain their motor skills, reducing the risks of falling and sustaining serious injuries.
- Enabling Telemedical Facilities to Increase Accessibility to Healthcare
One of the biggest challenges in healthcare is providing care to people in hard-to-reach locations. Telemedicine serves as a convenient solution to individuals experiencing mobility issues or living in rural locations.
Individuals can schedule appointments online, have video conferences with healthcare practitioners to save on physical trips to the doctor’s office, and even use internet-enabled devices to monitor health and share that data with doctors in real time.
For those inquisitive of the security of such a solution, cyber security technology and practices have ramped up to ensure the safety of patient data, and trickling up, the patient as well.
- Keeping Electronic Records to Provide Accurate, Effective, and Affordable Treatment
Accuracy in prescribing the correct medications and treatments have shot up considerably after electronic record keeping being adopted as an industry-wide norm. Long gone are the days where you need to keep a physical copy of your records to maintain your medical history. Today, a patient’s medical background is easier to track and understand, making a physician’s orders clearer, doing away with needless check-up procedures in the preliminary phases of the healthcare process. As per Harvard Business Review, this is a huge cost-saver – around 25% – not only for the patients that go under these procedures, but also the providers who spend large sums of money just to operate the machinery facilitating the procedures.
The healthcare industry has seen some of the most impactful digital business transformations in recent times. And with newer technologies, such as AI, 3D printing, and many others becoming more prevalent, the impact technological innovation will have on businesses and individuals will become even more widespread. While the healthcare industry is in a position to transform even further, Mastech Digital is poised to facilitate this transformation with its array of leading digital transformation services.
David Orsburn
Senior Account Executive