Artificial Intelligence (AI), cloud computing, 5G, and Nanotech in healthcare: How organizations are preparing best for the future
Automation, digitalization, and technological enablement are having a significant impact on several industries. The healthcare industry is not an exception. The healthcare delivery system in India is changing and is about to advance significantly. The pandemic has shown that healthcare organizations can become innovative, flexible, and resilient by utilizing tech-enabled business models that place data at the core.
Additionally, healthcare organizations quickly realize that no matter how technically advanced their services or products are, they will no longer be applicable. To produce not just an enhanced product or service but also a better healthcare experience, it is imperative to connect with users along the healthcare value chain, be they patients or physicians. Fortunately, technological progress has accelerated the process of change required for Indian healthcare to become digitally linked and shown promise for enhancing peoples healthcare experiences.
India has already begun developing a national digital framework to create a digital health ecosystem on a national scale. The market for digital healthcare in India was estimated to be worth INR 116.61 billion in 2018 and is projected to reach INR 485.43 billion by 2024, growing at a CAGR of 27.41 per cent. Adopting electronic health records for the whole population is one of the several steps made in that regard.
Healthcare organizations are quickly embracing innovative technology to change how care is delivered in the nation and benefit the healthcare ecosystem as a solution to address the problems that the countrys healthcare system is now facing. Here are a few new technologies that are changing things:
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and digital representations of the human bodys physiology make it possible to anticipate the chance that chronic diseases will advance based on the decisions being made. By using these simulations, healthcare professionals can better comprehend options and therapies and their consequences on patient health outcomes and influence on related expenditures.
Additionally, AI is helping healthcare professionals manage illnesses holistically, better coordinate care plans, and help patients manage and adhere to their treatment regimens. Further, statistics indicate that administrative expenses account for 30% of healthcare expenditures. The bulk of these duties, such as keeping track of bills that need to be paid and maintaining records, may be automated with AI, considerably cutting expenses.
Cloud Computing
The collaboration between physicians, nurses, and departments has grown crucial as healthcare organizations throughout the nation transition to value-based care. Thanks to cloud computing, accessing patient information has gone from a sluggish and laborious procedure to a quick and easy process.
With cloud computing, data may be stored centrally and made accessible from any location at any time. In addition, cloud infrastructure allows users to adjust health data storage depending on the new patient volume. IoT-enabled devices are being offered to patients by a variety of healthcare providers. By connecting these devices to a healthcare providers cloud system, patient data may be swiftly delivered to the doctor. This makes for a quicker diagnosis and better treatment.
The 5G Network
Every aspect of healthcare has the potential to be improved by a 5G connection, particularly since the healthcare sector is still recovering from the ravages of the epidemic. Large data files and real-time, high-definition video may be transmitted over a fast network to handle telemedicine appointments. Patients may reach medical professionals more quickly and receive treatment more quickly thanks to the use of 5G, especially in remote places.
Nanotech
Utilizing nanotechnology has given the healthcare sector new opportunities. Researchers and scientists use this technology to improve medical imaging, target tumours, and medication delivery systems. Additionally, the technique reduces costs, speeds up DNA sequencing, and provides scaffolding for tissue regeneration or wound healing. Further, artery obstructions are being removed by nanobots or micro-scale robots, as are quick biopsies of worrisome cancerous tumours.
The healthcare sector is anticipated to strengthen in 2022, thanks to groundbreaking discoveries and technologies. Most of the significant modifications are still in the future!
This article will examine the main medical technology developments and changes anticipated for the medical industry shortly.
The focus is often on lowering the cost, increasing access to healthcare services, and identifying and treating problems sooner rather than later. The US healthcare industry is expanding quickly; by 2026, the national healthcare products value is predicted to reach USD 6 trillion. Its never too late to prepare for the many available healthcare possibilities. Make sure to use digital technology to increase revenue, and staff productivity, achieve better financial results, and improve patient care.
Artificial intelligence (AI) technology has advanced quickly in recent years, and this trend will persist in 2022. Among the various sectors that gain from AI, medicine mainly uses it for accurate illness diagnosis and detection, albeit this is not the only use. IBM Watson, for instance, is one of the AI systems already accessible for use in business and healthcare.
Computed Tomography Scan Analysis
The demand for computed diagnostic professionals (radiologists) has significantly grown since the COVID-19 epidemic struck the worlds population.
AI-powered technology could provide a solution. AI systems can quickly evaluate CT images from hundreds of patients, identifying pneumonia patterns brought on by COVID-19 and informing physicians of these. That would make up for the lack of qualified labour in this industry.
Before our eyes, innovative ideas are taking shape. For instance, a deep learning model for imaging COVID-19 was developed to recognize COVID-19 patterns in CT images automatically. The Microsoft-sponsored InnerEye research project is another promising endeavour for processing computed tomography scans. Even though accuracy has significantly increased, radiologists are still hesitant to entrust the digital mind with crucial choices. AI cannot be held responsible for a poor diagnosis or ineffective course of therapy. Instead, the expert who decided to employ AI must pay for their error and take every precaution to limit the adverse effects while maximizing this digital health trend.
Because of this, most cutting-edge clinics employ AI as an additional tool rather than a stand-alone diagnostic or therapeutic method. It is excellent for validating current diagnoses or enhancing research data that has been gathered conventionally.
Machine Learning in Biopharma and Medtech
The pharmaceutical sector will effectively capitalize on technological advancements in healthcare by utilizing AI to discover new medications. A group of British and Japanese scientists filed a patent for the first medicinal molecule created by AI in January 2020. The drug will be used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder after it passes muster for testing on humans.
AI-enhanced lab research has also led to the discovery of other intriguing formulations since late 2021, including some potential treatments for uncommon and extremely severe ailments. Numerous cutting-edge studies, such as molecular modelling and simulation of chemical reactions in multi-factor settings, leverage AI and machine learning approaches to support chemical experiments and therapeutic medication development.
Since many tests may be carried out electronically, this method enables scientists to reduce the number of expensive onsite experiments using reagents and high-tech lab equipment. It also hastens the discovery of critical scientific innovations.
Automating Hospital Workflows using Robotics
Startups from all over the world will pour hundreds of millions of dollars into creating AI projects in 2022, including various forms of robotic systems, which may enable them to reduce the cost of recruiting trained medical personnel. The intention is to assist medical facilities that already have a severe shortage of nurses and clinicians as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has put the entire healthcare system under unprecedented strain, rather than to replace people with machines, which would lead to unemployment and a decline in social standards. Learn more about creating medical HR software to assist HR professionals in addressing the U.S. medical workforce problem.
Innovative enterprises should keep in mind the medical communitys restrictions on AI-driven software, its capabilities, and its applications as they work to realize these lofty goals. Modern medicine has countless applications for robotic assistance and automated systems, including cleanliness, surgery, remote diagnostics, etc. However, the healthcare systems top goals will always be the well-being of medical personnel and the effective treatment of patients.
In light of this, robotic and AI-driven technologies will be employed to support current procedures rather than replace them, resulting in a potent fusion of the present and the future. Daring projects combined with sound regulation are a prominent trend in the digital health sector. It will enable physicians to utilize cutting-edge technology fully, learn to apply it in satisfying and secure ways, and steer clear of any pitfalls.
Symptom Checker Chatbots
Chatbots are computer programs with artificial intelligence (AI) support (often not true AI but powerful algorithms) that engage in meaningful conversations that resemble those between humans using voice, text, or option-based input.
Every area, including healthcare and medical consultancy, is seeing a rise in their use. These solutions, available around-the-clock online or via mobile devices, can provide preliminary medical diagnoses and health advice based on input and complaints from a patient. Chatbots can also be connected with unique patient portals for hospitals and clinics. When human medical assistants are unavailable, they can assist patients with their health issues and worries, even in acute situations (such as disaster-induced overloads of call centres, peak or non-operation hours, etc.)
These chatbots can aid patients in determining their subsequent actions and motivate them to seek professional medical advice when necessary. Care must be exercised, though, since it may result in inaccurate self-diagnosis and disinformation.
Globalization of AI Requirements in Healthcare
Ten recommendations that can serve as the foundation for the creation of GMLP have been developed by a powerful coalition of the U.S. FDA, Health Canada, and the United Kingdoms Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) (Good Machine Learning Practice). These guidelines will help programmers and AI engineers create secure medical equipment, software, and systems powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) components. This shows that governments take the potential and hazards posed by AI exceptionally seriously and would want to regulate the use of AI in healthcare practices as soon as feasible.
Adoption of AI-backed Technologies
The main drawback of the advancement in artificial intelligence technology is that hackers will use it to target medical systems and steal secured healthcare information, rather than only to save human lives or help medical personnel with their everyday responsibilities. One of the growing dangers to the security of medical technology in 2022 and beyond is sophisticated malware with AI capabilities.
Which medical technology solutions are in jeopardy? Almost everything could have weak security or security flaws, such as wireless systems in hospitals, clinics, or health centres, EMR/EHR solutions, IoT, and computer-aided healthcare provider and health insurance company systems. Intricate phishing and social engineering assaults can also target clients and staff members.
Hackers may use this feature to simulate personal identities as part of next-generation super-personalized social engineering and phishing campaigns, which have the potential to be as dangerous and deceptive as ever before due to AIs growing capacity to mimic photorealistic 3D faces or organically sounding voices. This necessitates installing high-end data protection methods that can mitigate any hazards by hacker techniques aided by AI.
Despite all the technological safeguards and healthcare providers knowledge, statistics on data breaches show a sharp rise over the previous ten years, with infractions peaking in 20202021. These data breaches impact thousands of patients around the US. Hopefully, healthcare organizations will focus more on data security and their digital ecosystems in 2022. Healthcare cybersecurity is quickly emerging as a popular technological topic this decade.
How to Prevent Data Breaches in Healthcare?
The security of medical records, which is governed by HIPAA and EDI in the healthcare industry, is a top priority for the US government.
Every healthcare professional should follow a few effective procedures:
Facial Recognition With Masks
Face recognition technology, which permits approved access for medical professionals to mobile devices or workstations, rose to popularity due to its ease.
Deep learning facial recognition algorithms must be used in the COVID-19 pandemic to distinguish staff members wearing masks. Specific sources claim that some businesses have already achieved 99.9% accuracy in the face recognition of people wearing masks.
Nanotechnology may still seem like science fiction, yet it is steadily influencing our daily lives. By the end of 2021, fantastic news about the creation of tiny, organic robots that can reproduce themselves will reach every part of the globe. Therefore, it is realistic to anticipate that 2022 will bring forth several significant advancements in the nanomedicine sector. Early investments are welcome in the burgeoning nanomedicine industry.
Here is a brief explanation of what nanomedicine is: it uses nanoscale (microscopically small) materials and objects, like biocompatible nanoparticles, nanoelectronic devices, or even nanorobots, for specific medical uses and manipulations, like the diagnosis or treatment of living organisms. The injection of a group of nanorobots into a humans blood vessels might be utilized as a possible hunter for cancer cells or viruses, for instance. This method is anticipated to effectively combat a wide range of cancers, rheumatoid arthritis, and other hereditary, oncologic, or auto-immune illnesses on a cellular level (or even become an ultimate solution to them).
Even though the IoMT will not be a novel concept by 2022, this industry will experience exponential growth. Every one of the several digital health developments in this sector has excellent applications for healthcare professionals and has the potential to save billions of dollars.
Apps for remote health monitoring and wellness will continue to grow in popularity in 2022. You may discover a decent number of professional (and many other semi-professionals) mobile applications for healthcare and health in the GooglePlay or iTunes libraries.
Some mobile applications can connect to wearables like pulsometers or fitness trackers to use the information gathered by the sensors attached to your body to report or evaluate your health problems, including blood pressure, body temperature, pulse, and other metrics.
Autonomous nursing robots or self-moving smart gadgets can substantially assist by minimizing the tasks linked to supply management or sanitary maintenance that medical professionals must perform.
Different types of robots can work in various hospital-based settings and jobs, protecting human workers from infection risks or stress from the extreme burden imposed on many US hospitals by a COVID-19 patient overflow. An Italian hospital, for instance, employed robot nurses during a COVID-19 severe epidemic. These clever assistants were utilized to remotely check patients blood pressure and oxygen saturation levels because they are two critical indicators of their present state of health. Those levels might decline quickly, necessitating emergency intervention for the patient. This drastically decreased the requirement for nurses to visit patients in person.
Healthcare systems primarily concentrate on elements within their area of expertise: quality and price of medical services while generating risk assessments and accumulating illness data. However, they represent the very beginning. Before patients feel symptoms and seek the help of physicians, a host of other less apparent circumstances impact them.
Initial health problems are caused by factors other than a lack of care. Their origins are deeper; they are found in social, environmental, and demographic contexts that are rarely taken into account in the context of conventional clinical diagnoses.
Medical institutions mainly handle symptoms and offer advice on lifestyle modifications, having a minimally significant influence on treatment results (between 10% and 20%). In addition, between 80% and 90% of health outcomes are determined by non-medical variables. The term social determinants of health refers to these elements (SDOH).
In 2022, healthcare providers will approach SDOH with greater caution than ever before and carefully review patients medical histories, taking into account details that were overlooked in earlier years.
Doctors will shift from treating symptoms to prediction and prevention based on patients SDOH predisposition to particular diseases to stop the advancement of dangerous health concerns and reduce individual medical expenditures.
More implant-related options and technology will hit the global and American healthcare markets in 2022. This offers dramatically improved regenerative medicine effectiveness, patient rehabilitation, and a solution for many disabilities previously thought to be incurable.
Increasing the Use of 3D Bioprinting
By 2027, it is anticipated that the medical industrys volume of 3D printing potential will surpass $6 billion. Even if 3D printing biocompatible implants is not a novel technique in 2022, new materials and more advanced prosthetic methods will make this technology more dependable and available to a more extensive range of patients. In particular, it is anticipated that advancements in 3D bioprinting technology would improve the following areas:
Neural Implants
In 2022, effective options for brain-computer implants are anticipated to debut. Neuralink plans to begin inserting its devices into human brains at least in 2022. More businesses, groups, initiatives, and startups are preparing to market their neuro-implants for various medical requirements, including regaining functional independence in patients with multiple forms of paralysis or blindness.
For instance, it was stated that by the end of 2021, a team of scientists had implanted a microelectrode array (a penny-sized implant) into the visual brain of a blind individual, enabling her to recognize several letters and shapes. Although there is still a long way to go, brain implants potential to help people with various disabilities seems to have a genuinely fantastic and promising future.
Healthcare businesses will employ an exponentially growing number of data sources, and the volume of gathered healthcare data (including patient records, DICOM files, and medical IoT solutions) will also rapidly increase. Medical service providers will seek contemporary platforms, such as data fabrics, to combine and handle massive amounts of dispersed and structured data.
It will be among the tasks to build safe multi-cloud solutions capable of transporting significant amounts of data to manage, store, and mine it for valuable insights and to link siloed data with the healthcare systems.
Healthcare payers and providers frequently have interests that clash. The standard of their collaborative work decreases when both sides take absolutist positions. Patients, therefore, do not get the care they need. They are frequently mistreated, have to wait longer, and pay more.
Both payers and providers should embrace a value-oriented mindset and work toward group goals rather than individual success. All parties must understand that they are working for the same purposeproviding high-end healthcare to the publicand that if either suffers losses, the other will no longer support them. All organizations involved in the healthcare sector will hopefully try their utmost to learn how to collaborate in 2021. They will concentrate on delivering complete care, move from settling disagreements to cooperation, and communicate information to support successful decision-making.
The healthcare sector is already seeing the effects of the vast diversity, universality, and growth of digital communication channels. A brand-new channel for distributing medical data is telehealth. It entails delivering healthcare services remotely through the Internet, videoconferencing, streaming services, and other communication technologies. Long-distance education for patients and medical professionals is included in telehealth. Telehealth has achieved widespread acceptance and has evolved into a regular procedure in 2021. Modern clinics already counsel their patients electronically. This kind of communication will replace conventional internal dialogues and receive full regulatory permission in the upcoming years.
With the introduction of 5G wireless, telehealth will expand rapidly and be universally adopted shortly.
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Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cloud Computing, 5G, And Nanotech In Healthcare: How Organizations Are Preparing Best For The Future - Inventiva
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