What are Healthtech Trends?
Any technology meant to help healthcare companies, such as medical equipment, IT systems, algorithms, artificial intelligence (AI), cloud, and blockchain, is referred to as healthtech trends.
Physical systems and technologies are still heavily used in the healthcare business to store, analyze, and interpret the massive volumes of data it generates. All healthcare providers do not have complete access to or availability of advanced analytics tools. Even amongst devices from the same vendor, interoperability remains a problem. In addition, IoT-based medical equipment frequently lacks comprehensive security designs to combat cyber threats.
Here are 7 best healthtech trends to watch in 2023;
1. Smarter Medical Devices
In 2023, the bulk of healthcare delivery will be powered by the Internet of Things-enabled medical equipment. Digital health investment is expected to triple from $69 billion in 2017 to over $200 billion by 2021, according to Deloitte. With the increasing expansion of connected medical devices, new security threats will emerge, which may be minimized with stronger security architecture.
Securing communication between devices, healthcare practitioners, and patients, for example, is critical to protecting patient data. IoT-based medical devices can also benefit from having a unique identity that helps find them even within the crowded ecosystem of connected gadgets. Integration with 3rd party applications will be critical for easier integration with existing IT systems in hospitals and clinics.
2. Wearables
The F is one of the essential advancements in healthcare technology. The capacity to remotely monitor a patient’s condition throughout the day, or for an individual to monitor their own condition, is extremely significant. According to a Deloitte poll, 39 percent of consumers own a smartwatch. With consumer smartwatches becoming more readily available, it’s worth noting their potential for healthtech trends and applications.
Heart rate is one of the most fundamental features that a wristwatch may give for monitoring a person’s health. A smartwatch, on the other hand, can measure more than just this. With pedometers and blood oxygen saturation monitoring, these gadgets can also keep track of your physical wellness. Without appropriate equipment, low blood oxygen saturation is difficult to detect. Smartwatches with this sensor can save lives because this is a life-threatening condition. The capacity of smartwatches to assess blood vitals in their users is also increasing. Photoplethysmography (PPG) is an optical technique for determining blood volume and composition fluctuations.
It can now supply users with more data about their blood vitals than ever before since it has been downsized for use on smartwatches. This information may be used by healthcare practitioners to better counsel patients and finalize diagnoses. Smartwatches aren’t the only wearables with potential in the medical field. The impact of bio patches and smart hearing aids is comparable. Without the usage of a smartwatch, bio patches can give a better insight into a person’s vitals.
3. Smart Pills
The notion of a smart pill, which converts the Internet of Things into the Internet of Bodies, is one of the most significant uses for IoT in healthtech trends. Smart pills are edible electronics that can supply healthcare practitioners with useful information about their patients in addition to acting as medications. The first FDA-approved smart medication was introduced in 2017.
4. Digitally Connected Patient Communities
Patients will have access to their own health data and a platform for patient communities as a result of the digital revolution in healthtech trends. Medical apps can aid in illness management by keeping track of symptoms, drugs are taken on a regular basis, and fitness routines. Patients and physicians, as well as the general public with a wealth of expertise, may easily share information via digital platforms.
Members of the community can share their experiences to assist others in diagnosing and treating ailments, as well as look into what new treatments or therapies have recently been created to enhance patient outcomes.
5. Blockchain Technologies for Patient Data Security
Blockchain technology is predicted to play a significant role in digital transformation in healthcare to secure patient data from security breaches. It’s a distributed ledger that can store patient records in an immutable format while also allowing authorized medical personnel to access the information when needed. Patients may also control who gets access to their data via blockchain, making it useful for maintaining HIPAA compliance across multiple healthcare organizations.
6. AI Assistants for Streamlined Healthcare Services
Artificial intelligence assistance can assist patients in making critical healthcare decisions by offering preliminary information on potential diagnoses as well as the risks and advantages of various therapies. A patient with a fever and cough, for example, can consult an AI assistant for advice on what to do next. The assistant would present the patient’s medical history, probable diagnosis, and treatment choices suggested by experts in the area.
7. Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality In Healthcare
In a number of healthtech trends and situations, augmented reality and mixed reality can be beneficial. The usage of mixed reality headsets like the Microsoft Hololens 2 by surgeons is one of the most popular and practical applications of this technology. The headgear can give the surgeon real-time information while allowing them to utilize both hands throughout the surgery. Not only may this knowledge augment these procedures, but it can also be a collaborative and distant endeavor that aids with training.
The use of augmented reality isn’t limited to headgear and operating rooms. Nurses may use the technology to assist them to discover veins to collect blood. Artificial intelligence and specialized sensors are widely used to create augmented reality. Appropriate data and software knowledge will be necessary whether you’re creating for mobile devices or other types of hardware. To make these solutions effective, AR developers place a strong emphasis on combining AI with the software frameworks of target devices. These are amazing healthtech trends.
Other physicians may watch the procedure and provide assistance thanks to the headset’s head-mounted camera view. The device’s holographic nature may also be utilized to enhance training. AR headsets, becoming more popular, may be used for similar purposes. In order to broaden its application to new sorts of procedures in the future, more specialized software solutions will be required.
