The healthcare industry has seen the most significant transition in the overall market since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, enduring multiple transformations and adjusting to new conditions. The use of healthcare technology has emerged as a major future trend that will continue to affect the industry’s future.

According to the HIMSS report, almost 80% of health systems aim to boost their investments in digital healthcare over the next five years. The goal is clear, but which technologies are worthwhile investments? The answer can be found in this review of healthcare technology developments in 2022.

2022 Digital Health Trends

Experts evaluate the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), cybersecurity measures, remote patient monitoring (RPM), Fintech integration, Cloud migration, and Big Data analytics as emerging innovations in the healthcare industry that already satisfy customer needs on the market. These technologies have proven their usefulness in influencing the global digital health environment by surpassing the pandemic challenges.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) technologies are gaining ground in various healthcare business developments. They are the most accurate in terms of meeting the needs of patients. They can help healthcare businesses with management and analytics, as well as decision-making.

Integrating machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) with other technologies enables next-generation automation and augmentation of compliance, control, and capacity procedures.

Top digital transformation trends in healthcare in 2022:

1. IoMT – Internet of Medical Things

Wearables and trackers are becoming increasingly popular in healthcare information technology. Their main value is that they provide doctors with real-time and thorough information about patients’ health conditions.
The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) allows for a massive change in patient awareness. People who use trackers can acquire real-time data on their daily activities and make modifications as they go. If the device has gamification capabilities, it can even motivate patients to live a healthier lifestyle by rewarding them. As a result, technology has had a massive impact, combining a reasonable requirement for healthy behaviors with sheer fun.

Doctors, for their part, can receive notifications and participate more actively in their patients’ treatment than ever before. Sleep patterns, eating habits, average activity level, and other factors are among the rich data set generated by this innovative technology in healthcare. Healthcare providers can use this data to create more realistic coaching programs and assess treatment success more precisely.

How wearables are changing healthcare

When it comes to illnesses that need considerable lifestyle changes, IoMT technologies shine. Smoking addiction, overanxiety problems, obesity, and Type 2 diabetes are just a few examples.

Diabetes affects around 422 million people globally, according to the most recent statistics. Unfortunately, Type 2 diabetes therapy had been on the patients’ minds for some time, and doctors had no choice but to rely on their words and promises. Healthcare practitioners lacked the tools to monitor progress because success is primarily dependent on lifestyle modifications.

Wearables have solved this challenge, allowing doctors and their patients to work together to develop better lifestyles.

2. Data Privacy and Cybersecurity

Data security is still a big industry concern, and health information technology trends will continue to include cybersecurity for a long time. All future technical advancements will be guided by the need for a strong security layer. The ultimate goal is to safeguard sensitive patient data transmitted over the internet.

Given the increasing quantity and severity of data breaches, cybersecurity is a prominent topic. The situation will only get worse if information sharing and interoperability become more widespread. In light of these circumstances, the healthcare market will be aggressively searching in the future years for really secure and trustworthy software that adheres to patient safety regulations.

Platforms for HIPAA-compliant video conferencing

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) has become a mandatory video conferencing requirement since the pandemic. This federal legislation, in essence, requires businesses to „guard the privacy and security of individuals’ medical records and other protected health information (PHI).”

This rule is followed by the majority of Telehealth video conferencing services. Zoom for Healthcare, Skype for Business, VSee, Citrix GoToMeeting, and many other analogs of mainstream calling software are among the use cases. As the next step in the industry, forthcoming communication platforms will provide security that goes beyond end-to-end encryption, which still puts patient data at risk when stored in cloud storage. Signal, DuckDuckGo, and Tauria are just a few examples of brand-new options.

3. RPM – Remote Patient Monitoring

Although much of the recent expansion in remote patient monitoring was due to the pandemic, the benefits of adopting RPM technology are timeless: enhanced patient care, improved diagnoses through real-time data, and lower healthcare costs.

Without a doubt, COVID-19 also influenced the present medical trend of remote patient monitoring. Online appointments, remote care, and video conferencing are all examples of virtual healthcare’s growth. RPM’s capabilities are further enhanced by the large range of IoMT devices available.

Hands-free communication will be one of the most significant future healthcare technology trends in financials in the long run. That’s because RPM helps healthcare businesses of all sizes save time and money. It was at its best during the epidemic while dealing with personal protective equipment. In the future, achieving RPM will allow for the combination of hands-free and on-site treatments to give the appropriate service appearance for various patient groups.

RPM contributes greatly to health equity, which means that people of all geographical, social, economic, and political circumstances have access to health services. It is a significant step forward for humanity, demonstrating how technology can improve the planet.

Emphasis on Mental Health Care

COVID-19’s global epidemic has increased mental health difficulties around the world. According to the WHO, almost 1 billion people worldwide suffer from mental disorders, with more than 75% of those in low-income countries not receiving treatment. Every 40 seconds, someone commits suicide, and 50% of mental health illnesses begin by the age of 14.
RPM advancements have played a vital role in addressing these issues. Patients could benefit from high-quality psychotherapy without jeopardizing their physical condition thanks to Telemedicine.

Furthermore, the technology provided access to the most vulnerable individuals, such as those with chronic illnesses, comorbidities, and other mental problems. Due to a lack of resources, societal shame, and racial injustice, they previously did not have access to healthcare providers. Today, all they need is an Internet connection and a communication platform to get started.

4. Enhanced Big Data and Analytics

The COVID-19 pandemic brought data analytics to the forefront for medical professionals and academics, as well as the enormous task of making real-time decisions in constantly changing situations. Healthcare practitioners can become lost in dozens of spreadsheets and meetings if data is processed manually. That is why, in the digital future, technology capable of processing Big Data instead of humans and giving real-time analytics for decision-makers will eventually be included.

Another advantage of analytics is the ability to make predictions. In this scenario, advances in predictive analytics and business intelligence make it possible to use data-driven insights from previous patient contacts with healthcare companies to make necessary modifications. It is beneficial to both parties. Patients receive precise treatment regimens and prompt assistance. As a result, healthcare providers benefit from increased personnel efficiency and supply chain control.

5. Cloud Migration

The cloud migration in healthcare is well underway, and it will continue to increase in the future.

It addresses a number of significant service delivery issues, such as record management, remote treatment, and reaching low-income patients. Providers all around the world are adopting the cloud to efficiently handle emails and electronic medical records (EMRs) while also providing real-time data to healthcare professionals.

Customer engagement and issue resolution can be improved by moving legacy call center operations to the cloud. Traditional health-care systems frequently impede an organization’s capacity to provide efficient and cost-effective care while also retaining patients. Moving operations to the cloud results in a secure and compliant omnichannel contact center platform with conversational AI and automation, as well as an integrated ecosystem that improves the customer experience.

6. RPA – Robotic Process Automation

The widespread implementation of robotic process automation (RPA) technology in healthcare could eliminate inefficiencies in the healthcare system.

Bots driven by RPA are a huge step forward in the development of healthcare information technology. With the know-how, health providers can enjoy accurate automation, cost reduction, staff optimization, and even make dramatic improvements. On the patient side, AI algorithms can more accurately assess patients’ symptoms and direct them to the appropriate clinician than traditional search engines.

In brief, RPA’s technological advancement has brought robots to the healthcare industry that mimic human behavior. Screenwriting detection, data entry, and the execution of predefined actions are only a few of their features. RPA is now widely used in the healthcare industry for data administration, appointment scheduling, claims management, optimal care delivery, and hospital management.

Online Scheduling

RPA makes it possible for hospitals to book appointments quickly and accurately. Under the hood, the system recognizes the patient’s personal information, instantaneously matches symptoms to diagnosis, and retrieves insurance information. It checks for open places in doctors’ schedules in all the hospitals near the patient’s location automatically.

Your doctor just gets a notification about your visit on the day you specify, together with any pertinent information. If a problem arises, the system will notify you and suggest that you see another doctor. All of this happens with just a few mouse clicks.

7. CA – Cognitive Automation

The next step towards full digital transformation is cognitive automation. It’s currently one of the hottest IT innovations in healthcare, but the technology’s packaging and applicability are about to revolutionize the way businesses are run. It builds on RPA’s accomplishments by simulating human behavior outside of repetitive tasks. In a nutshell, it functions as the healthcare organization’s digital brain.

In other words, CA leverages existing software companies’ automation capabilities and applies machine learning algorithms. It is now possible to process zettabytes of data in seconds and offer decision-makers ready-to-accept recommendations based on real-time data. The main goal is to create a self-driving company with fully automated operations.

8. Fintech Integration

Until lately, the healthcare system was largely bureaucratic and aged. However, an increasing number of hospitals and medical institutions have moved to technology to improve their paperwork and billing processes, and technology has begun to deliver.

Insurance, management services, digital payments, settlement services, capital-raising, deposits, and credit services are all covered by financial technology. Lowering the cost of financial services, simplifies and streamlines healthcare operations. Fintech helps the healthcare industry by reducing inefficiencies in payment plans through robotic investment advising, peer-to-peer financing, mobile payments, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and blockchain technologies.

Fintech solutions may help to minimize economic inequality and financial exclusion, allowing low- and moderate-income people to afford and access healthcare. We’ve already seen a few successful examples, such as PayZen, which evaluates a person’s healthcare costs and ability to pay after insurance, then sets up a payment plan and an automated mechanism to assist hospitals to optimize their billing process.

9. Interconnection

A lack of data interoperability, it’s another healthcare IT trend that emerged during the global pandemic. For years, it has not only slowed caregivers down but has also harmed their capacity to offer the best possible care.

Medical device compatibility and connection are widely acknowledged as critical components in assisting hospitals in achieving improved patient data flow, synchronization, and faster and more efficient recognition of high-risk patients, as well as improving overall outcomes.

Based on Google Cloud’s research, almost 59 percent of doctors feel improved interconnection will help them identify high-risk patients faster, and 95 percent agree that improved interoperability will improve patient care.

10. Telehealth

During the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine saw the most rapid expansion and became one of the most popular healthcare innovations.

Telehealth enables permanent access to medical care through the use of mobile technology such as virtual doctor visits and remote patient monitoring systems. These services reduce the need for unnecessary doctor visits and make it easier for patients in rural areas or without easy access to transportation to see a doctor or other healthcare professional, including medical specialists with a broader scope of practice.
It goes without saying that telemedicine will continue to expand, fueled by ever-increasing demand. By the source of healthcare, the current market is divided into 3 primary segments: telehospitals, telehomes, and mobile health. All three industry segments are likely to expand.

Making health more accessible is one of the most significant telehealth industry themes. Mobile healthcare is the broadest phrase in the telehealth sector, spanning everything from apps that help users perform breathing exercises to communicating directly with healthcare providers and more.

Summary

It’s time for healthcare to take the lead in terms of innovation. The future of healthcare looks bright, thanks to a renewed focus on preventative, patient-centered care via automation, smart data collecting, communication across service providers, and flexibility in treatment forms.

Businesses that wish to take advantage of current healthcare technology trends require an expert partner to help them navigate the complexities of development.
fireup.pro has the expertise to bring your concept to life, as shown by these case studies:
– mySugr specializes in app-based, all-around care for people with diabetes,
– 9am.health is a virtual diabetes clinic that supports conditions such as prediabetes, diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia.

Check out our healthcare software options to find the right fit for your company. Contact us for a free consultation call with our IT consultants.