Healthcare Tech Revolution and Transformation

Over the past few years, digital technology has become integral to healthcare. Digital tech has revolutionized the way healthcare providers handle their procedures and daily activities. This innovation has become essential for hospitals and clinics to adopt new technologies and integrate them with their legacy systems to maintain a competitive edge.

This transformation has created a huge opportunity for big players. Recently, Big Tech companies such as Amazon, Apple, and Google have made bold moves by joining the healthcare industry to get a share of the flourishing healthcare market. Microsoft announced the acquisition of Nuance Communications, known for its AI transcription tool for healthcare professionals. Amazon recently released Prime-like online pharmacy and primary care service platforms, just to mention some of them.

Consider also non-traditional players such as Tencent, Samsung, and Alibaba, who are among the top technology-powered companies that have introduced digital disruption into the healthcare industry. 

Among the most recent trends of the healthcare tech revolution, we have seen great opportunities that could unlock new competitive advantages for the industry leveraged on innovative software solutions:

Evolved EHRs with advanced capabilities

As digital voice assistant devices such as Google Home and Amazon Alexa continue to gain popularity in homes and offices, hospitals and clinics have also begun to embrace these technologies. With new technological developments focusing on ambient listening capabilities and natural language processing, EHR vendors such as Epic are already striking deals with healthcare providers to incorporate their voice tech in their systems.

The new technologies are now helping voice assistants to listen, understand and record a doctor-patient conversation without a voice command prompt.

Mobile apps technology

The trend for mobile apps has reached the healthcare industry, and patients now have open doors to quick, accurate access to medical information through their mobile devices and computers. Ground-breaking functions like drug information and daily life tracking have made disease prevention, diagnosis, logs and health maintenance easier than ever, for both patients and doctors alike.

Cloud and Big Data

Big Data technologies allow physicians to collect massive data from multiple sources in the least time possible. Digital technologies help physicians to do research, epidemiological studies, clinical trials, and lab tests and instantly collect data from a large and diverse population. This data helps to carry out a meta-analysis using cutting-edge techniques to predict an outbreak and recommend the best preventive measures.

On the other hand, cloud storage helps in secure data storage, ease of data access, and efficiency. Physicians can rely on the information stored in the cloud to improve patient attention, treatment protocols and constantly be up to date in each one of their patient’s clinical histories efficiently.

Telehealth or Telemedicine

Video conferencing has become a new norm in many industries, and healthcare has not been left behind. Telehealth assists healthcare delivery via video conferencing, especially during emergencies or to individuals located in areas with a shortage of  providers. Telehealth solutions are not only cost-effective, but also help reduce unnecessary gatherings and traffic through physical healthcare facilities, especially during the pandemic.

Adopting these, or any other new technologies, is a journey of great process simplification, but it also comes with an important number of challenges that need to be tackled. Healthcare providers who decide to take the step into industry innovations, should engage themselves with experienced IT service providers that can help them in their journey to finally get to the best possible results.

Assess the actual need for new technologies

New technologies come with huge promises; however, it would be better to assess if you really need a new technology prior to a large capital investment. IT experts can be engaged who will evaluate your legacy software and compare it with the new technologies in order to determine whether you need simple upgrades or a complete customized software development.

Software engineering experts will save you on costs you could incur when getting unnecessary or redundant systems. With an accurate expert evaluation, you will determine whether the technologies have any added value to your processes and are worth trying and investing.

Incorporation and Implementation of new technology

Acquiring a new technology or software is not enough. You need to properly integrate it with your current system to realize its full potential. Software engineering experts will help you to replace or integrate new technologies with your current system without causing any downtime or significant disruption of your processes and activities.  
 

Staff training

No matter how user-friendly technology is, your employees still need training. Not everyone can use a new technology without the right training. You’d need the help of IT professionals to train your team to ensure that everyone understands how to use it. This helps to avoid operational interferences, new user mistakes or unexpected challenges that could be costly.

Security vulnerability detection

Making changes to existing systems or modernizing legacy software always come with further adjustments and some risks. As technology advances, new forms of threats evolve as well. Having all systems constantly tested and monitored for vulnerabilities, a cyber-security program in place and the right tools implemented for a quick response are just some of the advantages of having IT experts on your side.

Every trip starts with the first step, and staying ahead of the competition depends on adaptability and action. Acting towards new technologies is that necessary step for the industry to enhance health administration and patient outcomes. 

The only way to keep up with the evolving healthcare tech revolution and effectively meet emerging challenges is by engaging experienced IT professionals who become your strategic partners all along the way. 

KNDCODE, Always Ahead, Forward, Near.