Healthcare innovation can be as simple as changing a form to check out a patient five minutes faster or as complex as an immunotherapy that targets specific types of cancer cells. Any developments, simple or complex, that lead to improvements in health outcomes and patient experiences are healthcare innovations. Right now, the healthcare sector is facing many large challenges, such as stringent regulations, privacy concerns and steeply rising costs. Many leaders and healthcare professionals are turning to new technologies and informatics to develop smarter types of healthcare delivery.
Technology in healthcare.
The evolution of how and when professionals use technology in healthcare has gone through three stages: digitization, disruption, and transformation.
Digitization
Itentails the development of digital capabilities to support routine healthcare processes or services. CT scans and MRIs are two examples of how digitization has altered healthcare services, while digital tools such as automated billing have altered administrative processes. Finally, digitization has made it easier to store, access, and share data.
Disruption
Itis caused by newer technologies such as artificial intelligence, mobile technology, analytics, and cloud computing, which are altering how people, organizations, and governments interact. These disruptive innovations are enabling unprecedented levels of human connection and driving the world to become more consumer-centric.
Transformation
In healthcare, digital transformationis changing the way payers, providers, and others operate and interact with patients, consumers, and stakeholders. Healthcare is being transformed by technology into an integrated ecosystem in which professionals can effectively address their challenges on a larger scale while maintaining a patient-centered focus and providing value-based care.
Technologies driving Innovation in Healthcare
Health technologies encompass all the devices, medicines, vaccines, procedures, and systems designed to streamline healthcare operations, lower costs, and enhance the quality of care. Artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, voice search, chatbots and virtual reality (VR) are among the most promising health technologies in 2022.
Artificial intelligence.
There is nothing quite as exciting as artificial intelligence right now and with a rapid growth and exciting opportunities surrounding – it is the best time to utilize its potential for healthcare marketing. The use of artificial intelligence within the healthcare industry is expected to grow rapidly at an annual rate of 40% through 2022 – to $6.6 Billion, from approximately $600 Million in 2014.
AI engines can reduce and mitigate risk of preventable medical scenarios in three critical ways:
1. Automate reminders – Great for helping patients take medication within a specific timeframe.
2. Identify people at high risk – Discovering those in need of medical intervention and trigger medical staff alerts to create custom care plans. IBM Watson currently testing this with opioid addiction issues.
3. Deliver personalized dosage recommendations – Based on each patient’s unique body chemistry and associated environmental factors.
Blockchain Technology
Blockchain in healthcare is not just useful for the hype it is ramped up with bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Instead, what is exciting about blockchain is the digital record-keeping that creates the ledger of transactions that is not only transparent, but impossible to tamper with. Blockchain is here to stay with a variety of experts, some of whom are skeptical of bitcoin, claiming that the technology could fundamentally change the way that huge sectors operate – including digital healthcare marketing.
We are expecting blockchain to affect the digital marketing sphere with three main key points:
1. Changing data collections - when you use blockchain to collect data, the information you input and all your personal data remains with you instead of being stored on servers owned by an application (think the recent Facebook controversy).
2. Fixing digital display advertising - There are some serious flaws when it comes to online display ads and they can be expensive to the advertiser. In addition, with Facebook and Google having ownership of the control of most of the available ad inventory, you will also be seeing a lack of availability and increased prices.
3. Ownership and security of digital assets - Blockchain-based entertainment could allow for direct marketing to their audiences without the need of a media platform. That is a big shift towards P2P communities which fans may fall in love with, with the potential to earn special privileges and more engagement with artists they love.
Nanomedicine
Nanomedicine is the innovation health medical application of nanotechnology, technology working at the atomic, molecular, or supramolecular level. This 2022 healthcare trend- Nanomedicine can be used for imaging, detection, diagnosis, and delivery using medical innovations devices. Researchers are looking for new ways to target individual cells with nanomedicine, and research began in 2021. Cyt Immune Sciences, a leader in cancer nanomedicine, recently launched a Phase 1 study on the use of gold nanoparticles to target drug delivery to tumors. Biopharmaceutical Company, Blue Willow Biologics has developed nanotechnology to fight viruses and bacteria.
Telemedicine
is sometimes used as a synonym, or is used in a more limited sense to describe remote clinical services, such as diagnosis and monitoring. When rural settings, lack of transport, a lack of mobility, conditions due to outbreaks, epidemics or pandemics, decreased funding, or a lack of staff restrict access to care, telehealth may bridge the gapas well as provide distance-learning; meetings, supervision, and presentations between practitioners; online information and health data management and healthcare system integration. Telehealth could include two clinicians discussing a case over video conference; a robotic surgery occurring through remote access; physical therapy done via digital monitoring instruments, live feed and application combinations; tests being forwarded between facilities for interpretation by a higher specialist; home monitoring through continuous sending of patient health data; client to practitioner online conference; or even videophone interpretation during a consult.
Internet of things (IoT)
In many cases, receiving healthcare data in a timely manner is a matter of life and death. Consumers use wearable IoT devices to monitor their heart rate, physical activity, and glucose levels throughout the day. Pools may use sensors to monitor when someone has been underwater for too long and alert staff. Remote surgical operations can be carried out.
With the help of IoT devices, e.g. neonatal infant care units can actively monitor premature babies’ temperatures, heart rates, breaths per minute, oxygen levels, and other vital information. All that, without disturbing their patients or physically checking each monitor.