For a while, tech seemed to be something that only affected a small group of people. When computers were first introduced, for example, they were large, bulky, and expensive machines that your average person would not be able to afford–or have a need for, really. And even once smartphones and computers became household items for basically everyone, the true power of what tech can do was still limited to major companies and research organizations.
However, the introduction of tech into practically every area of our lives led to a new realization: the power of tech is transformative and can be used in a myriad of ways to improve our quality of life. And one of the industries that’s fully moved towards using technology to their benefit is healthcare.
The range of health tech innovations is incredibly broad and might encapsulate aspects that you didn’t even attribute to tech; in this article, we’ll break down the details of health tech and highlight some of the most incredible trends that have helped revolutionize healthcare–all thanks to technology.
What is Health Tech?
First things first: health tech is a term used to describe the technologies used or created to improve both the healthcare system and our personal health. And as healthcare itself is quite broad, so is health tech. From mental health care to personal fitness tracking, health tech has expanded along with technology to improve medical care that professionals provide and the individual actions people can take to improve their personal health.
In case you’re not sure about why health tech is so innovative and transformative, we’ve collected just a few reasons:
It’s made healthcare more accessible: patients are no longer limited to the doctors in their vicinity or simply with availability for appointments or consults; with live chat options at medical centers, virtual appointments, and online resources, patients are able to receive health advice and treatments without leaving their home.
It’s made patients better educated about their health: thanks to online accounts that keep all patient information in one place, patients are able to refer to those records over time, helping them be better informed about their own health.
It supports patient care across different disciplines: gone are the days of having to fax physical files to a specialist after your primary care physician refers you; with secure online centers that store all patient information, doctors are better equipped to treat you with a full understanding of your medical history.
It’s allowed people to take control of their own health: the benefits aren’t limited to just doctors, however; with the introduction of smart watches and exercise/food trackers, people are uniquely suited to monitor their own progress and reach their goals.
It’s setting us up to better understand diseases and treatment options: for the first time in history, doctors are incredibly well-connected and can easily access similar symptoms and diagnoses, using records from similar cases to see what’s worked with other cases and make the best recommendations for their patients.
Innovations in Health Tech
With a clear understanding of what health tech is and how it’s helping transform how we take care of ourselves and others, let’s dive right into some of the most incredible and transformative innovations we’ve seen recently in health tech.
Smart watches
These devices originated by simply encouraging 10,000 steps a day and while some people are content with challenging their friends to workouts and seeing how much sleep they’ve gotten, major companies like Apple and Samsung are taking smart watches to the next level with tools like cardiovascular insights, menstrual cycle tracking, and SOS notifications if anything seems off.
Remote care
Both patients and doctors are better connected, thanks to the introduction of telehealth. In addition to having better access to those in rural areas and not requiring those in vulnerable positions to come into healthcare centers where they could become more sick, remote care allows doctors and patients to communicate in between visits, checking in, and tracking progress without the hassle of an in-person visit.
Artificial intelligence
One of the most powerful abilities of artificial intelligence is the ability to evaluate and identify patterns within large sets of data and this has incredible potential in the healthcare industry. On one hand, AI tools can be trained to identify and diagnose patients from scans or test results and on the other hand, these tools can go through incredibly large amounts of patient data in just a few seconds to compare symptoms, test results, and other factors that can help doctors quickly and accurately diagnose a patient.
Automatic alerts
For patients who use wearable devices, like blood sugar detectors or EKG sensors, tech has been able to remove the entire middle step of the user contacting medical professionals with automatic alert systems that are set to call 911 if the patient’s vitals pass a certain level. Many of these devices give the user the option to easily call for help as well, facilitating the process of getting immediate care.
Social media to improve patient experience
Many hospitals and other treatment centers have taken advantage of social media to improve their patient care, tracking trends to find out what users need and are looking for when it comes to their medical care. By tracking what consumers are interested in and how they’re digesting information, healthcare professionals will be better suited to care for them and provide treatment options with which they’re familiar and feel safe.
As you can tell, healthcare and tech are incredible partners and have tremendous potential; moving forward, we can expect to see even more investment and focus on this area, in addition to new jobs for those focusing on using technology to benefit all patients.
Tech has just started to unleash its full potential and we can’t wait to see what’s ahead: are you ready to take the journey with us?!
