Is Digital Health The Future Of Healthcare?

Published in

Acoustic Epidemiology

10 min readMar 24, 2022

Medical practice in the twenty-first century is incredibly challenging but still full of promise. Digital technology has been driving a change in healthcare, from mobile medical apps and software that assist doctors’ clinical decisions every day to artificial intelligence and machine learning.

We see transitions in traditional models such as how care will be delivered, how patients will interact with their healthcare providers, and even how we learn and socialize with each other as healthcare continues to evolve and the pandemic foregoes in a world leveraged through technology.

Additionally, we are seeing the leading organizations such as World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) laying the guidelines for approaching digital technologies. The future of healthcare is a mix of old and new, and every healthcare provider is looking forward to seeing what the future holds for digital health.

According to the World Health Organization, Digital health is; ‘a broad umbrella term encompassing e-health, as well as developing areas such as the use of advanced computer sciences (for example, in the fields of “big data”, genomics and artificial intelligence) — plays an important role in strengthening health systems and public health, increasing equity in access to health services, and in working towards universal health coverage.’

Medicine Goes Digital

Digital medicine describes a field that deals with evidence-based technologies used to measure or intervene in health issues. A few examples of digital medicines available or being researched for use in healthcare include smart insulin pens, glucose, and blood sugar monitors.

As a physician, it is essential to know which digital health products are accurate; hence the evidence required in digital medicine informs healthcare practitioners about what to expect from the product and how to utilize it most effectively to address a health problem.

Amidst this evolution, clinical care providers are still at the heart of medicine because they are the ones who make the decisions at the point of delivery. In contrast, physician-scientists are responsible for the ethical and safe conduct of research as well as the discovery and development of novel measurements and therapies.

Digital Health

A digital health technology may be categorized as a medical device if it is used to identify a disease or a condition, or to contribute to curing, mitigating, treating, or preventing a disease.

If a digital health technology fits the medical device category under Section 201(h) of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, it is considered a medical device; however, it must undergo a lengthy and costly premarket notification evaluation and approval process.

An app or a smartwatch that you wear to track your health are examples of digital health tools. With the help of digital health, healthcare is shifting from the point of care to the “point of need.”

Digital Transformations

Digital transformation uses digital technologies to remake a process to become more efficient or cost-effective.

These technologies harness the power of data, cloud-based platforms, AI, and new business models in healthcare to improve health outcomes, cut healthcare costs, and improve the human care experience for both patients and healthcare workers.

What is required to realize this goal of digital transformation fully? Below are the enabling areas that are transforming the future of healthcare.

Areas of Digital Health That Are Driving The Future of Healthcare

Interoperability

Interoperability refers to the ability of two or more systems to exchange health data and utilize it once it has been received. If interoperability and extensive data interchange are fully realized, providers will have the infrastructure to deliver patient-centered, value-driven care that improves health outcomes while cutting costs.

Predictive modeling

Predictive modeling analyzes historical and real-time information to discover trends in patient treatment and forecast health outcomes. Predictive analytics utilizes various techniques to accomplish this, including data mining, statistics, AI, and machine learning.

Governance and trust

A greater emphasis on data security and openness is required for the digital transformation of healthcare. Patient data gathering may promote distrust of healthcare institutions rather than trust, if patients cannot entrust that their data will be secure, transparent, and available to them.

Therefore this demands comprehensive standards and policies that control data-intensive technologies such as AI.

Person enabled health

Person-enabled health works by leveraging digital options such as technological platforms, handheld devices for something we can describe as “care anywhere” methodologies, and applications that enable on-demand health and wellness services.

To assist patients in actively managing their healthcare journey, these technologies could involve handling chronic conditions and tracking progress digitally, and virtual care encounters with a medical team.

Which Technologies Make The Greatest Impact In Healthcare

Some of the technologies that are making the most significant impact in healthcare are:

Artificial Intelligence And Big Data

In the healthcare industry, artificial intelligence and big data are becoming increasingly vital. Big data consists of an extensive collection of data increasing exponentially. Medical experts can employ AI-based data analytics and predictive models to understand better and study a variety of diseases.

Statista reports that Artificial intelligence, according to 65 percent of those surveyed, will have the most impact on health care, whereas robotics, according to only two percent, will have the greatest impact. As of 2020, this graph depicts the technologies that are expected to have the greatest impact on health care.

With AI, doctors, hospital personnel, and patients benefit from artificial intelligence. Simply because it automates repetitive operations that humans usually perform, but in a fraction of the time and at a lower cost.

For instance, it is already making a great impact in the following ways:

Securing medical data
Cloud computing at lower capital
The efficient use of the medical database
Precision medicine

Electronic Health Records (EHRs)

EHRs enable quick information, recording, storage, and transmission of medical files and efficient care integration, unlike in the past when health systems poorly handled electronic medical records. However, to use EHRs effectively, many healthcare practitioners must use additional solutions.

For example, data from electronic health records can aid in the detection of infection patterns and the identification of people at risk before they develop symptoms like in the case of a pandemic such as Covid-19.

Remote Patient Monitoring

Thanks to technological advancements, taking care of patients has gotten substantially more manageable. If any issues arise, the device may quickly relay the data collected by these devices to doctors who can diagnose what is wrong with a patient even when they are not present. Furthermore, sophisticated hospital equipment has contributed to an increase in life expectancy.

For example, pacemakers, health trackers, and other devices make it simple for individuals to keep track of their health.

Practical examples in healthcare include:

Respiratory disease management such as COPD, Asthma
Glucose monitoring
Weight measurement for congestive heart failure
Medication management and titration such as blood pressure medication
Hypertension management

You can find out more about at-home diagnostic and wellness devices and remote patient monitoring devices for respiratory care on our blog.

Digital Assistants

Digital assistants are described by technologies such as Robotics Process Automation, virtual nursing assistants, and chatbots. These assistants are new digital coworkers who will assist future healthcare systems in meeting productivity and accessibility objectives.

For example, AI-controlled robots in surgeries can provide three-dimensional magnification for articulation while implementing basic acts of precision cutting and stitching with more accuracy and miniaturization.

Additionally, the usage of chatbots improves the flow and automation of primary care. Because chatbots deliver instant conversational responses, patients can readily interact with them.

Telemedicine

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko from Pexels

Telemedicine refers to the utilization of technology to disseminate health-related content and data. It offers patient and practitioner interaction, treatment, consultation, intervention, and monitoring over vast distances.

It may be easier to accommodate virtual visits into your heavy workload with telemedicine. In addition, specialty practitioners may benefit from telemedicine because they can see a patient’s home surroundings. An allergy specialist, for example, may be able to spot triggers in your environment that cause allergies.

Using telehealth consultations to prescreen patients for potentially infectious diseases can help prevent the spread of COVID-19, flu, and other infectious diseases during this pandemic.

Patient experience

To succeed in the digital realm, as a healthcare provider, you must rethink the experience you give because patients are becoming more involved and invested in their wellness through the use of digital technology.

With digital technology, physicians can transform the patient experience in the following ways:

Identify the needs of the patients
Make one-on-one experiences a reality
Create patient groups that work together

Statistics — factual evidence

The healthcare capacity is strained and burdened by inefficiency. Research published by the American Medical Association states that a physician suffers from burnout every second, and several other studies throughout the world have confirmed this. The critical causes of burnout are bureaucratic activities, working too long hours, and increasing computerization of practice.

Medical practitioners typically devote far too much of their time to paperwork. For example, the results of a study presented in the Annals of Internal Medicine states that every hour physicians spend providing direct clinical facetime to patients is almost two hours spent on EHR and administrative work within a clinic day.

Patients are looking for more convenient and tailored care. In addition, patients’ expectations of healthcare are changing as the world becomes more accessible to them. For instance, the number of people using health and fitness apps increased by 27% in 2020 compared to the previous year. This certainly shows patients are taking a more active part in their health and well-being.

Chronic conditions are on the rise across the globe, putting a more significant strain on healthcare systems. In addition, the expense of treating chronic illnesses is rising, and worldwide doctor shortages are looming. Most importantly, the Covid-19 pandemic has propelled digital health firms to a higher ranking. As a result, the sum for corporate funding digital health firms in 2020 reached a new record with $21.6 billion invested.

Digital health trends

Here are a few of the most impressive developments in digital health that are transforming the healthcare industry right now:

Telehealth

Telehealth is the delivery of health care services by health care professionals over long distances using information and communication technology to exchange accurate and authentic data.

This was demonstrated when many people had their first virtual visit when some physicians were in quarantine and patients could not see them face-to-face because of the infectious nature of Covid-19.

2. Big Data

This innovation allows the medical professional to keep on top of healthcare trends, practices, and technology. Big data analytics can also generate real-time warnings and make better strategic decisions.

To optimize staffing, big data can be utilized to anticipate the number of patients expected in your hospital.

3. Health and Wellness Apps

These applications allow users to create a personal profile that tracks crucial metrics such as weight, calorie intake, step counts, and much more. With tailored healthcare at their fingertips, people can have more control over their health. Users can also share these data with their doctors.

4. Internet of Things (IoT) in Medicine

IoT is a collection of identifiable items, such as electronics and sensors, connecting and sharing data via the Internet and cloud solutions.

Patients can now get their hands on home-based wearable biosensors like the Oura and Apple Watch, continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), and Bluetooth-enabled medical devices, among other things.

According to IoT Analytics, the global number of connected IoT devices will increase by 9% to 12.3 billion active endpoints in 2021. As a result, more than 27 billion IoT connections are expected by 2025.

5. Virtual and Augmented Reality

According to research, the healthcare market’s global virtual and augmented reality is expected to hit $5.1 billion by 2025. The application of mixed reality headsets like the Microsoft Hololens 2 by surgeons is one of this technology’s most popular and practical applications.

Virtual reality is revolutionizing how patients receive treatment for patients with chronic pain, physical pain, stroke, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress.

These digital health trends are merely a sliver of the ever-changing healthcare landscape.

Conclusion

The technology behind telehealth, telemedicine, and IoT devices in healthcare has been in existence over the years. But it took the COVID-19 pandemic to accelerate these healthcare trends forward and for health institutions, providers, and patients to embrace digital health trends and new technology.

The future of healthcare is digital health. It allows your job of being a medical professional to become more gratifying and creative. Ultimately, the future may belong to more tech-savvy, imaginative, and entrepreneurial physicians who embrace digital health.

Read here how Hyfe’s mobile app can help both health practitioners and patients track and monitor cough.

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