The integration of technology has the potential to change the very face of the healthcare ecosystem by creating a win-win situation for all stakeholders.
Over the last few years, technology integration has proved instrumental in elevating the efficiency and effectiveness of businesses cutting across product categories and service domains. The healthcare sector too has got its share of benefits with new-age technologies revolutionising both functional procedures and operational mechanisms of the industry. In fact, buoyed by this considerable improvement, technology integration has intensified in the healthcare sector and here's an account of how the adoption of technology is helping the industry to offer more holistic and inclusive services to the masses:
AI-Driven Personalised Solutions:
The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the healthcare industry is helping stakeholders in more ways than one. Using the smart algorithms of AI, patients can connect to physicians with desired experience and access personalised solutions best suited to their existing health conditions. The AI technology can also be used to offer personalised diet plans to clients based on their fitness goals, lifestyle requirements, and nutrition needs. Further, AI algorithms coupled with psychological techniques can significantly improve the mental health of patients by suggesting personalised meditation techniques, conversational therapies, and mood swing management methods among others.
Cloud-based Digital Records: Thanks to technology integration, the healthcare sector today is capable of collecting, collating, and analysing the entire data and records of patients electronically. Further, the digital storage of the data in the cloud paves the way for its enhanced visibility, making it easily accessible by doctors, patients, and pharmacies among others. While doctors can go through the complete history of patients to effectively prescribe the medication, the data can also be used by dieticians, psychologists, and fitness trainers to offer holistic solutions to their clients’ needs. In short, cloud-based health records are giving a fillip to healthcare services by enhancing both visibility and accessibility of information.
Electronic Prescriptions (e-Rx): The adoption rate of e-Rx has surprised even the industry veterans as this digital method of prescription is fast finding favour in the healthcare sector. Some of the crucial benefits offered by e-Rx include its digital nature, forgery-proof capabilities, accessibility ease, and time-saving potential. Rather than giving a handwritten prescription, doctors can generate e-Rx digitally which is then automatically shared with patients, hospitals, and pharmacies for delivery of a smooth and seamless customer experience. Further, organizations offering fitness, psychological, and mental health services can use e-Rx to share diet plans, workout regimes, yoga schedules, meditation classes, and other allied services with their clients.
Virtual reality (VR) and Augmented reality (AR): Using the powerful combination of VR and AR, the healthcare industry is taking its potential to a different level altogether, by offering a safe and risk-free training environment to doctors and surgeons. AR and VR can create digital twins of procedures, equipment, and patients to allow trainees to hone their skills in a virtual environment. Further, the immersive training in a 3D virtual environment helps psychologists and psychiatrists in studying complex neural patterns, understanding brain impulses, and evaluating behavioural patterns to treat various mental disorders and illnesses.
Adaptive Data Analytics (ADA): The potential of data analytics is well tapped into by the healthcare industry and now, by adding adaptive capabilities, the utility of the technique has become even more beneficial than before. ADA is leading new-age research in the healthcare industry and by extending the capability of quickly adapting data and analysis procedures, this technique is emerging as a game changer for all stakeholders. From new product development to scanning existing solutions and from enhancing systemic efficiencies to resolving functional hurdles, ADA is improving each and every crucial parameter of performance in the healthcare sector. For example, the comprehensive data analysis of patients can help in early diagnosis of critical illnesses and prevent further damage to save precious lives. Similarly, ADA can be used by fitness service providers and psychologists to comprehensively study, understand, and analyse the requirements of clients on a continuous basis and then offer the right solutions for delivering maximum benefits and better customer experiences.
The future of the healthcare industry will be driven by technology integration. The new-age inventions are likely to dominate the future scenario and by offering personalised and customised solutions in a convenient and cost-effective manner, these technologies will redefine the fortunes of the entire healthcare segment.
— The author, Sahil Bansal, is co-founder and CEO of Fitelo, a health and fitness-focused online platform.
