Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), big data, Blockchain, Telemedicine, Virtual Reality (VR) are some of the recent trends in healthcare that are transforming the segment. So, what do these trends imply?
Technology has had a significant impact on healthcare, particularly in:
1. Making it more cost-effective and affordable
2. Making it transportable and bridging the diagnostic/treatment gap for patients (from wearables to portable medical devices)
3. Encouraging higher-quality diagnostics and treatments (increased efficiency of all medical devices and introduction of newer techniques)
4. On the leading edge of precision medicine (robotics)
5. Improving people’s quality of life
Telehealth & Telemedicine-Telehealth will help narrow the gap between rural and urban areas even further. One of the major advantages of telehealth over traditional methods is that it eliminates contact between patients, healthcare providers and other patients. The utilisation of telehealth resources has received a breakthrough due to the corona pandemic. Real-time consultations can be conducted in a variety of methods, including chat, video call, and audio call through a telemedicine. Family planning and preconception care can be delivered via telehealth for the patient’s convenience.
Electronic Health Record/Big Data– Telemedicine apps collect a lot of data, which are further used in electronic health record (EHR) technologies. This technology enables a programme to collect, evaluate, and convert a user’s health data into a readable format. Doctors can also use EHR technology to get more information about their patients’ health and make more accurate diagnoses. Furthermore, because cloud storage is more secure than paper records, electronic records avoid the loss of health data. ObGyn-Cloud and OB/GYN EHR are some applications for obstetricians.
Data Security– Data security is critical in the telemedicine industry since health data is constantly moving between patients and doctors. Data decentralisation reduces the likelihood of unauthorised changes to patient information. Using this technology, your application can prevent the theft of users’ health data.
Virtual Reality– It is already having an impact on healthcare in a variety of ways, from training doctors to helping people overcome phobias. Virtual Reality has three key applications in medicine: diagnoses, treatment and as an educational resource. Virtual reality represents a potential method for easing labor pain.
Robotic Surgery– It is a novel minimally invasive surgical approach in which the physician performs surgical procedures using a robotic device with attached instruments.Robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer, robotic-assisted surgery in endometrial cancer, robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery for endometriosisand robotic assisted myomectomy can be performed.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)– AI is capable of analysing and decoding data in considerably more sophisticated and distinct ways than the human mind, providing highly accurate data for efficient and precise diagnosis. Image-guided therapy, tailored data-driven preventive medicine, closed-loop drug administration, life-support systems, and robotic surgery are some of the other AI applications. With the help of AI, risk prediction conceptual model (RPCM) can be used for the prediction of preterm birth1, in CTGdata analysis in order to predict fetal outcomes and help decision making2, in predicting quality of blastocyst in in-vitro fertilization2, and genomics interpretation. A clinical decision scoringsystem has been developed using artificial neural network for women with cervical intraepithelialneoplasia (CIN)for prediction of CIN22.
Internet of Medical Things and Machine Learning (ML) – By intelligently connecting devices, systems, and objects used by billions of people around the world, IoMT has transformed the healthcare industry, allowing for more immediate, specific, and contextualised decisions. The healthcare business is evolving around the world into a more efficient, well-coordinated and user-centric system.
References:
1. Rakesh Raja, Indrajit Mukherjee, Bikash Kanti Sarkar, “A Machine Learning-Based Prediction Model for Preterm Birth in Rural India”, Journal of Healthcare Engineering, vol. 2021, Article ID 6665573, 11 pages, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/6665573
2. EMIN, E. I., EMIN, E., PAPALOIS, A., WILLMOTT, F., CLARKE, S., & SIDERIS, M. (2019). Artificial Intelligence in Obstetrics and Gynaecology: Is This the Way Forward? In Vivo, 33(5), 1547–1551. doi:10.21873/invivo.11635
3. Dyrda, J. D. A. L. (2020, December 28). 10 emerging trends in health IT for 2021. Becker’s Healthcare. https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/healthcare-information-technology/10-emerging-trends-in-health-it-for-2021.html
4.Shumov, N. (2021, July 7). Top 7 Healthcare Technology Trends in 2021 – Mind Studios. Blog – Mind Studios. https://themindstudios.com/blog/healthcare-technology-trends/
The writer is Professor and Head of Unit, Department of OBGY, Sion Hospital
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