How technology is advancing the healthcare system

From bionic arms to VR simulations of surgery, technology has significantly changed the healthcare industry in recent years.

Technology has improved industries across the world, from manufacturing to marketing.

Technology has improved industries across the world, from manufacturing to marketing. Though the healthcare industry has struggled more than most to adapt to the digital world, it’s finally coming on in leaps and bounds.

Healthcare organisations across the world are now using technological advancements their advantage, and some are very surprising.

Data analytics

Data analytics have been around for a while, but it’s only recently that the healthcare industry has started using them to their full potential. Using technology which can process big data, medical organisations have been able to study things like clinical trials, drug development, population, diet, etc.

With the information that data analytics provide, professionals can draw helpful conclusions on patterns, correlations or where their operations could improve. This is all invaluable when it comes to improving patient care.

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence is helping healthcare organisations in a whole manner of ways. For starters, AI is being used to decipher the human genome, granting medical professionals a greater understanding of genetics.

It’s also being applied to bionic limbs, so people who have lost an appendage can be fitted with a prosthetic that responds to their brain signals. AI is helping to automate certain medical processes, too, removing the need for manual labour on redundant tasks.

Looking to the future, artificial intelligence is going to become increasingly vital in global healthcare. As such, venture philanthropists like Tej Kohli predict that the AI industry is going to be worth $150 trillion in five years.

Virtual and augmented reality

Virtual reality and augmented reality (AR) are two burgeoning forms of technology which are looking to revolutionise the healthcare industry. Virtual reality is when someone is immersed in a simulation with high-quality graphics that replicate the real world.

Scientists are looking to apply VR to medical training, reducing the costs and risks that would normally be involved. For instance, trainee surgeons could be entered into a hyper-realistic simulation of a surgery.

Augmented reality, on the other hand, is where computer-generated visuals are imposed on the real-world environment. Doctors are hoping to use AR to superimpose models of a patient’s anatomy onto the patient, improving their surgical accuracy.

Health trackers

Health trackers have become incredibly popular in recent years and now the medical industry is looking to use them for their own purposes. For example, a reliable wearable device could make it easier for doctors conducting clinical trials to monitor their patient’s vitals.

As a result, patients involved in the trials wouldn’t have to visit the hospital every day, which is normally a massive downside of participating. Health trackers are also incredibly useful for tracking diet and fitness levels, so doctors might prescribe them to their patients.