Social distancing and remote working have paved the way for technology-enabled healthcare during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and it’s evolving at a lightning speed. Telemedicine, artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled medical devices, and blockchain electronic health records are just a few concrete examples of digital transformation in healthcare. There is a sudden focus on advanced research in medicine, environmental health, self-care, and vaccine as we are tackling the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
India’s healthcare market is growing with the national health spending projected to reach 2.5% of its GDP by 2025. Thanks to technology and the coronavirus pandemic, patients get better treatment with virtual reality tools, wearable medical devices, telehealth, and 5G mobile technology. Doctors, on the other hand, can streamline their workflow using AI-powered systems. Here’s a better look at the state of digital transformation in healthcare in 2021:
THE RISE OF ON-DEMAND HEALTHCARE
As the healthcare industry has entered into the times of digital innovation, patients will be looking for on-demand healthcare owing to their busy schedules and social distancing norms which are going to stay for a longer period even if the coronavirus pandemic subsides. The healthcare industry is leaving no stone unturned to improve the delivery of its services by providing instant access to healthcare issues. Though on-demand healthcare is emerging as a feasible option we have to introduce more technological advancements to go a long way. On-demand healthcare technology can be more useful in other healthcare services like imaging and diagnostics, tracking mental health challenges, developing nutritional foods and supplements, and delivering personalised health plans to consumers.
TREATING PATIENTS WITH VIRTUAL REALITY
If somebody would have said 10 years ago that the intensity of the pain can be lowered with the help of a device that looks similar to a video game, the person would have bagged many blank stares. Virtual Reality (VR), a simulated experience that can be similar to the real world, is a major breakthrough in the space of digital healthcare. Its applications are profoundly changing the way patients are being treated. VR is a safer and more efficient alternative to drugs. This technology is being widely used these days not only to treat pain but everything from anxiety to post-traumatic stress disorder and stroke.
THE WONDERS OF AI
AI is way beyond digital transformation in healthcare. AI represents the epitome of medical innovation, and industry players are eager to invest millions in it. The healthcare AI-powered tools market is expected to exceed USD 34 billion by 2025 which means this technology will shape almost all facets of the industry and AI-based technology that patients are becoming familiar with. But the real power of AI can be best observed in areas such as precision medicine, medical imaging, drug discovery, and genomics. For instance, kidney patients used to receive age-old treatments with high failure rates but now, thanks to AI’s sophisticated pattern recognition, these patients have access to personalised therapies tailored to their genetic makeup and lifestyle.
HEALTH CHATBOT
The cancellation of many healthcare facilities during the initial phases of the lockdown has resulted in the emergence of health chatbots. People have started using them to get a solution to their Covid-related queries, concerns, and mental stress. It has been seen that health-related queries have increased threefold during the ongoing pandemic. Many mental health chatbots have emerged as people have been going through depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. Chatbots can fill a multitude of roles from customer service representatives to diagnostic tools and therapists.
The writer is founder & director, Ujala Cygnus Group of Hospitals.