With advancements in digital healthcare technologies such as AI, 3D printing, VR/AR, nanotechnology, and robotics, the future of medicine is taking shape right before our eyes. We must become acquainted with the most recent inventions to manage technological control, not the other way around.
The future of medicine lies in collaborating with technology and clinicians to embrace changes in the healthcare world, allowing us to remain relevant for years to come.
Are you concerned that robots and artificial intelligence will take away the work of doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals? You may be worried that AI will take over the world in a few years.
Nobody can stop technology from progressing. At some point, the power of digital technologies will change every aspect of our lives. As a result, we must keep our minds open to the possibility of technology altering the world as we know it.
Humanity and technology work together to improve healthcare
Many people believe that technology is the only way forward. They believe we can only benefit and improve our lives if we embrace technological advances and remain at the forefront. If we follow the rule of “two steps ahead of it,” the partnership between technology and humans could reap enormous benefits.
Digital technology in healthcare and medicine has the potential to transform ineffective healthcare systems into effective ones, provide cheaper, faster, and more effective disease solutions (such as Ebola or AIDS), and equalize the relationship between professionals and medical patients. Technology has the potential to help us live healthier lives in healthier communities.
The adage “everyone must be the master of his own house” is widely used. It is critical to begin the future by improving our health through these technologies and changing our mindset about health in general, healthcare, and medicine. So, how does it work in practice? This article will look at various ways medical technology shapes healthcare.
1. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a strong tool that has the potential to transform healthcare completely. AI algorithms that mine medical records can generate medications faster than any existing doctor and even determine malignant and noncancerous tissue samples.
Atomwise mines a database of molecular structures for therapies using supercomputers. In 2015, the business began a virtual search for current, safe drugs that may be reengineered to treat the Ebola virus. The company’s AI algorithm discovered two medications that were projected to lessen Ebola infectivity.
2. Virtual Reality (VR)
Virtual reality (VR) is transforming the lives of both physicians and patients. In the future, you could travel to Spain or back home while in a hospital bed or watch operations as if you were the surgeon!
VR is used in various situations, including training future surgeons and allowing qualified surgeons to practice operations. Companies such as Osso VR and ImmersiveTouch are developing these software programs, and the results are promising. According to a recent study, virtual reality-trained surgeons outperformed their traditionally trained colleagues by 230%.
3. Health-tracking devices, wearables, and sensors
Empowering patients and individuals involves taking better care of their health with the use of technology such as wearables, health trackers, and sensors, which are intimately tied to the future of healthcare and medicine. These are fantastic devices that help us learn more about our health and gain more control over our lives.
Devices such as the Fitbit Ionic, which monitors sleep and tracks workouts, the Polar H10, which can fine-tune a workout routine, and the Muse headband, which aids in meditation, are available. There are numerous health trackers and apps available today.
4. Augmented Reality
Unlike VR, Augmented Reality (AR) allows users to maintain contact with reality while receiving information as quickly as possible. Because of these distinguishing features, both on the receivers’ and medical providers’ sides, augmented reality is becoming a driving force in the future of healthcare.
For medical professionals, it could help medical students better prepare for real-world operations while allowing current surgeons to improve their skills. Students use the HoloAnatomy app on the Microsoft HoloLens to learn about anatomy. Medical students now have access to accurate and detailed, albeit digital, representations of human anatomy, allowing them to study without using actual humans.
5. Medical tricorder
Every healthcare professional wishes for a single, all-powerful, and supreme device. It should be capable of analyzing and diagnosing all diseases.
With the rapid advancement of healthcare technologies, we now live in a world where such devices exist. For example, the palm-sized Viatom CheckMe Pro can monitor heart rate, temperature, blood pressure, ECG, oxygen saturation, and other indicators. Other companies are also working on similar devices, such as MedWand, which includes a camera for telemedicine and all of the measurement capabilities.
Another FDA-approved gadget is the BioSticker from BioIntelliSense, which can measure various factors such as heart rate, skin temperature, activity levels, breathing rate, body position, sleep state, and so on.
6. Nanotechnology
Shortly, we may see nanoparticles and nanodevices used as precise drug delivery systems, tiny surgeons, or cancer treatment tools. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute discovered miniature scallop-shaped microbots that swim through physiological fluids in 2014. These smart tablets, such as PillCam, are being employed in a patient-friendly manner for noninvasive colon inspections.
In late 2018, MIT researchers developed a wirelessly controlled electronic pill that can relay analysis information or release drugs in response to smartphone orders. In the form of smart patches, nanotechnology is becoming a bigger player in the market.
Patient Care in the Future
Patient care is a journey that will never end. Numerous technologies, including those on this list, are already changing the face of the field and the entire healthcare industry, ranging from telehealth to electronic health records to automated pumps and beyond.
As technology becomes more important in patient care, technology professionals and healthcare providers must work together to find the best, most innovative, and most effective solutions to revolutionize the field and improve patient experiences.
