Emerging Health Technology Trends to Keep an Eye on in 2022
In the rapidly evolving world of healthcare, technology plays a crucial role in shaping the future of patient care. Here are the top three trends that have significantly influenced investments and decision-making in 2022:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML): AI and ML technologies have emerged as primary drivers for improving diagnostics, personalized care, and automation of routine tasks. Their applications range from AI-based chatbots and diagnostic devices to clinical decision support, attracting investment due to their potential to enhance patient outcomes and reduce costs.
- Increasing Adoption of Digital Technologies: The adoption of Electronic Health Records (EHRs), telemedicine, and remote monitoring devices has improved care coordination, access, and early intervention. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of telemedicine, leading to sustained growth and investment in virtual care infrastructure.
- Big Data and Analytics: The use of big data analytics enables value-based, patient-centric care by predicting epidemics, improving quality of life, and preventing diseases. Analytics help leverage vast healthcare data to drive better clinical and operational decisions, making it a key trend for healthcare IT investments.
These trends have been dominant in shaping healthcare investments and strategic decisions, focusing on technology that improves care delivery, patient engagement, and operational efficiency. Emerging tech like digital twins and blockchain have also gained attention but are secondary compared to AI, digital tech adoption, and big data.
In the realm of healthcare IT, several innovative solutions are making a difference. Northwell Health, for instance, is assessing a predictive model of the patient experience that incorporates patients' feedback while they are still in the hospital, allowing staff to address concerns proactively.
To manage unique operating systems and patient privacy concerns in medical devices, Tenable's active and passive scanning modes prove invaluable. Tenable.sc provides automated scanning and reporting for easier identification and correction of potential problems, while solutions like Nora in Microsoft Teams offer a summarized view of the latest clinical data and alerts clinicians when test results, consult notes, or discharge orders are ready.
Healthcare organizations are also focusing on streamlining clinical communication and collaboration, bolstering cybersecurity, and improving data analytics and visualization for population health. For instance, University of Chicago Medicine created dashboards for COVID-19 reporting using Tableau for data visualization, and St. Elizabeth Healthcare is using Tenable.sc for risk-based vulnerability management.
As we move forward, healthcare organizations are adopting guiding principles that emphasize agility, collaboration, and ease of workload for both providers and IT staff. The American Hospital Association sees a growing focus on improving the consumer experience through digital access technologies.
In conclusion, the future of healthcare IT is promising, with a focus on technologies that empower clinicians, enhance patient care, and drive operational efficiency. As these trends continue to evolve, we can expect to see more innovative solutions that redefine the landscape of healthcare.
- The integration of AI and Machine Learning in health-and-wellness systems not only enhances diagnostics and personalized care but also automates routine tasks, contributing to the data-and-cloud-computing domain by reducing costs and improving patient outcomes.
- Big data analytics, a significant trend in healthcare IT, is leveraged to predict epidemics, improve quality of life, and prevent diseases, ultimately shaping care delivery, patient engagement, and operational efficiency.
