“Necessity is the mother of all inventions” – proved true in the healthcare industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the virus spread rapidly in early 2020, healthcare providers and facilities were forced to adapt quickly to the surge of patients.
Healthcare providers turned to digital solutions to handle the surge of patients and reduce in-person contact. This sparked trends such as shifting consumer preferences, evolving technologies, new talent models, and clinical innovation. These trends have transformed the healthcare industry and paved the way for a more digital future.
Undoubtedly “digital transformation” has become a popular buzzword in healthcare. But many still ask, “What does digital transformation mean?”
What Does “Digital Transformation” In The Healthcare Industry Mean?
Digital transformation in healthcare means leveraging technology to improve the patient experience, streamline operations, and offer affordable care.
Several technological advancements have paved the way for digitalization in the healthcare industry. This includes electronic health records, online appointments, and telemedicine. These digital tools have changed how patients communicate with healthcare providers, leading to better decision-making.
What Is An Example Of Digital Transformation In The Health Industry
Here are some digital transformations that have significantly changed the healthcare landscape.
1. Telemedicine
Telemedicine provides convenient, cost-effective, and satisfactory health care. Patients can get remote consultations from doctors and receive essential health education. They can even have their vital signs monitored from the comfort of their homes!
The pandemic has only accelerated its adoption, with doctors seeing up to 175 times more patients using telehealth than before. And it’s no surprise that 60% of physicians find telehealth easy to use and that 68% want to incorporate it more into their practice.
2. Patient Portals
Online patient portals provide secure 24/7 access to personal health information. By using this, patients can:
- Track their visits
- Track their test results
- Access the prescriptions
- And even communicate with their medical professionals.
It improves digital communication between care providers and patients, essential for treatment. Moreover, according to a survey, 82% consider patient portals one of their primary technologies for engaging patients.
3. Wearable Health Devices
People are increasingly becoming self-conscious. As a result, they’re always looking for more convenient and effective ways to stay on top of their well-being.
That’s why wearable healthcare devices have become so popular, with the market expected to grow 3.8 times by 2032. These devices are people’s personalized health clinics, helping them monitor their health 24/7 with the help of mobile apps. Some of these wearable devices are:
- Heart rate trackers
- Exercise & fit
- Sweat meters a
- Oximeters
FitBit’s Health Solutions Partnership Program is a perfect example. It shows how medical brands and organizations are teaming up with wearable suppliers to offer consumers and patients a way to track their health metrics.
4. Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality
From startups to pharma giants, everyone is betting on VR, and there are numbers to back them up. The global AR and VR market is expected to reach $9.1 billion by 2028.
AR help doctors and medical professionals to view patient data in 3D models. Whereas VR helps simulate different environments. For instance, medical schools use VR. They use it to provide students with a more immersive and hands-on learning experience of human anatomy.
One exciting example of AR technology in healthcare comes from an Illinois-based MedTech firm, Augmedics. They’ve developed an AR surgical guidance system that allows surgeons to see patients’ anatomy as if they have x-ray vision. This technology helps eliminate surgeon distractions and reduces their exposure to x-ray radiation, ultimately improving patient outcomes.
Impact of Digital Transformation In the Healthcare Industry
The digital transformation of healthcare has made it easier and more convenient for patients to communicate with their healthcare providers.
Digital tools like SMS and instant alerts have replaced traditional mail reminders, saving patients time and hassle. In addition, telehealth has made it possible for patients in remote areas to receive quality medical attention during emergencies. For example, it allows psychiatrists to counsel patients remotely who cannot visit the clinic.
Additionally, digital communication educates and trains healthcare workers in remote locations. This results in improving healthcare accessibility and efficiency.
The Way Forward
The healthcare industry’s digital transformation is gaining momentum, with global spending exceeding $1.3 trillion. This is driving a yearly growth rate of 10.4%.
Furthermore, the ongoing transformation in the industry presents tremendous opportunities for health systems. They can tap into the innovation market and funding by forming strategic partnerships.
By doing so, they can create entirely new sources of revenue through new products and service enablement. This will benefit health systems, patients, and healthcare professionals by bringing about greater convenience, efficiency, and better quality of care.
As innovation in the healthcare industry continues to accelerate, we can look forward to a healthcare system that’s accessible to everyone.