8 Ways Digital Transformation Has Changed Healthcare in 2021

The healthcare industry was always on a path to digital transformation, but the speed of such a change is well beyond anyone could have predicted. With the COVID-19 ravaging the world, it became inevitable that every wake of life, especially healthcare, will rush to evolve fast and adopt the change. Now, the healthcare industry has seen such drastic shifts that it is barely recognizable anymore from the pre-covid era. E-health services, like health2delivery, have made visiting the local hospital for every minor condition obsolete.

Introduction and large-scale adoption of e-health have ensured sustainable growth and amazing patient care. These are some of the ways e-health has changed the healthcare landscape in 2021;

1. Telehealth

Telehealth refers to dispensing of medical services via IT. Telehealth is not a new idea–it has been around for more than a decade. However, the covid surge finally skyrocketed telehealth from a fringe into the centre stage of healthcare.

People use telehealth to access healthcare and connect with their doctors right at home. Remote consultations will have become very popular in 2021. People are starting to see that going to a doctor for every small issue is tedious. Instead, it is much better to consult the doctor via digital tech and follow the instructions to get healthy. This is a service majority of clinics or hospitals have already integrated in 2021.

2. VR and AR

Virtual and Augmented Realities have significantly enhanced the quality of healthcare in 2021. These technologies are exceedingly helpful in treating a wide range of conditions, like PTSD, anxiety, motor deficiencies, chronic pain, etc.

AR and VR play a significant role in improving a doctor-patient relationship. These technologies eliminate the need for medications in a number of conditions. They also provide real-time access to patient information. AR and VR both are also great technologies for compliance training of healthcare staff. This niche is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years.

3. AI Integration

AI has become an integral part of healthcare in 2021. Medical specialists, programmers and engineers are working hard to improve its capability every day. Last year, researchers used AI predictive algorithms to predict COVID-19 cases accurately. They also discovered the likelihood a patient has of developing severe symptoms.

AI represents the future where precision medication will become extremely common. In addition to that, AI can help in radiology, drug discovery, genomics, running simulations and much more. Therefore, the healthcare industry will see the utility of AI increasing as time passes.

4. The Internet of Medical Things

IoMT is a connected network of medical devices, applications, wearables and instruments. There is an ever-increasing need to collect, examine and transmit health data from far away. Internet of Medical Things is the medium with which healthcare professionals dispense Telehealth services to their patients. IoMT helps monitor a patient’s condition at any time and any place, under a number of external stimuli and variables. The data collected under such conditions is very helpful in streamlining the whole clinical process. IoMT is an incredible tool whose importance has exceeded expectations in 2021 and will continue to do in the future.

5. Cybersecurity

Having a secure online environment is critical for any medical business wanting to keep its electronic data safe from hackers. Unfortunately, some unscrupulous people do not take a day off from their criminal activities, even when the world is in a state of emergency. In fact, they regard these times of crisis as perfect to launch phishing or ransomware attacks. As a result, the investments in development for cybersecurity measures has picked up by leaps and bounds in 2021. This trend will also continue to flourish in the future.

6. Data Management

Healthcare systems generate an enormous amount of data every day, including medical conditions, tests, evaluations, recommendations, medications, medical procedures, invoices and reports. Even today, many hospitals manage or generate this data manually. However, digitization has made it very easy to integrate the data and manage it electronically. It streamlines the whole healthcare process, increasing efficiency by many degrees.

Digital data management has become essential for all major hospitals and healthcare providers. It frees up a significant part of their workforce from performing menial tasks. Instead of tracking old paper files, the doctors can now access a patient’s complete records and current condition with a click of a button. Creating a proper electronic databank and management system will continue to gain popularity in 2021.

7. Faster Response Time

The doctors can communicate through a digital connection across private or public social channels. It allows them to respond to any patient’s queries about certain medical conditions or illnesses very fast. Patients can seek a social media platform and post their queries online instead of seeking a private audience with an expensive doctor. This kind of arrangement is a huge confidence booster for patients that cannot seek expensive medical care. Proper medical advice from an expert can mean a lot to someone caught in a dire situation.

8. Improved Internal Communication

Rapid tech advancements have allowed better and more efficient communication within the healthcare sphere. Now medical professionals can interact with each other, their staff or students to share their discoveries, ask queries or spread medical knowledge without hassle. In addition, they can use videos, VR tech, online discussion forums, the internet of medical things, and more to raise their standard of care.

Last Word

At the moment, many healthcare service providers are stepping up in their efforts to digitize. It will help them reduce costs, make operations more efficient and make patients happier. Transforming a healthcare provider with digital solutions is a necessity in 2021 and beyond.