Digitization of healthcare is enabling new innovations

Healthcare is becoming increasingly digital, which means that more data is being stored in electronic health records and hospital information systems. In addition, health data is collected directly from wearable devices such as smartwatches, health monitors or blood glucose monitors.

Having all this data in digital form obviously allows it to be used in medical applications, but the data must be easily accessible, stored in a structured and organized way, and stored in a safe place to use. protect the privacy and confidentiality of the patient. When these conditions are met, new opportunities will open up to develop new medical devices and digital health applications to improve patient care. These are the five most important trends that are taking advantage of digitization in healthcare.

Telehealth

Telehealth, or telemedicine, makes it possible to provide immediate health care services to patients. For example, a patient can use a wearable medical device that monitors their physiological indicators, such as heart rate, and stores the data in the cloud for analysis. Another example would be surgery performed on a patient by a doctor using a robotically controlled surgery. 

Virtual doctor visits have grown in popularity due to the recent pandemic and, by some estimates, the use of telehealth services is now up to 38 times higher than before. The popularity of telehealth is not surprising because it brings many benefits to patients, such as convenience, fewer visits to the physical therapist, and health care for those with limited mobility. For hospitals and other healthcare providers, telehealth enables better infection control, higher quality healthcare services and cost savings. Also, it allows them to provide health services in rural and urban areas where health facilities are not available.

In silico medicine

In silico medicine uses computer models and simulations to design, test and validate medical devices. Instead of using humans or animals to test new treatments, medical researchers use well-designed populations to evaluate device performance and safety in different clinical settings. For example, ventilator design can be optimized using existing lung models to ensure safety and efficiency. 

Similarly, an insulin pump with glucose monitoring (ie, an artificial pancreas) can be effective using a virtual patient model with different blood glucose levels. In silico medicine thus helps companies to reduce R&D time and cost and, at the same time, to improve the quality, efficiency and safety of their products. The European Union and the FDA have recently recognized the importance of in silico medicine in their regulatory and regulatory framework. The digital twin

A digital twin in healthcare is a monitoring of patients or medical devices that combines historical research and/or maintenance data into a single knowledge base. As new data becomes available, such as when a patient goes to the hospital for a check-up or a medical device test, the corresponding digital twin is updated to accurately assess the current medical condition. 

This new data can be used in AI and simulation models to make predictions of future states and support decisions. The use of digital twins in healthcare allows patients to benefit from personalized medicine to determine the best treatment options and better manage chronic disease and overall health. For medical device manufacturers, digital twins enable better forecasting and product cycle management.

AI-based medical applications

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a key factor influencing many fields and disciplines, including health and medicine. The benefits of AI come from its ability to determine subtle patterns and features in medical data such as medical images, biomedical signals or medical records that would otherwise be invisible. This helps doctors diagnose and understand underlying medical conditions and make decisions about the best treatment options.

For example, AI models can be used to determine whether a thyroid nodule in an ultrasound image is benign or malignant, thereby reducing the need for unnecessary biopsies. Machine learning models can also be used to restore the sense of touch to paralyzed people by converting EEG signals using a brain-computer sensor with a haptic feedback loop. The FDA has already approved several AI-based medical devices for sale, which is just the beginning of many opportunities for AI to benefit health. Cloud and IoT

The cloud and the Internet of Things (IoT), combined with big data in health, offer new opportunities sometimes called Health 4.0. The cloud makes it possible to connect medical devices and collect important patient information 24 hours a day. 

The best examples of cloud-connected medical devices are wearables and smartwatches, which collect data on heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, sleep patterns, exercise and blood sugar. This data can be interpreted by an algorithm or by a doctor to detect any abnormality and decide the necessary actions.

The cloud also provides software-as-a-service (SaaS) in healthcare by providing unlimited and secure Internet access for electronic health records, PACS servers, and hospital information systems. The use of the cloud in healthcare may increase in the future due to its cost benefits, security, and scalability.

Technology is key to digital health

The more health data is available in digital form, the more opportunities there are to create new, innovative applications that improve health care and improve patient outcomes.

There are still obstacles that companies and healthcare providers need to overcome together, such as easy and secure access to health data and medical records without compromising patient privacy and confidentiality. With the help of the right software solutions and technical capabilities, companies can take advantage of these trends to create new medical devices and digital health applications.