It’s no surprise that a lot of resources are being pooled in to bring out a better version of existing technology. The role of technology is to make our lives better in multiple dimensions. In that context, the incorporation of technology in the healthcare industry is quite inevitable. It is obvious that one of the noble industries in this world will not be left out in this race of evolution where technology acts as a catalyst. So what kind of technology are we looking at? Are we talking just about the doctor’s lounge or are we considering the whole industry, ranging from patient care to back-end processes to real sci-fi innovations? Well, it’s a bit of both…

Why is Technological Intervention in the Healthcare Industry Important?

One can answer this question in two ways- the sociological aspect and the scientific aspect.

• Sociological Aspect

When we address this question from a sociological point of view, we have to keep in mind that quality of life is still the number one goal of an average human. When push comes to shove, people choose survival and longevity over any other means of wealth. In this era of globalization, the rapid pace at which the human standards of living in every aspect are increasing should be accompanied by the parallel development of the healthcare sector. Though healthcare has transformed into a legitimate business and has more potential in the market, it is to be understood that it is still the closest thing that exists to the abstract of god.

It’s true that industrialization and globalization could have brought in significant changes in human lives like better infrastructure, accurate predictability of threats, increase in employment, bringing the sense of ‘oneness’ to the world, etc. but the reduction of factors like human life expectancy, quality of life, leading a disease-free life, and providing equal chances to the differently-abled would simply topple the empire we built all these years.

• Scientific Aspect

Taking a scientific route to answer this question, there is an ‘innovation vacuum’ that has been created in this healthcare industry. Though medical treatments have been there since the dawn of man, the documentation of medical phenomena and a strict journal of research in this field is something that’s new to the modern human. The beginning of colonization and industrialization has led to the amalgamation of medical practices all around the world and developed a society of medical practices in the world.

Emerging technologies in the healthcare industry have made the accuracy of the treatment possible. The precision and the proof of these medical practices and phenomena have eradicated many deadly diseases that have once tormented humanity. Vaccination, one of the biggest defenses for humanity is a product of years of emerging technologies in the healthcare industry. Humanity could take deadly blows against severe diseases like COVID-19 is possible only through technological advancements in the healthcare industry. At the exponential rate at which medical innovations are happening, a world free of disease is not fiction anymore.

Read Also – Healthcare Software Development: Ways Technology is changing Medical Sphere

Top Technologies Used in the Healthcare Industry

In theory, the healthcare sector is something that has to be a 100% customer-centric industry. It has both the dimensions of business as well as service to it. This increases the scope for the implementation of emerging technologies in the healthcare industry.

The predominant technologies that are being used can be compressed into five parts.

1. Online medical assistance
2. Bionics
3. Virtual assistance
4. Data storage
5. Robotics

1. Online Medical Assistance

The Internet has changed the service sector forever, no doubt in that. But using the powers of the internet in the healthcare industry drastically changes the game. Software development is at its pinnacle and this led to healthcare app development. These kinds of innovations lead to the distribution of information that is being concentrated at a single point. This decentralization of information and knowledge has led to better healthcare transfer overall.

Using healthcare applications, we could connect with any medical professional in the world. Healthcare app development has enabled people to cross the country’s boundaries virtually and get consultations from the pioneers of the industry. In remote places where there is a lack of infrastructure, virtual medical assistance could be a game-changer. Moreover, the culmination of medical expertise in a single mobile or web application is easy for people to access. The care is just a click away!

2. Bionics

Bionics is one of the most important emerging technologies in the healthcare industry. The intersection point of engineering and biology has paved way for the optimizing the lifestyle of differently-abled people. This doesn’t just help the differently-abled people, but also those who have undergone surgical amputation of limbs due to various reasons. Previously, the prosthesis has always needed drastic improvement. They lacked functionality and always made people feel conscious about it. This is not the case with bionics. The combined efforts of technology and medical science created artificial limbs that are aesthetic yet functional. One can use it to grip, hold, wave, move, point, and pretty much everything that a biological hand does. The material is also lightweight, durable and the best part is, it can be charged separately and a single charge will last much longer.

Read Also – The Future of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

 3. Virtual Assistance

This is a great use of technology as this feature is used by both existing professionals to diagnose and operate and as a practice for the learning doctors. Using virtual reality, one could map out and create the entire body or a part of the body with intense details. This serves as a test subject or a practice ground where one can better understand the underlying conditions of a patient. Even though this is still at a beginner level, this provides larger scope for healthcare app development. One could simply scan a part of their body and feed it to the app which will allow it to construct the features virtually. As this comes to play in recent years, it will revolutionize the healthcare industry in a major way.

4. Data Storage

One of the biggest hurdles in providing effective healthcare services to the masses is the documentation process. The medical records of a patient are the bible of a doctor. Due to human error and miscommunication between various departments, the medical history of the patients is often incorrect. These data should again be stored efficiently to keep the work going. The Internet has been the biggest help in the creation and storage of this data. The usage of cloud technology in maintaining these records has turned a complex process into a simpler one. Transfer of these records could be done with a click. Even better, one could upload this data to their organization or workplace or in a common portal which will come in handy in case of an emergency.

The most important reason for the documentation of medical records is to gather and analyze data of a particular society or a country that can help in devising strategies to overcome this hurdle. Processes like vaccination that are crucial for a country’s survival can be easily achieved if there is strict documentation that is also easy to access.

Read Also – How Healthcare Industries can Leverage Big Data Analytics?

5. Robotics

Though the word may sound fancier, the real-life implications of robotics in the medical field have proven to be helpful. Using a high level of machinery that can monitor a patient’s body or using robotics to perform surgery, to create body parts using 3D technology, robotics is gradually expanding itself into the medical field. 3D printing of body parts using biologically sustainable materials is a reality now. These works could save countless lives every day.

Apart from the purely technical aspects of robotics, it can be used in place of other departments in healthcare systems. Nursing, staffing, personal assistance, etc. could be achieved by robotics that can help the healthcare system to focus the manpower on areas where it is more needed.

Summing Up…

The Healthcare industry is being molded to its finest form ever since the latest technologies came into the picture. The change that is going to happen in the industry is nothing short of a revolution. There are many Healthcare App Development Companies entering the field. These emerging technologies in the healthcare industry will not just improve the finesse of the industry but will lead to an exponential increase in access to medical care by common people.