4 Trends in Healthcare Technology Addressing the Greatest Challenges

As of 2023, several trends in healthcare technology have risen to the forefront. The industry has seen everything, from the sudden popularity of artificial intelligence to the implementation of new forms of technology to communicate with patients.

Doctors and healthcare organizations are scrambling to keep up with these changes, which is challenging. But the right healthcare IT consultant can streamline the process of implementing technologies like the following.

Implementing Telemedicine and Remote Care: Patient Access to Treatment

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many healthcare providers have implemented telemedicine to communicate better with isolated patients. Remote care has only grown in popularity. A healthcare IT consultant can work with healthcare providers to set up secure software for various services that improve service and patient care.

Zocdoc enables patients to find and book doctors for medical appointments online. It has provided this online booking service since 2007 for in-person appointments and included doctors offering telemedicine during pandemic shutdowns.

Even Amazon has recently gotten into the telehealth game with its online service, Amazon Clinic. Patients can fill out a few questions and send photographs to clinicians participating in the program. It's possible to receive a diagnosis for about twenty conditions. Patients can even get prescriptions for medications.

If your facility or clinic is considering implementing any form of telemedicine, from teleneuropsychology to telerehabilitation, you'll need software integration with your existing systems. A healthcare consultant can also handle this task and develop a process for providing this technology to your patients.

Healthcare IT consultants help clinicians overcome telemedicine barriers like:

• Data encryption to protect patient privacy
• Patient compliance and responsiveness
• Secure record-keeping and database management

Using AI in Analysis and Diagnosis: Integrating IT

One of the biggest trends in healthcare technology in 2023 is artificial intelligence. This technology offers healthcare providers a supplemental diagnostic and monitoring tool. While still in its infancy, AI-based software may be implemented in limited ways by healthcare consultants to streamline work for doctors and staff.

Certain software can observe patient behavior and report changes to staff members in hospitals and nursing homes. For instance, the care.ai platform is tackling the challenge of monitoring many patients in understaffed facilities through artificial intelligence. The system works with hardware, such as sensors and camera systems, to track patient and staff movements, detect when patients are at risk of falling, and even analyze gathered data to improve performance.

Installing these types of systems in your facility is much easier when working with a healthcare IT consulting agency. These organizations have hardware experts who can plan where to place sensors and install cameras in rooms. These professionals also train staff to best utilize AI systems.

What else can AI do?

• AI can be useful for organizing large databases of vital information and automatically displaying it to clinicians before they ask.
• Doctors can use AI as a kind of “second opinion” when diagnosing medical conditions.
• It can predict patient behavior, such as the potential for appointment no-shows.
• Patients can interact with AI-based software/hardware, such as ElliQ, at home for improved mental, emotional, and physical wellness.

Implementing Wearable Technology: Improved Diagnostics and Patient Monitoring

Much like a smartwatch can monitor heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and even sleep patterns, modern medical wearables can track critical patient information. Many hospitals and residential care facilities are increasing the implementation of these devices as part of their patient monitoring process.

Healthcare IT consultants can help their clients source this technology and develop tailored software to integrate it with pre-existing hospital systems. The process can include upgrading legacy systems and hardware with computers and servers capable of processing the data gathered by wearable technology.

These can all be managed by third-party consultants who assess your facilities or clinic, determine what is needed for your new system, and build an itemized cost list for you, in addition to installing the technology and training your staff to use it.

Other things to remember about wearable devices:

• Recognizable wearables include smartwatches, wristbands, hearing aids, and bio patches, like the FreeStyle Libre.
• Wearables are frequently paired with other healthcare technology, like AI software.
• Certain wearables contain RFID chips that track patient movements in a facility.
• Data from wearables can automatically be uploaded to patient files and sent to doctors.
• Alerts can also be set up for hazardous conditions, such as a rapid heart rate or a sudden change in position, indicating a fall.

Creating Online Patient Portals: Accessibility to Records and Data

Healthcare providers have been improving patient access to records and other vital information through patient portals for several years now, and it remains one of the prominent trends in healthcare technology.

Security is of the utmost importance when making patient information available online. Healthcare IT consultants can help your facility set up a secure patient portal. This online website is accessible with a secure link sent to the patient's email or text. It can also be set up with a password that patients must enter to access their medical information.

These portals require ongoing maintenance and monitoring that is provided by a healthcare IT consultant. Alternatively, the outside agency can provide the necessary training to existing IT staff.

Patient portals increase the efficiency of care and help create more informed patients in multiple ways:

• Provide real-time access to test results and diagnostics for patients.
• Enable patients to make medical appointments online.
• Set up chat messaging or online contact forms for patient questions.

Take Advantage of the Latest Trends in Healthcare Technology

Medical care is changing rapidly in many ways, from diagnosis and treatment to improvements in patient access to information. Help your staff stay current with these trends in healthcare technology by inviting healthcare IT consultants into the fold. These experts can work with you to develop a plan for implementing technology and making the best use of it going forward.

Here at OtterSoft, we help healthcare technology providers drive innovation and integrate smoothly with legacy systems to keep things in motion, address the challenges of healthcare innovation, and seamlessly sync information. To see how we can help you overcome the challenges of healthcare innovation, contact us today!