TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES AND THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO PATIENT-CENTRIC HEALTHCARE.
World over scientists have really found a very hard time trying to keep up with the rising scales of chronic diseases and pandemics. Much of the technologies today that are used in the health sector are manual and a bit tedious, therefore posing serious challenges to data collection, analysis, predictions, diagnosis, and many clinical processes.
- AI & Machine learning.
The adoption of AI and Machine learning in the health sector would cut down the risks associated with uninformed diagnosis of patients since effective healthcare starts with precise accurate diagnosis of patients.
In recent research, an AI model trained to find metastasized breast cancer tumors was able to detect 92.4% of the tumors, compared to the human pathologist average of 73.2%.
For example, in a study at Boston Children’s Hospital, a pathologist’s analysis of a brain tumor can be done in less than three minutes with the help of an AI.
This has created opportunities for increased diagnosis accuracy, reduced bias-driven results, and standardized lab sample reviews in facilities where AI works hand in hand with the experts.
2. Robotics.
Robots have not only been used in the operating rooms but also in very many other areas of healthcare. During COVID19, hospitals began to use robots for a variety of tasks in order to reduce the exposure of nurses and doctors to pathogens as well as person-to-person contact, particularly inwards for infectious diseases.
Robots can prepare and clean patients’ rooms. Also, AI-enabled robots can easily identify, match and distribute drugs to patients in hospitals and generally do what a human doctor would do and thus enabling these healthcare professionals to provide more empathy in inpatient care.
3. Drone Technology.
Although this was originally for military use, innovators have figured out a way of harnessing this technology to tackle other crucial problems. One of the most profound solutions has been the use of drones for healthcare deliveries. This has momentously impacted the healthcare sector as it opened opportunities to expand healthcare services to hard-to-reach patients and potentially resolve the significant access-to-care issues plaguing modern-day healthcare
4. Wearable Technology.
Pint-sized, sensor-enabled wearables have made it credible for patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular complications, to monitor their vitals for example glucose and blood pressure levels respectively.
This offers quick results and tracking of a patient’s medical status and quick alerts for any adverse conditions.
On the other hand, wearable devices have enabled patients to easily transfer personal health information to health care professionals using wireless technology.
