Can These New Healthcare Technologies Make a Difference This Year?
Technology isn’t done with us yet. Especially in healthcare, where the number of tech innovations continues to increase. The healthcare field has had a particularly rough time of late; the COVID pandemic caused massive disruption in this industry. Could new healthcare technologies make a difference in helping healthcare providers overcome this latest round of challenges?
What Healthcare Technologies Should You Put On Your Radar This Year?
Healthcare Trends Affecting Technology Design
One of the consumer trends just hitting healthcare is the desire for convenience. Across other industries, new technologies are evolving for all consumers to shop when and where they want. In healthcare, 73% of patients say they would switch to a provider that has an online portal for scheduling or to access test results.
Another trend is telemedicine. Since COVID, most healthcare professionals moved to offer their services over a video link. The data shows that the use of video conferencing for healthcare visits increased 38 times over pre-COVID levels—and that the option of using telemedicine is now here to stay.
Consumers are also increasingly interested in personalized care. They expect their shopping experience to be Amazon-like, with an emphasis on providing services or products designed for their personal preferences. Increasingly, our patients are also expecting this kind of focused attention.
How is healthcare technology stepping up to the plate to handle these changes in how our customers (or patients) behave?
Digital Technologies for a Changing Healthcare Field
Today, many healthcare organizations are responding to the patient’s need for immediacy and personalization with software called a “digital front door,” or DFD. These tools allow patients to check in online as they arrive instead of waiting on a human receptionist to physically check them in. From these online hubs, patients can reschedule appointments, look at test results, and make a payment. The benefits for healthcare providers are greater efficiencies for staff as well as a higher level of patient satisfaction.
On the telemedicine front, the virtual visit allows clinicians to see more patients, more quickly, which has a positive impact on their bottom line. During COVID, telemedicine allowed doctors to treat patients without forcing them into a crowded waiting room where the disease can spread. Telemedicine tools can work similarly during cold and flu season, which will help keep these bugs from spreading. But it is the convenience of being able to dial up a doctor from your couch that will ensure telemedicine usage will continue to grow long past COVID.
The next innovation that will help healthcare providers improve care personalization is called predictive analytics. Predictive analytics is a series of software algorithms that captures data in new ways, looks for trends, and then makes predictions based on past behaviors. It is the latest sophisticated digital tool that will make a huge impact on the healthcare field. Imagine future healthcare visits to talk about your current ailment, but also to suggest a preventative routine to help ward off a disease that the computer predicts may be in your future. This isn’t science fiction, but instead the newest technologies that will make a big difference for healthcare providers in the future.
Is Your Organization Keeping Up to Date On New Healthcare Technologies?
The Custom Group of Companies works closely with our healthcare partners to find them the kind of administrative and clinical talent they need when they need it the most. Call on us to find out how we can help your time to hire.
