Technological advances – such as the impact of technology in healthcare – have skyrocketed since COVID-19 became a household name. These advancements go beyond just utilizing apps and portals to better organize and track patient data. Modern society has finally entered the world of robotics bettering the health and lives of patients. More research is showing how technology can improve knowledge of practitioners and better the lives of those who walk into their offices or hospitals.
How Has Technology in Healthcare Changed?
When COVID-19 spiked in early 2020 and the first quarantine took place, the healthcare industry had to rethink how they treated patients and what they used for treatment. Though you may think AI and robotics were immediately implemented, that actually wasn’t the case. A GlobalData survey stated that investments in AI for the healthcare industry actually decreased in the middle of 2020. This was because focusing on drastically sick patients overflowing hospitals was top priority.
However, a dramatic change occurred during the third quarter of 2020 when investments in AI exploded. This was because discussion involving the vaccine began and more technology was needed to make a working vaccine available within a year. Companies began investing more time and money into working with impressive technology to find a vaccine. On top of searching for a cure, hospital professionals were learning how to use unique technology with their patients as well as in educational settings.
Telehealth
Portals, virtual appointment options, and healthcare monitoring are now normally discussed in medical offices. However, this definitely wasn’t the case in 2019 when this kind of technology in healthcare had only skimmed the surface. The most prominent part of telemedicine is that doctors can manage the care of their patients no matter the distance. The “streaming” of healthcare has allowed more care to occur with less sickness being spread. This has opened the doors to more research, leading to technology now entering the field. It is certain telehealth will continue to evolve as technology does and current COVID-19 research will only maximize the efforts behind telehealth growth.
Virtual Reality
It’s a little bit crazy to think that virtual reality is not just a video game, but a technique being used for medical training and procedures. Virtual reality allows medical students to experience surgery in a realistic atmosphere as well as treat and care for patients in a setting similar to a hospital. Virtual reality was even recognized by the American Board of Internal Medicine, stating that this training technique is superior to others. The points-of-view and detail available with virtual reality are bringing medical instruction—and research—to a whole new level.
Artificial Intelligence
When the phrase artificial intelligence is read or heard, robots or futuristic movies probably come to mind. Well, the future is now. AI has become a very prominent element in how patients are being treated and how cures are being discovered. Though some might be hesitant at first to talk to a machine who then gives them a diagnosis, AI goes beyond robotic support systems and machine-learning software. AI is able to combine vast amounts of information into one dataset, which medical professionals can review, discuss, and respond appropriately to. It has actually been discovered that many AI software systems “outperform” some of the work professionals do in many ways.