How Digital Technology Will Impact Healthcare

By CIOReview | Monday, April 2, 2018

Technology is developing rapidly with several futuristic innovations emerging in every industry. These developments are always at the forefront of the healthcare landscape, constantly pushing the limitations of practice in newer and more exciting directions. Walking into a hospital will give a drastically different experience over time. A few of these innovations forecasted to emerge, include 3D printed organs and chatbots that could diagnose patients.

Development of IoT is one of the most anticipated advancements, which will lead to a great level of automation.

When it comes to the medicine ecosystem, one of the most anticipated technological innovations revolves around the development of the IoT, which will lead to unparalleled levels of automation. With medical devices connected to the internet, not only will devices be able to give reminders to patients, but huge amount of information can be sent back to healthcare providers, creating updated records for each patient. Wireless inhalers alerting patients to take a dose, USB handheld pulse oximeter which checks blood oxygen lever are some of the technologies that have already entered the industry’s marketplace.

3D printing is expected to be, in the next couple of years, playing an important role in medicine, to help create prosthetics and implant devices. By 2019, the technology is predicted to be used in 35 percent of medical processes. Also, the 3D bio-printing market is anticipated to be worth 150 billion dollars by 2010.

AI technology also promises to improve patient outcomes by enabling practitioners to access enormous data at any instant. Although primarily designed as a support system, AI chatbots are predicted to diagnose patients and even be used to perform some regular surgeries by 2030.

Such innovative advancements certainly offer great benefits for medical students as well, especially for healthcare training.

The role of a doctor remains totally important despite these developments. It is therefore increasingly important to help medical students attain medical knowledge along with an awareness of the developments in technology.