Five ways how healthcare technology is influencing modern medical care

At the end of 2021, countries globally reported a 44 per cent disruption in essential healthcare services, according to the World Health Organization.

This comes as no surprise, as healthcare systems across the globe have had to adapt to unprecedented disruptions and mounting pressures resulting from a global pandemic.

This overwhelming reality shone the light on the need for these systems to meet the demands of a growing, and ageing population and a complex operating landscape characterized by inequitable access to quality care.

While transformations and reforms have been set in motion at varying paces across the globe, we have also seen a growing commitment to leverage the potential of healthcare technologies for better patient outcomes and more equitable access to care.

Healthcare technologies are key to providing solutions to the infrastructure, distribution and access challenges that healthcare systems are facing today. They have a profound impact on patient outcomes by increasing access to primary medical care, expanding healthcare coverage, and localizing solutions to specific market needs.

And the value of health-tech is already being realised. In fact, health-tech is one of the fastest growing healthcare segments. Not only that, but the value of venture capital funding in the health-tech sector raised globally in the past two years has been significantly higher compared to pre-pandemic values, with investments flowing into bio-printing, genomics, smart devices, home care and monitoring, AI, and much more.

So how will technology shape a better healthcare future in 2023  and beyond, and what are the main trends influencing in the sector?

1. The role of artificial intelligence will continue to expand, as a key impact driver in the healthcare industry 

The value of AI in healthcare is two-fold, impacting both providers and patients. It’s ability to revolutionise clinical research, provide more diagnostic and precise insights and personalize patient care will see its adoption grow even more in the upcoming years. But this also requires building integrated health data sets, ensuring its shareability and addressing privacy and cyber-security risks. This also means that various ecosystem players must come together to collectively harness the power of AI in healthcare.

2. Wearable technology will facilitate health monitoring and access to real-time data 

By 2024, consumer health and wellness wearable devices that will ship worldwide will likely reach nearly 440 million units, according to a Deloitte report.

We’ve come to be aware of wearable devices as smart watches, whose features include tracking physical activity, monitoring heart rates and helping people get fit. But the potential of wearable devices, including smart patches and monitoring devices has not been fully realised. As both patients and doctors become more comfortable using these devices, their adoption will grow, helping capture real time data, detect, and manage chronic conditions and avoid serious illnesses.

3. Telehealth is here to stay and requires a collective effort to increase the adoption of this form of care 

The use of telehealth technologies significantly increased during the Covid-19 pandemic, and the growing burden on healthcare systems across the world, presents these technologies as a viable solution to ensuring the continuity of provision of essential healthcare services to patients. However, barriers including information technology infrastructures, hesitance from both healthcare patients and providers to change the way they traditionally interact and a lack of training, do exist, and require a collective effort to address to ultimately improve patient outcomes.

4. Fostering talent and capacities are an essential element to the sustainability of regional health systems 

Healthcare workforce shortages exist around the globe and are likely to worsen in the aftermath of the global pandemic. This comes at a time when the need for healthcare services continues to grow, populations age, preventative care takes priority and governments increase their focus on future-proofing their healthcare systems. Therefore, comprehensive talent development strategies, that address both the private and public sector are essential to ensure that a new generation of healthcare leaders are able to drive nations towards a healthier, modern, and digitised future.

5. Building data infrastructure is critical and will require a joint public, private effort 

In the absence of solid and effective healthcare data strategies, little can be accomplished when it comes to healthcare technology. As we grow more reliant on advanced health solutions, we must ensure that the infrastructure is in place to gather, store, protect, and share data. This requires an integrated effort, with the public and private sector working closely together to leverage learnings and collaborate.

Akram Bouchenaki is the CEO of Abdul Latif Jameel Health