In the past, you could only have your health checked by making appointments and going physically to the medical provider’s office. Face-to-face medical care would be time-consuming, burdensome, and inconvenient, so many would delay doctor appointments.
Today, telehealth enables you to make doctor appointments from the comfort of your home. Telemedicine has become an essential part of healthcare during the Covid-19 pandemic and has gained traction ever since, given the advantages provided. Telemedicine, also called health, e-health, or telehealth, solved the limitations of in-person care.
It is transforming healthcare by focusing on more-value-based approaches that improve patient satisfaction and decrease costs for both parties implicated. And as with every niche that relies highly on technology, processes are under constant development as innovations and solutions emerge.
Telemedicine is also an ever-developing industry impacted by the latest trends. From IoMT to IoT, these trends solve the limitations existent in telemedicine.
The Internet of Things (IoT)
The Internet of Things (IoT) has exploded in recent years, being touted to transform more than telemedicine. It is a collective network of data and devices that facilitate communication between gadgets, meaning that patients can rely on them to receive the needed medical consultations without visiting the doctor’s office.
Remote patient care and telemedicine are two critical use cases of IoT in healthcare that revolutionize how patients’ conditions are managed. The patient can be consulted at home while the medical care provider can monitor their health in real-time, enabling them to understand the issue better.
As technology keeps developing, so does the potential for IoT in this niche. Remote patient monitoring and advancements can enhance healthcare service delivery, boosting patient efficiency and affordability.
Three emerging technologies in IoT healthcare with huge potential include the following:
Blockchain technology – providing a transparent means of managing patient data and giving them control over their situation
5G networks – providing secure, fast, and reliable connectivity that enables doctors to keep connected with patients and deliver rapid care in the crucial moments
Artificial intelligence – enabling doctors to make predictions based on past data for better informed and faster decisions.
Artificial intelligence is present in every sector and should also be a technology that the provider you choose takes advantage of. If you pick between different telehealth suppliers, select the one that employs the needed tech equipment. The proper telemedicine provider uses AI-powered technologies to deliver more accurate and efficient solutions while improving results in the long term.
The IoT can transform the SNF system as well. Patients living in nursing homes must receive the highest quality medical care service possible. However, visiting the doctor’s office might sometimes be bothersome. SNF telemedicine helps them receive the medical care necessitated, being monitored remotely so that regardless of the time, a doctor can take action if anything goes wrong.
Cybersecurity for data protection
Data protection is a critical factor in organizations dealing with sensitive patient information. If anything happens with the data, including being lost or stolen, the telemedicine provider may be sued and suffer reputational and financial damages. For this and many other reasons, telemedicine providers must pay increased attention to their cybersecurity strategies.
Biometric authentication, while present for a while now, is one of the best security tools that protect a telemedicine service. It’s already commonplace in retail and law sectors because it relies on unique biological characteristics to verify a user’s identity. Thus, there’s no room allowed for unauthorized individuals to access the system.
Additionally, telemedicine services must use the best data encryption tool to safeguard their patients’ data. A similar strategy translates sensitive information into an unreadable format restricting access to others.
Augmented reality
Augmented reality plays a significant role in telemedicine, just like in any other sector. Similar tools can improve the patient outcome and doctor’s work by providing a more straightforward explanation of physiological mechanisms and anatomical structures than a simple video consultation.
AR can change how doctors diagnose and recommend treatment, and telemedicine can significantly benefit from this. Whether it’s for making more time-effective interventions, providing a more detailed diagnosis, or educating patients, AR can have a significant say in telemedicine.
However, not many countries have fully explored the potential of AR in telemedicine. Additionally, most deem AR adoption too expensive. However, taking a closer look at the situation can show that it’s actually economical when it helps achieve economies of scale.
Cloud
The cloud has revolutionized healthcare. Cloud-based telehealth comes with a wide range of benefits. In the event of a natural or human-caused disaster, the information is saved in a safe place and recovered. Rather than sending large files across a network via email, users can send a link to a cloud folder that allows easy access.
Additionally, the cloud results in significant cost savings as providers are no longer required to manage and store information on in-house servers. They can use vendor-hosted servers that minimize the dependence on the IT team and their work. Additionally, it enables telemedicine services to enjoy rapidly-evolving capacities.
Cloud usage in telemedicine led to a better-synchronized system of data.
Wearables
Wearable gadgets like wristbands or smart watches can serve various purposes, including monitoring physiological parameters like blood pulse oxygenation levels and heart rate. These provide real-time information on health and symptoms, removing the hassle of taking out the phone.
In tech-based patient management, product maturation and wearable technology have delivered real-time data collection, boosted accuracy and enabled better-informed decision-making.
5G
5G is taking virtually any sector by the storm. With unparalleled streaming speed and internet surfing, it may boost data consumption. Regarding telemedicine, it might lead to a spike in data consumption as it improves streaming quality, enables faster file transfer, and reduces lags during calls.
Telemedicine trends are ever-evolving and will keep growing as technological developments emerge. From artificial intelligence to augmented reality, they all have the power to create a better healthcare system that manages patients’ conditions remotely. Telemedicine providers embracing similar solutions set an example in the healthcare world.
