Over the past two decades, monumental advances have been made within the healthcare industry affecting how patient care is delivered, and how data is stored and used. Technology has been the driving force behind these changes, from cloud based storage options for better data collection and storing, to better equipment and treatments such as the IoT based glucose monitoring system.

Covid-19 and the digital transformation

The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the shift to digital technologies. Prompting transformation which would have normally taken years- with changes to service design and delivery within GP’s and hospitals like increased telephone and video consultations, and the roll-out of the NHS Covid-19 app, which uses cutting edge Google and Apple API technology to measure Bluetooth signals to track the spread of the virus. 

Amidst the chaos the pandemic has left in its wake, Covid-19 could be viewed as a catalyst to a more efficient, safer and patented oriented healthcare service. The digital transformation within healthcare will no doubt see unmeasurable effects on patient care in years to come. 

Disregarding the current pandemic, technology promises to offer healthcare what no politician has been able to deliver on since the dawn of the NHS.

The government plan for the NHS clearly indicates that technology will carve the future of the UK’s healthcare system. As we have already experienced with advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) enabling us to use historical and real time data to build predictive models, introduce personalised medicine and service, or even experiment with robots in administration. 

Take virtual reality (VR) for example, the innovative device with a multitude of uses, and more being discovered every day. Virtual reality is already being used for training, allowing medical staff to witness realistic situations and react as if they are living the experience. It has also been established that VR can be used in the treatment of phobias, a method of rehabilitation and physical therapy.

With all the advancements within digital made everyday in the world around us, here are the five revolutions which will pave the way in 2021. 

• The Internet of Things. As mentioned previously the IoT is already being implemented with implantable glucose monitoring systems for suffering diabetics. However the technology isn’t just for monitoring- this technology also has the capability to work in conjunction with automated insulin delivery (AID) systems, delivering insulin automatically based on the readings collated from the continuous glucose monitor (CGM)
• Augmented reality. Whilst augmented reality is no new concept, advances in camera and sensor technology and focused software development have allowed for increasing development in the AR revolution. AR is still mainly in its educational stages, for example, in Boston, augmented reality glasses are being used to ‘see inside’ patients bodies, using existing data from scans.
• 5G. 5G technology has the capability to resolve often life threatening limitations within healthcare. Super fast 5G connections can enable remote surgery, where specialised surgeons are able to operate robots, such as the Da Vinci surgery robot, from a distance. As well as the more advanced capabilities of 5G, faster connection also enhances the handling of data, and the transportation of large files such as MRI scans, improving the speed of patient care.
• Wearable technology. These technologies are no foreign concept to us, take the popular Fitbit or Apple watch, which monitors fitness and health and communicates this data with your mobile phone. Companies like Samsung are already expanding their reach with healthcare tech solutions such as their smartwatch to monitor the health of over 55’s and to perform medication management.
• Virtual assistants. AI assisted virtual assistants have the capability to change the way we deliver care, serving both doctors and patients. Alleviating the pressure for doctors on the number of patients and administrative tasks, these assistants would enable doctors to treat five to ten times as many patients, according to VentureBeat.

Healthcare is forever changing, adapting to the technological revolutions in the world around us. Whilst these new technologies will be the remarkable milestones of the future, the data generated from them will be the driving force behind the digital revolution. Although technology cannot replace certain elements of care that only a human can provide, it can certainly enhance the care provided, and offer monumental cost and time leveraging for our pressured healthcare systems.