The healthcare industry is evolving rapidly, with new technologies emerging every year. These technologies have empowered the sector to resolve the challenges that were too difficult to conquer a few years back.

This article sheds light on the most critical pain points of the healthcare industry that can be alleviated by healthcare technology.

The most critical challenges of the healthcare industry today

Although the healthcare industry has always suffered from various unique challenges, the covid-19 pandemic opened many gaps in the industry. For instance, the challenge of dealing with the massive influx of patients, safely securing and managing vast piles of medical data, and managing multiple tasks at a time, including delivering quality patient care.

Using technology, the industry was able to bring more productivity and efficiency to each process while addressing the challenges highlighted below.

Management of complex data

Effective management of the healthcare data is essential because its analysis allows healthcare organizations to improve patient care and derive insights to improve medical outcomes and protect the security and privacy of the data. But several healthcare establishments lack data management systems and advanced architecture to manage data collected from multiple sources. This results in messy financial documentation, human errors, and a lack of data analytics to provide data-driven insights.

The development of modern healthcare tech solutions powered by the latest technologies, such as AI, machine learning, and cloud computing, allows healthcare professionals better access to patients’ history, diagnosis, important notes, and other vital data. Advanced data management systems make information handy and easily accessible.

Keeping critical data safe

Medical records comprise sensitive and personal information, such as – place of birth, date of birth, Social Security number, credit card details, address, and emails, making them valuable to cybercriminals. They may sell stolen records on the dark web. Connected devices have made it easier to hack into sensitive patient data.

All these vulnerabilities call for a robust system for cybersecurity that could prevent loss of information and data theft. Working with a reliable healthcare technology company can alleviate cybersecurity risks in the following ways:

• They can help update their digital systems and manage critical data.
• They can limit connected equipment access to trusted users.
• They can help build a centralized system to manage vital data.

Regular training while cutting back on wasted time

Regular training of healthcare professionals is crucial to improving patient care. They need to upgrade their knowledge and skills and learn new techniques, treatments, and the latest information from worldwide experts. But healthcare professionals are often strapped for time. Therefore, it is essential to conduct training sessions in a way that professionals can access at their convenience. Modern technologies such as videos with flipped classrooms, podcasts, mobile devices with apps, simulations (part-time trainers, integrated simulators, virtual reality), video games, and wearable devices (google glass) are some of the techniques available today to facilitate regular training of professionals while saving time and resources.

High healthcare costs

Good healthcare is a basic necessity, but unfortunately, good healthcare comes at a hefty cost. High insurance premiums, co-pays, high deductibles, and other out-of-pocket expenses prevent people from seeking expert medical care.

Rapidly emerging technological solutions don’t just improve operational efficiencies of healthcare establishments but help bring down medical costs too in the following ways:

• They automate repetitive tasks so that doctors can use their time more efficiently.
• Scheduling applications using technology eliminates the need to hire more staff.
• Automation of insurance claims and collections processes improves efficiency and reduces labor costs.
• Supply chain optimization using technology eliminates waste and promotes efficient allocation of resources.

Wrong diagnosis

Misdiagnosis is frustrating for patients and results in drastic expenses, harmful side effects, and sometimes even death. Latest technologies, such as AI-powered diagnostic systems, improve the accuracy of the diagnosis process. It can process the data from labs, previous similar patient cases, medical journals, and other resources to conduct a precise diagnosis.

Improving healthcare access

Everyone deserves quality healthcare, but healthcare access is not equitably distributed. Modern technology can address issues of geographic availability and timeliness of care. Smartphones, high-speed internet, wearables, telemedicine, and e-visits allow patients to access expert healthcare guidance even when they cannot physically reach their doctor.

Final words

To stay competitive in the healthcare industry and provide the best care to the patients, healthcare professionals should stay abreast of the latest technology trends and proactively seek the skills that will enable them to leverage those technologies. This will revolutionize the healthcare system and benefit patients and healthcare institutions equally.