Last Updated on March 8, 2021 by Larious

Some might think that technology and healthcare don’t mix. After all, doctors treat you whenever something goes wrong in your body. However, both technology and the pandemic have forced these two areas to strengthen their bond and communicate on a deeper level.

For example, 2021 may very well be the year when we’ll see AI having a great impact in the field of technological healthcare. On the other hand, conventional healthcare is still going strong, especially when it comes to natural products such as those found on shop.joyorganics.com.

Without any further ado, here are the top technology trends in healthcare in 2021!

Telemedicine

Have you ever imagined that you’ll go to a doctor’s appointment without actually leaving your house? This trend started to take shape towards the end of 2020 and has become pretty much the norm in 2021.

People go to the hospital or doctor’s office only when it comes to more serious afflictions. If their disease can be determined solely based on symptoms or their issue is not serious, then they will set up a video call with a doctor.

What will happen to telemedicine?

• During the peak of the pandemic, roughly 45% of Medicare visits were done through telemedicine means. This was happening when this trend was not that visible.
• The abrupt start of this trend created an entire industry. One that is said to break the $186 billion mark as soon as 2026.
• According to various sources, the success of telemedicine is owed to something called patient adoption. Thanks to the pandemic itself and the convenience of telehealth online visits, more and more people decided to keep their health in check – their numbers will increase in 2021.
• Telemedicine has evolved to the point where everything can be done through a dedicated app. Visits, appointments, doctor information, payments, and so on are easily available to the patient via their smartphone touchscreen.

With so much convenience in a field so complex and overwhelming as healthcare, it goes without saying why telemedicine can be more than just a trend.

AI vs. COVID-19

COVID-19 is a novelty in multiple plans. It has affected lifestyle and society in more ways than healthcare can help them. This is why scientists, governments, and so on have called AI to their aid.

This is how AI is expected to fight COVID-19 and similar viruses – and why it’s a trend worth keeping our eyes on.

• Pandemic Detection – a simple app named BlueDot was able to predict the way the COVID-19 pandemic would spread throughout the world. How? It scanned thousands of media sources to find potential outbreaks and record them. The app looked at animal populations, climate conditions, flight data, health systems’ capacity, and such to determine where the entire world stands in the fight against COVID-19.
• Thermal Screening – you’ve probably been subject to this type of screening already. It happened even when you tried to enter a grocery store – only that the one responsible might have missed a couple of people. This can have a serious impact – luckily AI can quickly apply thermal screening technology to massive groups of people and identify the troublesome ones.
• Improved Facial Recognition – nowadays, we all wear masks, regardless of restrictions. It has become the norm for us to protect ourselves more than we used to – thanks to this virus. This, however, did not affect face recognition AI. Reportedly, even with masks, criminals and evil-doers can be identified with an accuracy of up to 95%. Masks are not a guarantee for safe, guilt-free crime, so to speak!
• CT Scan Analysis – one of the biggest issues with the analysis of CT scans is the fact that human error shows up more than we’d wish – and we don’t want any errors. Fortunately, thanks to machine learning and multinational training data, AI can be used to identify pneumonia caused directly and only by COVID-19 with great accuracy.

What’s the final result? COVID-19 has pushed us even more towards a world where AI is extremely useful and has vast applications that could ultimately prevent the death of many!

The Internet of Medical Things

This is probably the peak of technology trends in healthcare in 2021 – an industry that will reportedly be worth more than $6 trillion in less than 5 years.

The Internet of Medical Things refers to interconnected healthcare, if we may name it so. Basically, via sensors and monitors non-intrusive to a patient, their doctor and family will know the status of their health in real-time.

For example, it is expected that sensors and patches will be able to tell when certain pills have been ingested, thus notifying that a patient took their medicine on time. This can be done with heart monitors and so on – real-time monitorization of patients.

On top of that, all the information will be readily available on a browser or smartphone app. Ultimately, this will make it much easier for the healthcare provider to track the adherence of the patient to their treatment.

The Bottom Line

Soon enough, doctors won’t have to listen to our lungs or heart anymore – at least when it comes to minor or mild health conditions. Many believe that the development of a body sensor that will be able to gather an immense amount of health data is very close!

Naturally, taking a look at the technology trends above, such a sensor and not only doesn’t seem like a dream anymore. Overall, this translated to improved healthcare for everybody. Not only improved but also more available. People in poor or remote areas might be able to access healthcare technology that will allow them to take care of their health without having to constantly interact with a doctor or hospital.

Obviously, this is only the beginning! For now, the issue is not the biggest trend or the development of healthcare technology – it’s the privacy of the patient and the individual during a pandemic-like scenario and not only!