Healthcare organizations are now opening up to digitization to improve their efficiency, effectiveness, profitability, and competitiveness. Healthcare organizations have gone digital by adopting Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) and other digital applications that have helped hospital staff do their work easily and more efficiently, simplify inventory management, track schedules, manage patient safety, identify bottlenecks, and improve overall administration.

Digital transformation also takes patient care to a new higher level, improves the quality of life and helps increase the life expectancy of people. Be it advancements in genomics or smart health monitors to telemedicine, digital transformation is making its presence in every aspect of healthcare. Analysts from a leading American multinational finance company predict that by adopting digital technologies, the healthcare sector could save about $300 billion, especially in the area of chronic diseases management just by eliminating wasteful expenses.

So, how are healthcare organizations embracing digital transformations in their day to day functioning? This blog elaborates on some of the methods that healthcare organizations have adopted.

Big Data and Predictive Analytics

With healthcare organizations adopting EMRs, it is possible to use predictive analytics based on a patient’s age bracket, gender, race, gender, existing medical conditions, past medical history, personal and family details to arrive at the best possible treatment plan for that patient. Not only that, it can be pooled and studied to predict health trends for larger communities as well.

Personalized Genomics

By combining predictive analytics with a patient’s personal genomic data and other medical data, clinicians and researchers can get to understand the diseases and risk factors associated with an individual, which helps doctors to determine the most effective and appropriate treatment for a patient.

Smart Health Monitors and Wearables

Smart health monitors or wearables are aimed at providing preemptive healthcare and reducing the frequency of a patient’s visit to the hospital. Today, there are a wide variety of wearables and apps to choose from that help you track your health. These devices or apps collect personalized and real-time data that is fed into the for further research.

Sleep monitors – Apps and smartwatches help you track your sleep and diagnose sleep related illnesses

Fitness and sport activity trackers– Wristwatches or apps in your smartphones that help you track your fitness goals and help you stay fit and energetic

Oral care monitors– A toothbrush that is embedded with artificial intelligence to collect brushing data through sensors. Each time a user brushes their teeth, these sensors capture the data via the tooth brush and this data is synched via Bluetooth to the company app. This helps to analyze a user’s brushing habits and helps improve oral care.

Heart rate monitors– Mobile phones and watches that help access, track, and analyze your heart’s health, and can predict and help prevent cardiovascular problems.

Smoking monitors– This is a smart device that is aimed at helping people give up their smoking habit. This device senses changes in the body when a person has cravings to smoke and sends appropriate alerts, which can be monitored. It then delivers effective medication so that craving can be curtailed.

Telemedicine

Telemedicine uses mobile technology, such as tabs, mobile phones, and computers to provide clinical services to patients, through phone calls, emails, apps, and video chats. Health care professionals can diagnose and treat patients without the need for in-person hospital visits. This mode of treatment is expected to provide good quality health care to people living in extremely remote areas and economically lower segments as it also helps to bring down the costs of treatment. Telemedicine is also beneficial for physicians to consult with other physicians regarding the line of treatment of a patient from their own facilities.

Surgical Robots

Surgeons today are using robots to assist them in their surgeries. These robots help improve the precision and dexterity of the surgery, which eventually quickens the recovery time. By using robotic surgical equipment (telesurgery), surgeons can perform surgeries on patients even though they are not physically in the same location, thus eliminating travel and bringing down costs.

Healthcare organizations that chose to embrace digital technologies have added value to human life and also improved their profitability. Adopting these technologies has helped them deliver a better customer experience, improve their customer retention, lower IT costs and risks, improve their overall revenue, and open up into newer markets. Today, patients are more empowered and patient engagement and patient satisfaction are being paid attention to. With an easy access to the digital landscape, the future of health care looks promising and we have every reason to be excited about it.