4 Healthcare Technology Trends That You Need To Know About

The onset of the pandemic in 2020 has taught the medical community quite a few lessons, and the very first one of those lessons is resilience and drive in times of dire need. How the global medical community came together to produce vaccines and develop treatments for COVID-19 is truly commendable, and these efforts have culminated in there is a renewed appreciation for research and innovation in the medical field.

Likewise this year we are going to witness several healthcare technology trends bear fruit, and given below are four healthcare technology trends that you need to know about:

1.    Telehealth

Telehealth is quickly gaining popularity in the medical field and is essentially defined as the use of digital communication tech to facilitate healthcare and pertaining services. The devices used in telehealth may include computers, tablets, smartphones, and essentially anything that allows a patient and a medical practitioner to connect digitally.

Telehealth essentially gained momentum during the pandemic since many patients preferred not coming in for a checkup. The benefits of telehealth include an expansion of healthcare access, reduced transmissible infections, and urgent care.

2.    Medical IoT

Internet of Things or IoT is essentially defined as a network of physical devices that can communicate with each other and exchange data. These devices communicate through sensors and software. Medical IoT is similar to conventional IoT, and the only difference being is that the network is made up of medical devices.

Medical IoT uses wearable devices, medical screens, monitors, and other applications that suffice patients’ healthcare needs. The combination of AI, machine learning, and IoT allows these devices to offer insights into patient conditions and signal oncoming health conditions.

3.    Corneal Topography

Corneal topography is another trend in healthcare and optometry that is soon gaining popularity. If you are wondering “Does an Optometrist Near Me perform corneal topography?” a simple Google search would suffice. Corneal topography is essentially defined as a computer-assisted diagnosis that creates a 3D image of the patient’s cornea.

The medical practitioner or optometrist can then use this image to examine and diagnose any eye diseases or defects in the patient. While corneal topography can be used in routine assessments, it is also especially prescribed in the case of corneal deformities and cataract extraction.

4.    VR and AR

Virtual and augmented reality, while initially only reserved for gaming, are now catching on to the medical industry. Virtual reality for instance allows surgeons to practice several procedures on virtual patients so that they may get comfortable with the procedure. VR is also used to treat several mental health disorders and PTSD.

AR, on the other hand, is used in the medical field to make patients more comfortable with dangerous procedures, and if used to explain complex procedures to both patients and students alike.

Conclusion

2022 is going to further empower the field of medicine with the application of newly found technology. The above-mentioned trends cover a few of the technological advancements in the field of medicine that are likely to transform treatment and save hundreds of thousands of lives.

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