While the 2010s saw the rise of the EHR and telehealth solutions, over the next decade new and existing technologies will transform healthcare as a whole.
Bertalan Mesko, MD, PhD, dubbed a medical futurist, made predictions about five different technologies that will advance the healthcare industry over the next decade and get healthcare players excited. He published his predictions in a MarketWatch report.
Here are the five biggest themes for healthcare IT:
1. Artificial intelligence in medicine. While Google and other technology companies will continue developing machine learning and AI tools to help clinicians diagnois patients more quickly, in the next decade, AI will also be used to help with drug discovery.
2. A myriad of health sensors. Consumers and clinicians should expect more wearable devices to hit the market. Specifically, these devices will be equipped with more advanced features, such as blood pressure monitors.
3. Quantum computing putting medical decision-making on a new level. Quantum computing will allow for faster drug design and less expensive DNA sequencing.
4. Chatbots as the first line of care. Consumers will begin to more actively turn to thier devices to consult with chatboxes about thier symptoms and recieve care reccomendations rather than bring themselves to a hospital or outpatient center for a consult.
5. 5G serving the whole ecosystem of digital health. With the faster speed of 5G, clinicians will be able to communicate with each other faster. This will also help with virtual care services and remote consultations.
To read the full report, click here.