Technology predictions for 2022 in healthcare space

Healthcare in India, as well as globally, is being re-imagined due to trends like consumerism, digital technologies, competition, healthcare workforce, disease burden, regulatory regimes, and the pandemic. As we march towards the end of this year, here are some of the trends which will lead to an increased adoption of specific technologies for the coming year.

Healthcare consumerism: Increased use of virtual care and online channels

Patients are the new smart shoppers. Hooked in by superior experiences from the likes of Amazon and Netflix, patients will be more aware, have active involvement in healthcare decisions, focus more on self -care, demand transparency and swiftness in services. Adoption of consumer-friendly methods will keep patients satisfied and in turn will increase their loyalty towards the providers, cementing recurring revenue stream.

Parts of the patient journey such as doctor search, appointment scheduling, virtual visit, payment, health tracking, health compliance and adherence, health records, and engagement will make use of the digital technology and channels such as web reviews, mobile apps, remote patient monitoring tools and telemedicine. This is going to accelerate demand for virtual assistants e.g., chatbots, access to electronic health records via patient portals and mobile apps, and wearables.

Digital health: Rise of IoT/IoMT for bedside monitoring

Current healthcare landscape in India will be reshuffled due to the digital health wave. Fueled by tremendous penetration of smartphones coupled with 5G the healthcare delivery channel will shift towards digital health. For the providers this means the ability to serve much more patients with same staff and for the patients it means increased access to quality care.

Digital health will manifest itself in the form of IoT (Internet of Things)/IoMT (Internet of Medical Things) devices. These are a network of medical devices that feed patient data in real time and communicate with healthcare IT systems. Its use will help providers manage staff shortage and assist overburdened doctors. IoT-enabled ICUs, emergency care units and operating theaters, home health and treatment management are some of the applications where use of this technology will surge.

AI: Augmented care with clinical decision support system (CDSS)

The limited and urban side concentrated supply of specialists and doctors pitched against the ever-increasing demand for healthcare services in India is a cause for concern. Globally too, physician burnout, aging healthcare workforce and nurse shortages constrain the supply side. This challenge can be tackled with help of AI. We foresee greater implementation in Clinical decision support system (CDSS). Its speed and accuracy will help doctors confirm their decisions and patients will benefit from quicker, precise diagnosis and treatment.

Regulations: Increased protection of patient data

Post pandemic, the government is further expected to tighten the regulations. Increasing environmental compliance, waste management, price capping, reporting of outcomes, safety and security will remain a top priority. In India. the Personal Data Protection Bill, draft Digital Information Security in Health Care Act (DISHA) and other similar regulations will demand strict compliances of personal and medical records by providers.

Due to these forces and others such as more transparency, demand from patients, providers will have to invest in newer IT platforms. There will be an increased adoption of cloud and allied services as it offers a complete package of scale, security, and compliance at reduced costs.

Next gen diagnosis and treatment: Precision health to fight cancer

Evolution of healthcare is at a pivotal point where the shift from curative to preventive care is taking place. Disease prediction, non-invasive data collection, personalized care plan is going to transform delivery of healthcare and medicine. The fight against cancer is going to get intense with more arsenals in the form of Genomics and Next-gen digital health technology.

We foresee a growth of digital platforms which will provide an end-to-end service for cancer management. Demand for cloud, big data-based tools, quantum computing, data analytics especially for the unstructured data in electronic health records and AI/ML algorithms is going to accelerate as this field grows.

AR/VR/Xtended Reality: Better connect with patients

We believe an accelerated adoption of these technologies into healthcare services with wide application especially in areas such as consultation, and patient education and treatment. Physical therapy, post-traumatic stress treatment, and behavioral health are areas where we see an increased adoption. The envelope has been pushed further by Big Tech with grand plans in this space such as the Metaverse. Integration with AI, touch/body sensors and biofeedback will lead to more diverse applications being developed and used.

-- Shreekanth Joshi, Mukul Tripathi & Parimal Muli, Persistent Systems, Persistent Systems.