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Healthcare
18 Oct 2021

Digitization In The Healthcare: Connecting The Unconnected

“Digitization in healthcare is not only about embedding the digital tools, but also about making the most of these connected tools by leveraging upon artificial intelligence (AI), Big Data, and IoT technologies and providing with more consumer-focused and prevention-oriented care.”

Healthcare services are one of the most critical factors these days. It ensures patient care and digitizes healthcare services to enhance healthcare services in the new normal.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the surge of digital healthcare services. Digital Healthcare refers to a digitized approach that uses concepts to intersect technology and healthcare.

Digital health uses a digital transformation to the healthcare field by incorporating software, hardware; and digitized services to achieve the digitized healthcare platform. Like other industries, where the digitization of business practices has become essential to gain market competence; digital health also leverages the digital platform.

It offers services and products to gain digital healthcare. Patients are one of the essential elements of any healthcare service. Since the pandemic has affected humans the most; digital health is the only way for a healthy and flourishing healthcare environment.

 

Digitization of Healthcare Services: Essential Elements

Digitization in Healthcare Services involves various essential elements that need innovative enhancement to reach its full digital potential.

Digital Health comprises of digital health includes electronic health records (EHRs), electronic medical records (EMRs),  telehealth and telemedicine, mobile health (mHealth) apps; wearable devices, and personalized medicine, among others.

The digitization of each element leads to an overall digital healthcare network covering all the stakeholders such as patients, practitioners, application developers, researchers; and medical device manufacturers and distributors over the entire value chain of digital health practices.

According to a recent survey; investors across the globe have invested 21.6 billion USD in digital healthcare in 2020 alone, which is only going to rise in the days to come.

 

Digitization in the Healthcare: Connecting the Unconnected

The COCVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in worldwide lockdown; has augmented the need for digital health services by focussing on the digitization of the healthcare needs of the patients.

Connecting the Unconnected healthcare services into a digitally-driven environment refers to the digitization of healthcare services.

Data-driven digital tools enable patient care using digital tools that lead to efficiency and reduced time. For instance, AI reduces the number of clicks needed to perform a task and determines the next steps based on context; thus saving time and increasing efficiency.

Digital tools use digital technologies and transform the overall health practices into a digitally-driven healthcare ecosystem.

 

Healthcare Informatics:

Employing technology, tools, and data to improve patient health and provide quality care is called healthcare informatics.

Technologically-driven healthcare services enable healthcare professionals to assess new programs, integrate new technologies into medicine, and introduce new digital tools to improve healthcare.

 

Big Data and AI:

Emerging technologies such as  Big Data and AI have revolutionized various sectors across the industries.

These technologies also have an impeccable application in the healthcare services that transform the digital health services and leads to a digitally-driven healthcare environment.

Since the pandemic happened, a lot of disruption has evolved across the sectors. Digital disruption in healthcare enables AI-generated insights and diagnosis and treatment choices, leading to safer and more effective treatments.

Additionally, managing patients’ data through EHR (electronic health records) ensures the right treatments for the patients.

 

Patient Health Monitoring:

Patients use healthcare services online these days.

The digital disruption in healthcare has resulted in MHealth (mobile health), including wearables, apps; and mobile technology that provide access to health care support and patient monitoring to manage long-term, chronic conditions and enhance the patient experience.

Other emerging technologies such as Blockchain have also contributed to patients’ care, thus digitizing the health care sector and transforming it digitally.

Blockchain-based EMRs that reduce the time needed to access patient information improves the data quality and interoperability. By leveraging the benefits such as access security, patients’ data privacy, and scalable digital health services.

 

Benefits From The Digitized Health Care Services:

Streamlined and efficient health care services result in the health systems adapting the technologies that improvise collecting, storing, and analyzing patients’ information to produce actionable insights that result in an improved digitally-driven health care system.

According to the FDA, digital health technologies help healthcare providers reduce inefficiencies, improve access, reduce costs, and increase quality to make more personalized decisions.

Furthermore, digital tools enable patients to manage and track health and wellness-related activities more efficiently.

 

Enhance Patient Care:

Digitally driven tools such as mobile medical apps and software help doctors make clinical decisions using digital technology.

Digital health tools also improve our ability to diagnose and treat disease and enhance patients’ healthcare accurately.

 

Uninterrupted Data Flow:

The connected digital network allows uninterrupted data flow that effectively enables digital medical files, previous medical history; and improved health care services.

Digital healthcare services streamline various health care functions by using digital technologies such as smartphones and internet applications to access patient information, monitor their health, and provide them with much-needed treatment.

However, the rise in privacy concerns of patients’ data resulted in a surge in regulatory data requirements from the regulators to avoid data theft risks.

 

Improved Regulatory Scenario:

The integrated healthcare system also helps the health care providers concerning privacy and security standards that negatively affect a patient’s ability to access personal health data and avoid data-related risks.

The improved regulatory scenario also mandates effective measures by implementing improved regulatory scenarios.

 

Conclusion:

Digital is the new normal. Digitization of health care services will only benefit the healthcare sector for the better by enhancing the health care services and improving the patients’ satisfaction.

Digitization in health care is about embedding the digital tools and making the most of these connected tools by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), Big Data, and IoT technologies and providing more consumer-focused and prevention-oriented care.

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