You would agree digitization is ruling any and every industry in the world. Be it healthcare, manufacturing, or any other field: every organization is following digital trends to grow their business. When it comes to healthcare services, digital tools are helping healthcare professionals in sharing accurate patient’s results and also saving their time. For patients, it is saving their money and travel costs.
Healthcare providers are using new health-connected solutions that are helping them to communicate effectively with patients. It is not only offering them new ways to treat patients but also offering new channels to engage with patients. Through this, experts are becoming more informed about their health and are delivering better outcomes.
Connected Health and Digital Health Tools Have the Power to Boost Patient Management
Remote patient monitoring tools, mobile apps, wearable technologies, and other top connected tools connect patients with providers. The goal of the connected tools is to provide high-functioning technologies that could improve the patient experience in their healthcare journey.
Before their visit, they could take the help of online appointments. During their visit, patients could engage with the room experience, and after the visit, they could leave with the test results. Overall, connected health is an impeccable medical technology, and that focuses on the patient’s health and delivers quality care.
With the help of connected tools, experts could deliver better communication with greater convenience and low delivery costs. Integrated communication refers to a system in which healthcare professionals could communicate with one another using
HIPAA compliant channels.
The system includes web, email, file transfers, and video chat. With different points of access in one system, the experts could communicate better with patients while improving their internal coordination.
Modern Connected Health Technology Should Have Following Features
1. It should reduce tasks and increase productivity. Also, it should decrease errors and minimize the paper collection process.
2. It should meet the patient’s demands and expectations and use enhanced technology with clinical staff during visits.
3. It should allow self-reported information for accuracy without any redundancy.
Connected Health Records Future in the Next Five Years
Today, connected health is playing a vital role between patients and medical practices. Connected health technologies are seeing a great change in the healthcare industry.
Let’s see what the future of this technology is and how the tools can be used for better results.
1. Wearable Technologies Have an Excellent Future
Wearable devices are increasing the usage of artificial intelligence.
AI reduces unnecessary hospital readmissions and by identifying early signs and symptoms. Wearable devices increase productivity and make tasks easier and convenient. Furthermore, these devices make the most of tech investments and connect other systems.
2. Surgical Robots Results in Reduced Risk of Infection
Surgical robots have transformed the way doctors used to perform operations. With this, the doctors don’t have to use their hands to access the body; therefore, the incisions are smaller than regular surgery. It is minimally invasive, thus takes less time in recovery.
3. Babyscripts
It is a virtual maternity platform that allows providers to deliver a new model of postpartum care. With remote patient monitoring tools, patients now visit the hospitals four times less in comparison to earlier dates. Babyscrips also include FDA-approved monitoring tools such as weight scales.
4. Peel and Stick Connected Thermometer
It has a battery life of 24 to 48 hours and allows the parents to monitor their child’s temperature via different apps. It changes color according to the surrounding temperature and is simple to use.
5. BioRF Artery Radar
It is a wearable-friendly and soft biosensor that detects artery pulse waves. It is the next generation health tech wearables that track pulse wave velocity and blood pressure with no pressure against the skin. It is boosting medical value for wearable devices and making life better for consumers.
6. Biotricity
It focuses on remote patient monitoring and builds post-diagnostic systems for several chronic conditions. It has a core technology platform that encompasses cellular IoT and transforms the treatment process. It believes that the future is all about remote diagnostics and remote delivery.
Benefits of Connected Health in Patient Engagement
Let’s look at some major benefits associated with connected health space.
1. It is Simple
Connecting health information means it is creating a digitally central database and simplifying the process of storing and retrieving the patient’s data.
In the present scenario, the healthcare system depends on data and doctor conversation. The connected healthcare space minimizes error and analyzes data for better use.
2. Fewer Errors
The data shared from the sensors and other trackable devices are mostly accurate and gives fewer errors. Connected healthcare systems are getting mature and predicting healthcare trends. It reviews data manually and shares the information at fingertips.
3. More Than a Diagnostic Tool
EHR provides the data to healthcare professionals they would need the most to make informed decisions. Connected medical devices fall into the category of
Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) and create the user interface. It offers benefits to the patient and experts through the use of improved patient compliance.
4. Failure Prediction
Another important feature of the connected medical device is it can predict the device failure before making a huge loss. Along with the early diagnosis and predictive abilities, the devices could measure the effectiveness of patient care.
5. Monitor Chronic Disease
Connected medical devices allow experts to avoid clinical expenses and avoid risky procedures. It also lowers the cost of treatment and delivers better overall performance. Chronic diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes have become common in today’s lifestyle. Therefore, patients can remotely check on these conditions.
Limitations of Medical Connected Devices
Indeed! Connected health is making a strong impact on the healthcare industry. However, it has certain limitations too.
1. Cost and Regulations
It saves money for the long-term, but maintenance and the initial cost of developing it is a major issue. The cost of implementation in hospitals and staff training can be high.
2. Cybersecurity and Data Privacy
Security and privacy is a major concern when it comes to healthcare services. Sensitive information about the patient’s health and location should not be shared in any case. Connected devices are more prone to attack and could be accessed by hackers.
3. Risk of Failure and Integration
Power failure and bugs in the software or hardware can affect the performance. Sometimes, skipping a software update can be more dangerous than missing a doctor’s visit. When it comes to integration, the devices manufactured by different companies might not work together.
Final Words
It is no secret that smartphones and other technologies have enabled people to communicate around the world seamlessly and in less time than before. Several businesses have used this technology to enhance their relationship with customers.
Modern solutions need strong access controls to give a new meaning to the patient’s health. To stay connected with patients, every healthcare organization should make the best use of
healthcare trends and connected health tech to enhance patient experience and engagement.
We, at Covetus, have a team of people who are experienced in delivering the best healthcare services all around. Whether it is building
healthcare apps or anything related to healthcare, we could assure you to be on the top of the market changes.
