The primary healthcare technology advancements are inextricably linked to digitalization and data utilization. This is hardly unexpected given that healthcare is not an exception. Almost every firm is adapting to meet the needs of digital transformation. So, here are the healthcare technological innovations that are anticipated to emerge in 2022.
Cybersecurity
Hackers opted to target healthcare infrastructure when it was at its most vulnerable in decades. Hackers have regularly targeted the COVID-19 vaccination.
Attacks on vaccination data have been documented by Pfizer, BioNTech, and the European Medicines Agency. More than a few hospitals in the United States have been hit by ransomware, forcing the healthcare industry to become significantly more concerned about its cybersecurity architecture.
Carbon Black, a cybersecurity firm, discovered that there were 239.4 million attempted assaults against its healthcare customers in 2020. According to their analysis on healthcare cybersecurity, “an average of 816 attempted attacks per endpoint in 2020, representing a 9,851 percent increase over 2019.”
Medical Internet of Things (IoMT)
The widespread deployment of IoMT devices would be the most predictable of the health tech developments in 2022.
Devices connected to the Internet of Medical Things will overcome at least some of the issues that the healthcare sector faced in 2020. IoMT can also help the healthcare business save money. According to a Goldman Sachs analysis, IoT healthcare might save $300 billion through improving medical practices.
However, IoMT devices are the most valuable in healthcare administration. They can provide healthcare to isolated places that cannot afford full-service hospitals. They bring frequent consultations into people’s homes, which is especially helpful for patients who are unable to leave their homes. Portable point-of-care devices may now perform practically every routine test and wirelessly communicate the findings with a doctor.
Wearables and Remote Patient Monitoring
Doctors can perform better by monitoring patients outside of a hospital or clinic, effectively extending the reach of the healthcare system. Remote patient monitoring, which is also a component of IoMT, has the potential to have a long-term influence on healthcare services. Remote monitoring has the potential to transform the treatment of chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, and asthma.
Wearable technology is not as uncommon as one may believe. Sensors in consumer electronics have already shown to be dependable enough to be used in medical applications. The Apple Watch’s ECG capability, for example, has been certified by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to identify a disease known as atrial fibrillation. Wearables that provide data that may be utilized in medical investigations are becoming increasingly popular.
Interoperability of Healthcare Data
Predictions of future medical technology trends are typically difficult, but data interoperability is simple.
For some time now, electronic health records (EHR) and electronic medical records (EMR) have been developing interoperability. Interoperability, on the other hand, might become a key medical technology trend in 2022 as a result of investments in healthcare digitalization.
Tech companies are also getting engaged. To assist healthcare clients in evaluating and complying with the interoperability rule, Google launched the Cloud Healthcare Interoperability Readiness Program. According to the organization, many of its clients are now unable to comply due to the use of old systems.
Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) (AR)
VR and AR technologies have a role in healthcare technology developments. The most apparent example is surgical training. Virtual reality training allows medical personnel to practice and improve their abilities without needing to visit a hospital. Also see: How to Create Medical Practice Management Software.
Virti, located in the United Kingdom, collaborated with the NHS to train frontline workers throughout the epidemic. There was an urgent need for additional individuals to work in intensive care units, and they needed to be taught rapidly to wear PPE, traverse an intensive care ward, handle ventilators, and even interact with patients and their families.