The World Health
Organization (WHO) defines
health technology as:

“Application of organized knowledge and skills in the form of devices, medicines, vaccines, procedures, and systems developed to solve a health problem and improve quality of lives.”

How can automation benefit
the healthcare industry?

Automation in healthcare refers to the use of specific software to increase efficiency across a range of medical service components. This promotes using modern tools and techniques for reaching business objectives and improving productivity across the medical practice.

When healthcare providers have a well-built electronic health records system, and a solution that automates critical processes like patient booking and managing supply chain, they achieve business objectives and deliver better care.

Patient booking & registration

Outdated paper records and growing administrative workloads hide many risks in terms of managing medical information that hinders growth and operational efficiency. Conflicting schedules and no-shows are common for health organizations that harm their reputation and endanger patients.

This is why implementing an automated online scheduling system enhances data management and offers flexibility for patients. Individuals can log into an online patient portal, choose an appointment, receive notifications and reminders, and check their medical history.

Healthcare supply chain

Hospitals handle hundreds of deliveries each day to maintain the efficiency of operations.

Integrated inventory management module (into a practice management system or other IT tools) allows medical institutions to:

check orders against
agreed delivery dates
with suppliers
maintain real-time
electronic records
of what is in store
alert departments
when goods arrive
track medical
equipment
automatically refill
supplies before they
run out
log deliveries

What benefits does artificial
intelligence (AI) bring to the table?

AI (and machine learning) is driving innovation in digital health, as it aims to improve health outcomes and well-being. Promising machine learning models change the approach of health professionals to medical conditions and personalized medicine for the better:

Accurate diagnosis and early
detection
Chatbots
Rare disease treatment

Accurate diagnosis and early detection

AI makes fewer medical errors and offers a wide range of new methods for customized healthcare experiences. Computer vision algorithms identify and classify tumors, thus speeding up cancer research. They help clinical professionals to diagnose neurological disorders (Parkinson's and Alzheimer's) and infectious diseases (tuberculosis and COVID-19).

Chatbots

Using natural language processing (NLP), chatbots provide patients with 24/7 access to medical information, reducing wait time for appointments and improving access to care for people in remote or underserved areas.

They can provide tailored health information based on a patient's needs, helping to educate individuals and enhancing their patient experience. Furthermore, they can monitor patients' symptoms and vital signs and alert healthcare providers of any concerning changes, allowing for early intervention and improved health outcomes.

Rare disease treatment

AI can map diseases to speed up the development of breakthrough drugs and vaccines, which would dramatically improve public health. As a result, healthcare organizations may produce durable products for patients suffering from rare and deadly diseases.

Artificial intelligence already shows promising results in drug discovery (and the pharmaceutical industry), as an AI model predicted all the protein structures in the human body in 2020. This way, the emergence of new drugs is sped up with AI-powered predictive analytics and health data, which help scientists to find medical treatments for rare diseases.

The impact of remote
patient monitoring

Remote patient monitoring is a healthcare delivery model that uses wearable technology to collect and transmit patient data from outside a clinical setting to healthcare providers.

This digital practice consists of the following elements:

Monitoring devices: mobile devices or wearables (medical devices), collecting data
Data transmission: to a central system or cloud with a real-time access
Data analysis: generation of insights and alerting healthcare professionals
Patient engagement: notifications and reminders
Clinical oversight: evaluating data and providing support

The collected information is used to improve patient outcomes through clinical decision support and also hospital and administrative productivity. In addition, RPM helps reduce the occurrence of adverse drug events by enhancing the administration of prescription medications.

How to pick the right digital
health software?

Whether you want to implement a system to automate workflows or improve outcomes and care delivery, it’s crucial to consider the following factors.

System functionalities

Increased complexity of software might lead to performance degradation. In addition, some software features might not function well with the current digital infrastructure. This is why, before experiencing a digital transformation, you should pay attention to what goals and objectives you want to achieve with it.

Support

Cyberattacks and technical failures are just some of the risk systems might experience. This is why finding adequate healthcare technology companies that offer 24/7 availability and maintenance is crucial when starting a software project.

By embracing health information technology services and digital innovation, healthcare providers improve the quality of care and increase productivity. It is vital to note that implementing modern-day healthcare technology to enhance human well-being isn’t easy.

This is why working with a trusted IT partner will enable you to overcome challenges in the medical field and solve problems that the healthcare industry faces. Only by sticking to technological development and implementing appropriate medical technology into your workflows can you define the future of healthcare.