We spend a lot of time trying to lead a healthy lifestyle to avoid diseases and have a comfortable life. We often change our diet, alcohol and water intake, exercise, and ensure we get enough sleep to live healthily.
Despite the efforts, we may still fall ill and have to visit a hospital for treatment. Healthcare services are vital and may be the difference between life and death. Our healthcare systems were tested during the Covid 19 pandemic.
During this period, we would often wonder if there is any doctor’s office near us and how to schedule an appointment. Even though we took the necessary measures to stay safe, healthcare services were always at the back of our minds.
Now that that is almost behind us, healthcare remains a critical part of our lives. The pandemic served as a wake-up call to governments to improve their healthcare systems and response. Some individuals even took the challenge.
Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, is one of the individuals who has made efforts to ensure we respond better and avoid another global pandemic. He has proposed the introduction of the Global Epidemic Response and Mobilization (GERM) team that will handle any potential disease outbreaks worldwide.
There have also been other developments within the healthcare services itself. The developments stem from a change in the businesses and the technology adopted. The result is better and more reliable healthcare. Some of the emerging trends that have improved healthcare include:
1. Adoption of Telehealth
During the pandemic, people were encouraged to work from home to keep the spread of Covid 19 at bay. As a result, phone calls and video chats became popular in all fields. People made virtual appointments, which were convenient and safe.
Since then, virtual appointments have enabled people in remote areas to access healthcare easily and at low costs. Technology has also enabled remote monitoring of patients. Nurses can monitor and even get readings from medical equipment from miles away.
Telehealth services have also eased access to specialists. A surgeon can now perform surgery remotely, using a robot, or guide a team through a procedure while on a call.
2. Wearables and Mobile Applications
Wearable devices are becoming increasingly popular as luxury wear and medical gear. Fitbits and smartwatches are some of the most common wearables on the market that make a difference. The wearable devices have sensors that allow them to monitor and track your health.
Some companies like Apple have taken things to a higher level with their smartwatch. The device can monitor your activity to help you stay healthy and even contact emergency services if you collapse. The watch also comes with GPS services for location purposes.
Mobile applications are also easing access to healthcare. There are applications to help you find doctors online and schedule appointments. Other applications perform simple functions like reminding you about appointments and taking your medication.
There are also applications to help you manage your mental health. Mental health has been a rising concern, especially with everything that is going on in the world. Even though most applications are not authorized for clinical use, they are still useful. The wearables and applications provide extra information that medical officials can use to diagnose you better and more accurately.
3. Artificial Intelligence Technologies
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a vast discipline that encompasses different technologies that enable computers to act and think like human beings. One of the fields under AI is machine learning. As the name suggests, computers can learn. Computers learn through models that learn from data.
Artificial intelligence has enabled the development of analysis software that has made imaging faster. The imaging software can make inferences from complex CAT scans, X Rays, and MRIs just like a professional would. The adoption of the software has fast-tracked diagnosis and improved the accuracy of treatments.
AI has also enabled predictive analysis in the medical field. With enough training data, it is possible to determine the likelihood of an event. The prediction made, is based on patterns established from the data used during training.
Therefore, it is possible to calculate the outcome of a treatment regimen and change it if it is bound to fail. Also, you can determine patients at a higher risk of developing a condition based on their genes. A doctor can do the same, however, AI will consider multiple factors and is, therefore, more accurate.
4. Use of Virtual Reality
Virtual reality (VR) is being used to teach and train surgeons. Lecturers can accurately pass knowledge to their students with visual aids and 3D models using virtual reality machines. Similarly, surgeons can use virtual reality machines to run simulations before performing surgery.
Virtual reality provides an immersive environment that offers accurate responses to the input. Therefore a surgeon can use virtual reality to practice surgery and see all the possible outcomes without putting the patient at risk. The use of VR has increased the quality of healthcare and saved lives.
5. Companion and Genomic Testing
Doctors have to engineer new treatments for diseases. One of the approaches they are now using involves studying the genetic makeup of a particular patient. A series of tests are performed on their protein samples, and the results help determine the care or treatment administered.
Genomic testing involves studying an entire genome. Companion testing, on the other hand, involves studying a biomarker rather than the entire genome and is, therefore, cheaper. Both tests are effective in creating personalized treatments for individuals.
The treatments provide better outcomes. The tests conducted can also help with early detection and treatment plans for diseases such as cancer. The tests are also useful when screening newborns and preimplantation testing for embryos.
Conclusion
Good healthcare is a necessity and we should appreciate the efforts being made. Leaders will continue making innovations in the field to make healthcare even better. Currently, several trends have been adopted to better health services.
The advances will help make healthcare efficient and affordable. If we keep up the trend, the United Nations’ sustainable development goal concerning health is attainable.
Thank you for reading.
