If you are into the healthcare business, you probably know how adapting to the digital era requires a shift towards a flexible and risk-taking mindset. In medicine and healthcare, deciding which emerging technologies are worth investing in is super crucial since every decision directly impacts people’s lives.
Digital transformation in healthcare means letting go of outdated health solutions and processes and bringing modern technical solutions that yield significant results.
Keeping the post-pandemic advancements in mind, we have seen a massive change in how data-driven digital tools and applications can accelerate the entire healthcare ecosystem. Digital transformation has significantly helped healthcare startups ready to adopt modern healthcare solutions based on technologies like Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML), Data analytics, robotics, cloud computing, etc.
Statista says that the global digital health market is estimated to reach nearly 660 billion USD by 2025, which shows all the positive impacts of digital transformation in healthcare.
So how about we discover various applications and use cases of digital transformation for healthcare startups and enterprises? Let’s start with the basics, shall we?
What is digital transformation in healthcare?
In simple terms, digital transformation in healthcare creates a building block to a patient-focused approach driven by modern technological solutions. These solutions help healthcare professionals streamline operations, understand the patient’s needs, provide undivided care and offer a better experience.Â
Another question that arises here is how can digital transformation potentially benefit healthcare startups and businesses. Our next point of discussion is going to clarify all your queries.Â
Trending digital transformation applications for healthcare startups
Below are the roles of emerging technologies responsible for developing viable healthcare solutions for startups and businesses. This will give you a complete picture of how digital transformation solutions are adapted in healthcare :
- Telemedicine
- Big data analytics
- IoT (Internet of Things)
- AI/ML (Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning)
- VR (Virtual Reality)
Let’s look at these technologies in detail.
1. Digital transformation by On-demand healthcare applications and telemedicine
The time when patients had to schedule an appointment with the doctors and wait for a couple of hours was a bygone era. They don’t even have to wait for the clinical test reports to revisit the doctor. Why? Because of new on-demand solutions.
When you hear “on-demand,” you think of patients and customers who want services on their own time and at their own convenience. Since healthcare startups are on the verge of entering digital innovation, serving patients on their own schedule is mandatory. That’s where on-demand healthcare application development and telemedicine can rescue you. Everything can be done on a mobile application, from searching for a doctor to scheduling appointments and connecting over audio/video calls.
Virtual appointments are super beneficial in rural and remote areas where medical assistance is limited. Another benefit is for patients with mobility challenges who need timely interaction with healthcare experts. On-demand and telehealth technology can efficiently save lives and manage patients at high risk by constantly being available at their convenience.
2. Digital transformation by Big data analytics
Big data has completely revolutionized the way we analyze, leverage, and manage healthcare data. Healthcare businesses collect massive amounts of data that can be turned into actionable insights to prevent diseases, forecast epidemic outbreaks, enhance the quality of life and regulate treatment costs.
Big data analytics in healthcare can help healthcare startups in the below ways:
Patient prediction for improved staffing –
Healthcare startups usually face issues with staff management since extra staff would result in unwanted labor costs, and limited staff would lead to inefficient management. With big data, you can generate hourly and daily predictions of how many patients are expected to be in the hospital and can assign staff accordingly.
Real-time alerting
Your healthcare business can also utilize clinical decision support systems to analyze medical data on the spot and make informed data-driven decisions. Today, even wearable devices such as smartwatches can collect patients’ health data and send it to the cloud.
For instance: If a patient’s heartbeat increases, the device sends a real-time notification to the assigned doctor who can take respective action.
Other data analytics use cases for healthcare startups include informed strategic planning using medical data and reduced human errors.
3. IoT (Internet of Things)
IoT technology has made interactions with doctors easier and more efficient resulting in improved patient engagement and satisfaction. IoT-enabled devices facilitate remote monitoring unlocking the potential to provide better healthcare.
IoT can also reduce healthcare costs by preventing readmissions and decreasing the duration of a patient’s stay in the hospital. IoT systems embedded with sensors monitor the real-time location of medical equipment, including oxygen pumps, nebulizers, wheelchairs, etc.
Smart IoT-enabled cameras can also detect and alert the staff in unwanted cases like patients not washing and sanitizing their hands before any activity or if the visitors are sitting too close to the patients.
4. Digital transformation by AI/ML
Artificial Intelligence and machine learning simplify 80% of hospital startups’ tasks by performing them in automated mode at a fraction of cost and time. From finding links between genetic variation codes to driving surgery assisting robots, AI has reinstated the modern healthcare system by merely predicting, learning, and executing.Â
AI techniques and systems can diagnose and reduce errors more quickly than any medical professional, saving major diagnosis time. On top of that, the remarkable success of deep learning (a subset of AI) in visual object detection and recognition has made healthcare startups a positive foundation for accurate medical service.
Another recent advancement by AI is converting smartphone selfies into powerful diagnostic tools. Smartphones can be used to detect images of infections, wounds, medications, lesions, etc., to heal unserved areas. In fact, current smartphone systems come with discrete features that can identify craniofacial abnormalities through images.
A few other benefits of digital transformation brought by AI/ML are automating manual processes, managing EHR (electronic health records), analyzing pathology images, etc.Â
5. Digital transformation by VR
Virtual Reality is a technology that utilizes computer-generated simulation of a 3-D image or environment that allows you to see, hear and interact using special equipment like headsets and glasses. In conjunction with AR (Augmented Reality) and VR, medical professionals can view tissues and organs via scan, increasing the success of surgeries.
Virtual reality in medicine is already transforming patient treatment and medical education. Using 3-D images in a live environment minimizes the chance of damage in upcoming operations and leads to higher accuracy in medical diagnosis. VR has also been proven helpful in pain reduction by creating an ecosystem for patients that is soothing and relaxing. Not to forget the mental health benefits of using VR for patients who face mobility challenges.Â
Wrapping Up!
Healthcare startups are going through a seismic shift in how medical information is obtained and disseminated. Through digitally transformed tools and software, the goal is to create products and services that improve lives. If your healthcare business is still looking to transform digitally, it’s time to upgrade your services and invest in solutions such as healthcare app development, chatbots assistants, etc. We recommend seeking professional guidance from a reliable development company for an easy and smooth process.
