How long does it really take to implement innovations in healthcare? Under “normal” conditions – years. Under non-COVID-19 circumstances, healthcare innovation can be impeded by many challenges, such as lack of funding, regulatory approval processes, administrative procedures, clinical trial testing, disagreements among stakeholders, etc.
But what if the world is not normal anymore? What if a global pandemic swept through the population, prompting people to develop innovative healthcare solutions? The COVID-19 emergency has caused businesses to focus primarily on health first and profit second. In the past couple of months, the world has witnessed the pace of healthcare innovation accelerate at an outstanding rate. The usual timeline of development from concept to product has become weeks or even days instead of years. It seems that during these erratic times, at least one thing is certain: global collaboration and concentration on one major problem is crucial to developing healthcare innovation at an unprecedented speed.
One of medical care’s primary challenges today is helping to prevent people from getting infected by COVID-19 while managing other chronic conditions at the same time. This is the heart of where digital healthcare technology plays an imperative role.
Telemedicine has proved to be an efficient tool in containing the spread of COVID-19. Virtual platforms, video conferencing, and digital monitoring have been adopted worldwide to reduce exposure to the virus. When implemented competently, virtual care can enhance healthcare access. The systems are designed to detect the virus at early stages and help patients with chronic diseases manage their conditions. The pandemic has pointed out a mandatory duty we have today – to develop technology that ensures easily accessible healthcare to everyone.
The Coronavirus pandemic put gigantic pressure on healthcare providers. Hospitals have been overwhelmed by the number of patients and the lack of personal protective equipment (masks, gloves, eye protection, and other clothing), creating a high risk for exposure to COVID-19. Hospitals have also confronted a shortage of COVID-19 testing swabs, kits, respirators, and ventilators. In light of the pandemic, 3D printing laboratories have proved to be integral in preventing the shortage of such essential equipment.
Tools such as migration maps and contract tracing apps that use mobile phones have allowed real-time data collection on people’s locations. With this data, machine learning models are being developed to forecast the transmission of COVID-19 and guide border checks and surveillance.
Robots are becoming prevalent in the healthcare industry nowadays and especially during the pandemic because they obviously don’t get ill. Robots are being built to handle numerous different scenarios and to assist and amplify human efforts in various tasks. Inside hospitals, robots can be used for disinfection, medicine and food delivery, and vital signs monitoring, therefore significantly reducing the infection risk to the personnel.
Digitalisation has hugely benefited early detection of epidemics, fast-tracking drug trials, and impact management of outbreaks and treatment. In a period where staffing shortages are hampering the efforts to contain COVID-19, recruitment has become a major challenge. The technology has also proven to be successful in supply chain management and could be propitious in tracing medical supply chains. Where we were just a couple of months ago versus where we’re going to be in a year or two is a real-life example of two years of hyper-accelerated digital development that would normally have taken more than five years.
Several advances in technology are driving innovation in healthcare IT, resulting in an increase in the number of connected medical devices which can generate, collect, analyze, and transmit data. The data, along with the devices themselves, are creating the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) – a connected infrastructure of medical devices, software applications, and health systems and services. We are witnessing a huge shift in the healthcare industry as the adoption of IoMT brings forward medical devices and equipment connected to the internet. This has caused us to move into an era of continuous healthcare allowing real-time monitoring of medical data.
Digital Clinical Workspace Innovations
In a time when the safety of patients and hospital workers depends on social distancing, digital technologies are vital. One of the main trends in healthcare technology is the “digital clinical workspace.” They provide secure, safe, and easy access to patient information whenever it’s needed. The technology helps unify users and desktop and mobile access management for higher productivity and lower operational costs. Additionally, it helps healthcare providers improve healthcare outcomes across the care continuum, enabling them to concentrate on the patients instead of the complicated technology.
The Coronavirus pandemic has negatively affected millions of people worldwide, however it has also created the silver lining of inspiring global healthcare innovation. The way in which healthcare is delivered was already evolving rapidly, but the COVID-19 crisis worked as a catalyst that has accelerated this transformation. It will create a more connected, robust and dynamic healthcare environment that will help humanity in the fight against COVID-19 that concerns all of us.