“Organisations today have developed cost-effective and fast ways to engage patients, deliver quality care by fusing innovative digital solutions with existing healthcare expertise.”
The distinction
As healthcare industry continues to soar and rapidly growing larger, state-of-the-art technology and communications firms are in hot pursuit for several application sets which promises major remunerations when implemented to their fullest.
- Virtual health
Service providers are already merging video technologies with virtual healthcare/clinical services which have now become worldwide acceptable trend and continue to gain momentum. Patients can access quality healthcare through an online doctor’s app for direct video chat, a virtual screening session during which all basic data of a patient is collected to make diagnosis. More advanced-grade apps come with integrated features that can gather the same data through software which is then shared with the concerned physician.
- Healthcare in the cloud
Healthcare organisations today are active more than ever and determined to keep up with the pace of digital transformation. During the course, they need access to the latest infrastructure, platform and software solutions critical to the industry’s growth. In most cases, it requires a “pay-as-you-go” approach which involves advanced IT delivery models with the hardware and software deployed remotely on the cloud.
- Virtual health display
In a joint venture, Accenture Technology Labs and Philips Digital Accelerator were testing the Google Glass virtual display system. It’s aimed at improving efficiency and effectiveness of surgical procedures. The system is configured to relay patient’s vital signs through a head-mounted unit, allowing surgeons a hands-free access to crucial clinical details without ever moving away or diverting from the primary procedure itself.
The technology can surely come in handy when physicians and patients aren’t nearby. Patients can thereby access quality healthcare services right from the comforts of his place.
The big players
Today, there’re various leading high-tech and communications enterprises dedicating essential assets and capabilities to solve healthcare’s most budding problems. Take for instance Microsoft HealthVaultproviding consumers access to approximately 140+ health-related apps and connects to more or less 226 various medical devices from blood pressure measurement to glucose metres and more. Works like an online doctor’s app, it allow users to upload medical images such as ultrasounds, MRIs and X-Rays.
HealthVault caters to a wide range of solutions under one umbrella that includes everything from chronic disease management plans to wellness apps and more. On the contrary, Verizon; a known telecom company repurposed mobility and cloud capabilities to initiate a patient-monitoring solutions remotely.
AT&T has developed technology which allows medical professionals instant access to review patient’s diagnostic images, enable radiologists to consult more patients, diminish long-term technology costs and boost profitability. The solution also let hospital networks to centrally manage and collaborate medical images efficiently with other radiologists, physicians and institutions.
Qualcomm; a leading communications service provider offers Qualcomm Life based on the FDA-registered platform and 2net hub. The solution allows users to capture biometric data and distribute it to the designated portals, share medical information across a broad range of healthcare situations. Similarly, Cisco HealthPresence software enables service providers to supply quality healthcare to remote patients by integrating HD videos, high-end audio, intermediary/third-party medical devices and collaboration tools.
Likewise, many different start-ups are manoeuvring to dynamically overturn healthcare business models by delivering physical solutions directly to patients. Take for instance VGo Communications that has created a robotic telepresence solution with automatic flexibility abilities. The robot acts as a physician’s apprentice and enable doctors to take virtual patient rounds across multiple sites, without being there in actual.
Innovation barriers to overcome
Every industry has its unique challenges and requirements but healthcare takes the regulations and multiple stakeholders to a whole new level and make it rather a hard nut to crack. This particular distinction can be a real challenge to communications and high-tech enterprises as they attempt deploying services and network challenges seeking healthcare innovation. Developing an effective healthcare ecosystem will face a variety of challenges namely; rapid integration, healthcare talent and coping with FDA regulations.
Whether someone’s seeking flu treatment or looking for effective sore throat remedy, tech innovation in healthcare serves all which makes it more open and patient-friendly.
