Most Recent Trends and Innovations in the Healthcare Sector

With the rapid advancement in the world of medical technologies, dramatic changes have been recently observed in the healthcare industry. There are lots of trends and innovations sprouting up in the healthcare sector, which are also contributing to the growth and development of the nation on a whole. It is expected that the revamp happening in the sector is soon to influence all aspects of the health systems and healthcare delivery. Particularly advanced communications and technology are making headway into the mainstream healthcare systems, thereby uplifting the sector and refurbishing it for better.

The Indian healthcare sector has started to emerge as a leading hub for several medical services in the global market.  With the technological advancements starting to accelerate, larger health systems are adopting new trends and innovations that are contributing to enriching the healthcare sector. Technologies like cloud computing, AI (Artificial Intelligence), and machine learning are gradually getting merged with the conventional practices in the healthcare. Despite all the regulatory changes, clinical advancements and digitalization, the resulting outcome is expected to produce cost-effective, easily accessible, and high-quality healthcare services for a wider population.

The Indian healthcare sector is expecting a rapid transformation, owing to the rise in innovative healthcare, an influx of medical tourism, corporatization of healthcare facilities, and government’s move towards innovation. In the recent years, the sector has been driving sufficient employment and revenue generation for the country’s economy.

Here are a few of the emerging trends and innovations that have gained a lot of importance in the healthcare ecosystem:

Adoption of Artificial Intelligence

In the past few years, the adoption of artificial intelligence technologies in the healthcare sector has seen a sudden rise. It has made the healthcare ecosystem more organized to solve problems of the patients, physicians, hospitals, and the overall healthcare industry. It is estimated that, by 2020, around 20 percent of healthcare organizations will achieve productivity of 15 percent to 20 percent through the adoption of AI technology. (Read more at https://www.businesstoday.in/opinion/columns/trends-healthcare-industry-healthcare-sectors-artificial-intelligence/story/267321.html). With AI-based applications, it is possible for patients to have appropriate information about their treatment, medicine, hospital facilities, and the expertise of the doctor.

Transparency in Healthcare:

The need for transparency has become one of the key concerns in the healthcare industry today. Patients are entitled to have access to their prescribed treatment, medical records, and history. It is expected that transparency in healthcare would drive in greater satisfaction and contribute to positive patient outcomes. Today patients are allowed to check their healthcare information online by providing the needed identification credentials and can get access to all details at one place from anywhere. They can also have direct contact with their doctors and physicians to ensure that the correct procedures are carried out.

Internet of Things (IoT) in Healthcare Sector:

It is anticipated that, in the upcoming years, healthcare providers will start adopting IoT-based products for the hospital ecosystem. This includes the adoption of asset tracking and inventory management systems in hospitals that will help to improve operational efficiency and patients’ safety. The rise of IoT usage in hospitals will support healthcare providers in aggregating and integrating data for the hospital management through IoT-enabled platforms.  This would reduce operational costs and enable optimization of hospital’s operational, assets, and human resource management. Moreover, increasing use of Internet of (Medical) Things (IoMT), and wearable devices help identify risk factors and provide preventative treatments to the patients. IoMT is also used for predicting patient healthcare trends and problems. These will also be important for tele-homecare and virtual hospitals.

Electronic Health Record (EHR):

With the emergence of digital transformation, the healthcare sector has started using Electronic Health Records (EHR) to streamline their data and correct operational issues conveniently. EHR in hospitals provides reliable access to patient's healthcare information such as previous medications, allergies, and complexities in their treatments, notifying healthcare providers to diagnose upcoming consequences/diseases at an early stage. EHR is reliable and accessible for doctors and hospitals from anywhere anytime. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, has already notified Standards for EHR.

Telemedicine:

One of the notable outcomes of digital technology is telemedicine. Telemedicine is indeed the synergy of medical science and Information technology. This emerging trend uses telecommunication and information technology to exchange medical records remotely and share patient information across the globe. It also enables patients to contact their physician or get an opinion from an advanced physician in other countries for treatment or diagnosis of diseases and injuries. Telemedicine would bring a breakthrough in the healthcare industry, particularly in the field of mental and psychological healthcare.

It is quite interesting to know how the latest trends and challenges are influencing the healthcare sector in the recent years. It is expected that with better technological innovations and higher healthcare investments, the future of the healthcare industry would be becoming more of a patient-oriented healthcare system. With the new technologies and the trends redesigning the patient experience and the entire healthcare market, it has become a necessity for healthcare organizations to adapt to the trending changes and make the best use of it for improving their services, knowledge, healthcare outcomes, quality, and efficiency. However, to overcome all the trends and challenges, the education sector should keep pace with rapid developments in the field and provide quality education that meets the existing healthcare trends.

In this regard, the International Institute of Health Management and Research (IIHMR), Delhi, is making headway into educational excellence, catering to the needs of the healthcare sector. IIHMR, Delhi is a premier institution, working to excel in the field of education, ever since its inception in the year 2008. The eminent institution undertakes to produce highly skilled health professionals through its management and executive training programs. IIHMR is deemed to impart technical and managerial abilities needed to establish a prospective career in all segments of the healthcare sector.
IIHMR is aiming to meet the existing educational challenges within the healthcare sector in India and has been pioneering to establish healthcare management education as a discipline. IIHMR strives to improve the standards of healthcare delivery through the betterment of healthcare management education by providing appropriate management training, research, and consultation in a national and global perspective.

If you wish to create a place of pride in your career in the healthcare sector, choosing to get education from a reputed and pioneering institution becomes essential. In that sense, IIHMR has been developing trained healthcare management professionals with requisite skills and training for the sector through its AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education) approved program – PGDHM (Post Graduate Diploma in Healthcare Management). Excellent infrastructure facilities and cutting-edge curriculum has made IIHMR carve a niche for itself in the field of healthcare and management education.

Contributed By:- 

Dr. Pankaj & Dr. Nishikant
International Institute Of Health Management Research, Delhi

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