Recently, digital transformation has taken an increasingly solid place in the strategic plan for the development of various industries. The field of healthcare is no exception, as the development of technology allows people to live longer and have healthier lifestyles.
How has digitalization already affected the healthcare industry?
The healthcare system is becoming more consumer-oriented. It aims at a personalized approach to health. At the same time, the challenge is to develop better products and services, as well as to reduce costs. All this can be achieved by digital transformation.
The introduction of digital solutions allows for better coordination between patients and doctors and within the medical community itself. Already today, interaction is becoming easier every day: the creation, exchange and maintenance of medical information takes place in the form of digital records. In addition, data can be stored in the cloud, making it much easier to access. This is especially true when a patient is referred to another healthcare professional or needs emergency assistance.
Modern medical technology has already made it easier to monitor the health of patients and record the data obtained. For example, using wearable devices, doctors can monitor their patients' vital signs in real time.
Healthcare IT Trends
Modern healthcare sector is faced with a number of problems that require immediate solutions. Innovative technologies make it possible to create the most effective tools for their implementation.
Here are some of the main IT trends that are being applied in global medicine:
Artificial Intelligence
One of the most important global trends in healthcare is the introduction of artificial intelligence systems. AI is used to predict diseases, organize preventive measures, automate and improve the accuracy of diagnostics, adapt therapy, identify groups of patients with a high risk of diseases, and much more.
Telemedicine
Telemedicine is getting medical advice without going to the doctor's office. It is especially popular in remote areas, far from medical facilities or when there is a shortage of specialists of a certain qualification, and is aimed at providing maximum comfort for the patient when interacting with medical personnel. The development of telemedicine is influenced by the growth of the so-called mobile health: the development of medical mobile devices, various medical mobile applications, and so on.
Virtual reality
This technology has already proven its effectiveness in reducing pain in patients: there are a number of programs using immersive virtual reality technology that can distract the patient's brain from pain and reduce its anxiety before, during and after medical interventions.
With the help of virtual reality it is now possible to create 3D models for planning surgical operations. Rendering an organ in 3D on paper is difficult and does not provide a detailed picture. And 360-degree computer graphics enable doctors to achieve better results.
Robots
The medical robotics industry is booming and sales are forecast to double in 2021. The most famous surgical robot is the da Vinci Surgical System. The robot is equipped with high-resolution 3D vision and slender movable instruments that are more flexible than a human hand.
Nursing robots in the future will be able to perform repetitive, repetitive tasks for medical personnel, such as drawing blood.
Also, robots can act as exoskeletons, helping not only patients with paralysis or elderly patients, but also doctors themselves in increasing muscle endurance during prolonged operations.
Mobile devices
Examples of such devices (Apple Watch and fitness trackers) have become firmly established in our daily life. With the help of fitness trackers, people independently track indicators of their condition. True, the data of these devices still have a large error, and the accuracy of the information is important for doctors. Given the growing popularity of this kind of device, we are soon expecting the appearance of similar medical devices, which, with the maximum comfort of their use by patients, will read accurate indicators.
Why is the healthcare industry resorting to IT outsourcing services?
The transition to an IT outsourcing model allows companies from all industries to achieve certain goals. For example, optimize the budget and resources, automate routine operations, ensure information security, develop a plan for modernizing IT infrastructure, and much more. Healthcare organizations also use IT outsourcing services. We will look at several of the main reasons for outsourcing all or part of IT functions.
1. Security of personal data
Transfer of information security functions to outsourcing makes it possible to provide a reliable system of protection against cyber attacks. By virtue of the legislation, healthcare institutions are operators of the personal data of their patients, and healthcare workers are also required to observe medical confidentiality. Therefore, databases with information about patients should be under reliable protection. Unfortunately, not all medical organizations have an extended IT department, including an information security specialist.
New tools and methods for the implementation of cyberattacks appear almost every day, so the presence of an information security specialist who is in constant combat readiness is simply necessary. And IT outsourcing companies have the necessary resources for this.
2. Expansion of IT services
Outsourcing of routine IT functions allows medical institutions to expand their IT services in accordance with emerging needs. Having your own IT department frees up time and human resources for strategic IT tasks, such as digital transformation policies and technological innovation.
3. 24/7 access by medical staff
The IT outsourcer assumes 24x7 support of all functions that ensure the smooth operation of the IT infrastructure. This allows healthcare providers to be available around the clock, which improves the quality of their work, especially in the event of emergencies.
4. Target distribution of personnel
Outsourcing IT tasks allows organizations to reallocate their limited staff to areas that have a higher priority for core functions, in this case healthcare delivery. The automation of a number of medical functions helps to cope with the lack of time resources. And digitalization of all necessary patient data optimizes service work and reduces the burden on administrative and medical staff.
The health sector is a rather sensitive sector, so the introduction of new technologies should be gradual and with possible approbation at each stage.
Medical institutions that are ready to introduce innovative approaches and technologies should consider IT outsourcing as one of the options that help speed up the implementation of tasks and increase the efficiency of their implementation.
