6 Trends in Healthcare

Over the past year, most of the innovations have been aimed at combating the pandemic. The coronavirus has uncovered existing problems in national health systems and accelerated digitalization. In a crisis situation, the leaders of the countries were forced to make decisions based on incomplete and often inaccurate data. Therefore, the question of a faster and better exchange of medical data has become acute. The moment has come when all players in the healthcare system are aware of the current challenges and are ready to move towards smart medicine.

The pandemic has dramatically accelerated the development of healthcare technologies such as telemedicine, wearable devices, medical robots, and organic 3D printing. Every day new startups offer prototypes and solutions that change the approach to modern medicine. In this article, our team has collected current trends in healthcare and case studies of companies, showing how these trends can change the medicine of the future.

1. Smart hospitals

The concepts of smart city or smart home have been well known for a long time, but what about smart hospitals? New technologies are changing the entire healthcare industry, and first of all, the hopitals. Big data and cloud storage, integration of different devices within the hospital, use of machine learning algorithms for analyzing patient information, diagnostics, and treatment — all these things are already part of our reality. Moreover, a lot of attention goes to improving the services within hospitals. Comfortable conditions, personal patient rooms that look like a hotel room, customized facilities — everything to make patients feel more at home.

Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Ashley River Tower, USA

The hospital at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) combines the power of modern science and technology into a seamless patient experience. It includes a building for diagnostics and treatment which is connected to a huge modern tower with patient rooms and offices. The hospital specializes in cardiovascular diseases and cancer treatment. The entire building is designed using the latest technologies. To create a personalized patient-focused experience MUSC uses technologies such as cloud computing, machine learning algorithms, and the “Internal Internet of Things”. Moreover, in the hospital patients receive a service comparable to the comfort of a luxury hotel. Hospital facilities include private wards, concierge service, employee and guest parking, dedicated family lounges, even retail stores, and on-site restaurants.

Kaiser Permanente, USA

We all are used to a certain level of comfort and convenience. So, when we get into a hospital sometimes it feels like we are going back in time: no Internet, many wires around, often even no access to the light switch in the room. Kaiser Permanente Medical Center combines the latest technologies in treatment with comfort for the patient. Patients can order food (if there are no health limitations), find out information about their medications, go online, dim the lights, change the temperature in the room, and much more. All this can be done without having to ask the staff for help, just using the wireless control panel. All wards are equipped with a special digital information board, which allows doctors to get acquainted with the patient’s clinical data before the meeting. This increases patient satisfaction and makes consultations more effective.

Mayo Clinic, USA

The Mayo Clinic in the United States uses big data and provides real-time bedside analytics for each patient. It allows them to save time (from 3 to 5 minutes) on analyzing information, to use the competencies of doctors more effectively, to increase the reliability of decisions made, and even to reduce costs. Moreover, the hospital uses a special AWARE technology. AWARE (Ambient Warning and Response Evaluation) prevents information overload by using analytics to filter relevant patient data and support best-practice treatments. For instance, for patients on medical ventilation the system primarily monitors the level of lung damage.

2. Wearable devices

Wearable devices are non-invasive, self-contained devices that collect, analyze, and aggregate physiological data to monitor health and improve well-being. Currently, wearable devices target three main areas: cardiology, diabetes care, and neurology. However, potentially their application extends to other areas and diseases. Wearable devices help patients to track and monitor such indicators as heart rate, number of steps, blood pressure, body temperature, blood sugar, etc.

AireSone, Singapore

The number of children suffering from chronic diseases (such as asthma, cystic fibrosis, or diabetes) is constantly growing. Modern systems for monitoring vital parameters restrict movement, causing discomfort in patients. AireSone develops wearable medical patches — AireSone Junior — that help track a child’s breathing rate and heart rate, both day and night, to detect breathing difficulties. All data is stored and displayed in the app, so, in case of serious violations, the system immediately notifies parents.

TracPatch

The TracPatch wearable technology offers a solution that adapts postoperative care to a patient. TracPatch is a tracking patch that monitors the patient’s condition during the first six weeks of recovery at home after joint surgery. TracPatch records data such as range of motion, the performance of exercise norms, or temperature in the operation area. Data is continuously transmitted to the cloud platform, where doctors can track progress and, if necessary, take action. TracPatch connects via Bluetooth to the mobile app, allowing the patient to monitor their recovery as well.

Biobeat, Israel

The Biobeat sensor is located on the patient’s chest and uses machine learning algorithms based on big data to provide doctors with up-to-date information about the patient’s current condition and the necessary care. Biobeat simultaneously analyzes data from 13 indicators, including blood pressure, blood oxygen saturation, heart rate, respiratory rate, ECG, heart rate variability, temperature, etc. The sensor can be used both for inpatient treatment in the hospital and at home.

3. Smart drug delivery

Smart delivery of drugs and active ingredients is an approach of delivering drugs directly to certain organs at certain times and in certain doses. Special targeted drug delivery systems maintain the concentration of the exact dose of drugs in the body and avoid the need to take the drugs again. Moreover, this model helps to reduce the possible side effects of the drugs taken.

Adherium, New Zealand, Australia

Adherium is an international respiratory healthcare company. It specializes in remote monitoring and data management solutions for its users. The company develops, manufactures, and supplies respiratory devices to patients, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals. The special Hailie platform provides reminders for users and usage monitoring, as well as real-time data collection and feedback from doctors.

ARx, USA

ARx focuses on the technology of creating soluble films that are placed on the mucosa and contain drugs. The company produces different types of films, such as oral thin film, sublingual and buccal films, as well as different forms of transdermal patches. Drug film systems are designed to bind to complex mucosal tissues (mainly on the inside of a cheek or under a tongue). Thus, the necessary healing substances enter the body quickly, bypassing the digestive system and gastrointestinal tract, which reduces possible side effects.

Right Sciences, USA

Chronic patients need regular medication to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Transdermal medical patches facilitate the treatment of chronic diseases such as arthritis, back pain, insomnia, and depression. The skin can slowly absorb drugs for a long time, providing the necessary speed of delivery of active ingredients to the body.

American startup Right Sciences produces a transdermal patch that delivers plant-based drugs through the skin. The patented patch technology allows you to deliver individual formulations to each patient. The patch is used for a number of clinical indications, such as insomnia, migraine, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and others.

4. Medical robots

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