By Rohan A T
Covid19 has put our health and the entire healthcare system through its pace and in some places, the healthcare system has not been able to cope-up with the rising number of infected patients. With that said, the pandemic helped us to understand our limits and by taking this as a wakeup call, the healthcare system of countries across the globe can now think about cutting down unwanted slack and streamlining their operations in such a way that, they are able to operate in an efficient and effective manner. The increasing adoption of bleeding-edge technology and the increasing availability of healthcare professionals who can adapt to changing scenarios is a welcoming sign for the healthcare sector. Even amidst these unprecedented times, there is light at the end of the tunnel and as many are gearing up for the post-pandemic world and the beginning of 2021, lets’ take a look at five important trends that will transform healthcare in the coming year.
1. The Rise in Virtual Care: While virtual care and the aspect of remote medicine has been in the healthcare realm for many years, none would have anticipated at the beginning of this year, how crucial it will become in the fight against the pandemic. By giving personalized attention and treatment to the patients through virtual mediums, doctors can control the number of people in hospitals to a certain extent and help low risk patients to get treated from their houses itself. In 2021, this trend is set to be increasing in demand with more and more people starting to opt for virtual treatment. Another research also shows that there has been a steep rise in the number of people who were taking virtual visits to the doctors. The opportunity to get treated within the comfort of one’s house also adds to the appeal of opting for virtual care.
The increase in the amount of data collected coupled with the adoption of AI will ensure that patients can receive better customized treatment and this will also improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the entire healthcare system
2. Healthcare expansion to More Areas: The pandemic has taught us that, you can’t expect a positive healthcare outcome if you isolate the healthcare system from all the other businesses as well as educational institutions. Everyone has to work hand in hand to get the best possible results and going forward, businesses will also have to be more aware about safeguarding their employees as well as their customers. It will also be hard for businesses to operate successfully in the market without adhering to all the different healthcare mandates and as of now, various organizations have started to incorporate the latest technologies and healthcare measures to improve the safety of both their employees as well as their customers.
3. Breakthroughs through Genomics and Gene Editing: First of all, gene editing helps scientists and researchers to influence specific traits of new living cells when new proteins are created through the division of existing cells. These traits are called as phenotypes and by manipulating these, scientists will be able to find treatment for various diseases and thereby saving more human lives. There have been stunning breakthroughs using gene editing and with more and more developments in this sector, the healthcare providers will be able to offer more effective treatment for their patients.
4. The Adoption of AI: AI has been in vogue for many years now among all the various industry verticals and as time goes by, it is also starting to trickle into the healthcare sector. Over the years, there has also been a consistent rise in the amount of data collected in the healthcare sector. The increase in the amount of data collected coupled with the adoption of AI will ensure that patients can receive better customized treatment and this will also improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the entire healthcare system.
5. Being Better Prepared for Future Outbreaks: As mentioned before, the current pandemic outbreak has shown all the flaws that we have in our current healthcare system. By adopting the latest technologies and by coming up with new innovations, we can be more prepared to face and deal with future outbreaks in a far better manner. So, by the inclusion of AI, IoT as well as other technologies, the healthcare system will be more equipped to face the healthcare challenges of tomorrow.
As the world is going through a tough phase, the healthcare system of countries across the world is finding it hard to deal with the pandemic. With that said, our ability to adapt to different scenarios and improvise as well as improves ourselves as we move forward will help us and our healthcare system to bounce back from where we are now. With 2020 nearing an end and 2021 right around the corner, these above-mentioned points are five of the most important trends that will transform our healthcare.