The health sector consists of various branches, two of which are telehealth and telemedicine, which involve the use of communication technologies and telecommunication to treat patients effectively and securely over long distances by medical professionals. Digital healthcare will pave the way for easier access to patients and increase treatment efficiency across the healthcare space. Below are some telehealth and telemedicine trends that the healthcare space will see in 2022.
One trend that will be visible going into 2022 is mHealth. The use of mobile phones is now imminent in tracking patients’ medications, diagnosis, and treatment. Seeing as mobile phones are increasingly more accessible to the general population, smart devices are enormously useful in setting appointments with healthcare professionals, making healthcare more accessible to immobile patients, and better coordination generally among patients.
Another trend that will be seen going forward is store and forward telehealth. This incorporates using secure servers to convey confidential information about patients to the appropriate end-users. This information could range from MRIs to X-rays, CAT scans, text, and video-based information that medical professionals require to treat patients remotely. Store and forward telehealth are also carried out using secure email platforms.
Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) is another trend that significantly reduces the cost and stress of physical checkups by keeping track of patients using wearables and mobile accessories to collect, evaluate, collate and transmit sensitive patient data. RPM keeps track of patient glucose levels, cardiovascular activities, physical stamina, blood pressure, and oxygen levels. It also reminds patients to act on this information and share it with their physicians. For patients who spend long periods without seeing their physicians, RPM serves as an avenue to better detect, manage, and combat complications that may arise ahead of time, increasing efficiency and drastically reducing the cost of treatment.
A technology trend with the power to sufficiently support and grow telehealth and telemedicine is Artificial Intelligence. AI has greatly enabled the improvement of health care administration over the years, and it will continue to do so in 2022. For patients that require immediate access to healthcare professionals within a short time frame, the use of automatic chatbots, automated health alerts, and machine learning increase the efficiency of the care provided at a moment’s notice. Medical practitioners are also aided by AI-supported features that analyze patient data, process them, and generate effective treatment plans by making data-driven decisions.
Video conferencing and high-resolution cameras are essential tools in advancing telehealth and telemedicine. The use of video conferencing has been used to substitute for physical sessions with physicians. Patients incapable of leaving their current locations can be diagnosed and even treated virtually. Individuals such as military personnel and inmates in prisons can be treated remotely. This saves time and money for both parties and increases the safety of the medical practitioners involved in the treatment of prisoners.
Telehealth and telemedicine solutions can significantly increase access to healthcare for individuals across the world. Seniors particularly stand better chances of care with the features that telehealth provides. Because telehealth increases productivity among healthcare workers and significantly improves patient satisfaction, healthcare organizations will continue to utilize it in 2022 and beyond.
One trend that will be visible going into 2022 is mHealth. The use of mobile phones is now imminent in tracking patients’ medications, diagnosis, and treatment. Seeing as mobile phones are increasingly more accessible to the general population, smart devices are enormously useful in setting appointments with healthcare professionals, making healthcare more accessible to immobile patients, and better coordination generally among patients.
Another trend that will be seen going forward is store and forward telehealth. This incorporates using secure servers to convey confidential information about patients to the appropriate end-users. This information could range from MRIs to X-rays, CAT scans, text, and video-based information that medical professionals require to treat patients remotely. Store and forward telehealth are also carried out using secure email platforms.
Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) is another trend that significantly reduces the cost and stress of physical checkups by keeping track of patients using wearables and mobile accessories to collect, evaluate, collate and transmit sensitive patient data. RPM keeps track of patient glucose levels, cardiovascular activities, physical stamina, blood pressure, and oxygen levels. It also reminds patients to act on this information and share it with their physicians. For patients who spend long periods without seeing their physicians, RPM serves as an avenue to better detect, manage, and combat complications that may arise ahead of time, increasing efficiency and drastically reducing the cost of treatment.
A technology trend with the power to sufficiently support and grow telehealth and telemedicine is Artificial Intelligence. AI has greatly enabled the improvement of health care administration over the years, and it will continue to do so in 2022. For patients that require immediate access to healthcare professionals within a short time frame, the use of automatic chatbots, automated health alerts, and machine learning increase the efficiency of the care provided at a moment’s notice. Medical practitioners are also aided by AI-supported features that analyze patient data, process them, and generate effective treatment plans by making data-driven decisions.
Video conferencing and high-resolution cameras are essential tools in advancing telehealth and telemedicine. The use of video conferencing has been used to substitute for physical sessions with physicians. Patients incapable of leaving their current locations can be diagnosed and even treated virtually. Individuals such as military personnel and inmates in prisons can be treated remotely. This saves time and money for both parties and increases the safety of the medical practitioners involved in the treatment of prisoners.
Telehealth and telemedicine solutions can significantly increase access to healthcare for individuals across the world. Seniors particularly stand better chances of care with the features that telehealth provides. Because telehealth increases productivity among healthcare workers and significantly improves patient satisfaction, healthcare organizations will continue to utilize it in 2022 and beyond.
