The global healthcare industry is constantly evolving, especially in developed nations, and this is due to technological advancements. Unsurprisingly, 50% of the UK’s adult population has access to digital healthcare. The move is also being spurred on by changing patient demands and the need to thrive as a medical business. These developments have transformed healthcare quality in many ways, making it essential for any forward-looking healthcare business to adapt to provide patients with the best solutions. Are you in the healthcare industry or want to know how patient care has improved? Here are the top four healthcare business trends in 2023.
Telemedicine transforming healthcare access
Telemedicine has emerged as a healthcare game-changer, especially in remote areas. This trend uses technology to facilitate virtual consultations and remote patient monitoring. It enables people to connect with healthcare professionals through video calls. Patients can receive quality consultations from the comfort of their homes because telemedicine provides access to medical advice, diagnosis, and even treatment. This trend has increased healthcare access for people with geographical barriers and has even become a go-to for persons with limited mobility. Telemedicine was invaluable during the COVID pandemic, and three years after, it continues to serve people without the need for a physical hospital. From the business perspective, telemedicine allows healthcare companies to optimise their resources by reducing the need for physical infrastructure and human labour at every location. It helps improve operational efficiency, reduce overhead costs, and enhance profitability for healthcare businesses.
Artificial intelligence and healthcare delivery
There has been a tremendous change in how data is evaluated, diagnoses are made, and treatments are personalised. AI algorithms assess vast volumes of medical data and identify complex patterns that human medical staff may miss. No matter how you look at it, AI has contributed immensely to more accurate diagnoses and custom treatment plans. It explains why AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants are increasingly used to schedule appointments and provide basic medical information. It would amaze you to know that these machine-learning algorithms have been programmed to predict disease outbreaks. Other algorithms help optimise the allocation of hospital resources. Due to more accurate diagnoses provided by AI, healthcare facilities can avoid long-winding tests and procedures. As a business establishment, that is good cost-saving news.
Medication adherence packaging
For many years, there’s been discussion about patients’ poor compliance with treatment plans. Unfortunately, a patient cannot always be blamed because forgetfulness is a real factor that often leads to poor compliance. Thankfully, medication adherence packaging is addressing this critical healthcare issue. It ensures patients take their prescribed medications when and how they should. This development has therefore accounted for pill organisers, blister packs, and other measures to remind patients of prescribed medications to be taken. What makes this simpler is the provision of clear instructions and marked compartments for anybody to understand and adhere to. Another element worth discussing is the multi-dose packaging available for complex medication regimens. With all these additions, people can conveniently track and monitor their medication intake for better health outcomes. As a healthcare business, it would be best to know that improved medication adherence leads to satisfied patients and increased medication sales. Now, that is something to smile about as a healthcare business establishment.
Data security and privacy
Data security and patient privacy have become paramount with the increased healthcare digitization. The healthcare industry handles huge volumes of sensitive patient information, which makes these facilities prime targets for cyberattacks and data breaches. In response, many healthcare businesses have invested in robust cybersecurity measures to protect their patient data from unapproved access. In all cases, however, this move complies with privacy regulations like HIPAA. Now more than ever, many health facilities are securing their electronic health record (EHR) systems and using complex encryption measures. Additionally, there has been a dramatic rise in employee training on data protection as part of measures to safeguard patient information. As a healthcare establishment, you cannot ignore that maintaining trust in the digital age is the real deal breaker here. With technology driving these trends, there is every reason to be strategic in your healthcare business decisions. The more you do that, the better results and outcomes you will record in your healthcare business.
Before taking any step as a healthcare business, learning all you can about the latest trends is important. That will furnish you with the advantages and disadvantages of these developments; then you can select the ones that work best for you.