Times are changing with certain aspects of life turning out for the better while others turning out for the worst. In the healthcare industry, the situation is similar with many approaches changing. The current approach to patient management, clinical research and health insurance among other aspects of healthcare is quite different from what it was few years back. Thanks to the advent in technology, healthcare trends are taking a turn for the better. This article elaborates the top five healthcare trends in operation around the world.
Top 5 Healthcare Trends
- Bio-simulations
This is a trend that experts have started exploiting but is not yet fully operational. A close estimate of five to ten years has been given as the time- frame needed to create functional bio-simulations. Computers will be used to make models of biological systems and processes which will resemble that of the human being. From them, computerized simulations will be designed and used to create and test new drugs. The trend is greatly beneficial to the common person as well as stakeholders in the healthcare industry. This is because it will lead to a significant decrease in the cost of producing new drugs. Moreover, time needed to produce these drugs will fall from approximately fifteen years to about three years.
- M-health
In most parts of the world, developing countries included, the trend of m-health is gaining ground very fast. It has been made possible by the tremendous growth of mobile phone usage in the recent past. Many people own mobile phone handsets most of which have apps that enable the operations of m-health. Benefits from this trend include e-consultations and home tele-health. Consequently, there has been a reduction in the number of actual visits to the doctor’s. Expenses incurred during treatment especially for patients with chronic diseases seem to have gone down.
- Data analysis
This is one trend that is going big not only in the health sector but also in other fields. More and more hospitals are finding it necessary to make data analysis for their benefit and that of their clients. In this context, both controlled and uncontrolled types of data undergo analysis. The motivation for doing so is that the results will help improve patient management as well as hospital operations and administrative work. The overall goal is that healthcare providers should be able to make sense of the data in their hands. Most have already embraced electronic health records systems, therefore making use of analytical tools will help translate this data into useful material. Patients will benefit since the analyzed data will influence decisions on patient care.
- Custom made treatments
As the human race advances into the future, a lot is going to change with more individualized treatments coming up. Moreover, customized drugs will also emerge to target particular groups of people. A case scenario in the future could be one where a person submits their blood sample to the supermarket and immediately receives professional recommendation on the type of diet that best suits them. Such customized diets will take into consideration genetics and food allergies creating a diet that is best for a specific group of people.
- Technology for healthcare risk management
The rate at which delivery of healthcare is progressing is creating the need for development of risk management software. Healthcare providers will be expected to sort of guarantee patient’s wellness and improvement from illnesses. The health sector will be transformed into more of health insurance agencies. As a result, the financial risk of hospitals will be dependent on patient care. If patients’ illnesses take a turn for the worst, so will the financial risk of the hospital.