From R&D to patient care, technology has considerably improved the United States healthcare system. It’s no secret that the United States healthcare system was not performing upto the mark. A report by the Commonwealth Fund, an US think tank, revealed that in 2014 the United States ranked last in the quality of healthcare systems when compared with 10 other industrialized nations.
Since 2012, according to the CDC, majority of Americans live with a chronic disease. Prescription drug spending make up one in every $10 spent on healthcare.
Technology has a big role to play in the future of digital health and the enhancement of healthcare, and 2015 is going to be a big year for the industry. Here’s a look at how technology can be made use of to much better the US healthcare industry.
Making sense of all the data
Big data is one of the most significant trends in digital health right now, and it’s key to every phase of the system– from research and development, to disease monitoring and treatment, to patient care. Researchers have been collecting data for years, but now, it’s about understanding the data and putting it to great use. With IoT technology, sensors, and real-time analytics, physicians and researchers can more properly understand their clients and better personalize care.
Making care more available
Access to healthcare in the US has actually long been regarded as unreliable, and technology may be able to remedy that. Telemedicine is one method that more individuals can get access to healthcare providers no matter their location, so they can communicate with doctors and receive treatment without having to physically go to a clinic.
According to a report by Robert Half Technology, 36 % of healthcare companies have no mobile strategy. Digital health clinics that are available via computer systems and mobile phones can alter that, making it easier
Reimagining medical school
The United States medical school format, which consists of two years of studying and two years of clinical residency, has been in place since about 1910. Technology has altered the medical industry, but the educational system has not truly evolved with it.
However, that is now changing– the American Medical Association’s Accelerating Change in Medical Education is funding $1 million to each of 11 various schools to assist money new programs. Some schools are providing classes that use tech to take a look at disparities in access to care or how tech can help physicians give patient care. Also, the MCAT is going under a revamping for this new age as well.
Incentives to be healthier
According to the CDC, one in five children is obese and, in 2010, more than one third of adults were. Because of this epidemic, corporate wellness has actually become a $6 billion industry, and employers are offering discounts and other financial incentives to obtain people to be much healthier, stop cigarette smoking, and/or slim down.
This comes at a time when physical fitness trackers and health apps are extremely popular with consumers, and companies like Apple are integrating health apps into their operating systems. It’s creating an ecosystem that can hopefully lower obesity rates, preventable diseases, and potentially the costs of healthcare.
Reinventing health insurance
With the Affordable Care Act, more people in the US are insured than ever before. According to a survey by the Transamerica Center for Health Studies last year, the variety of Americans without health insurance dropped from 22 % to 15 %, however that’s still a great deal of individuals who lack it.
Technology is permitting some unique approaches to closing that gap. A company called Oscar, which just provides services in New York and New Jersey currently, is trying to revamp the health insurance business design. Use the app to describe your signs, click to talk to a doctor about them, and look at all your visits, prescriptions, and medical history in a timeline. The company also pays you money to monitor your physical fitness and work to objectives. Users can also quickly get quotes for medical insurance.
Entrepreneurial Creativity
There are brilliant, innovative entrepreneurs all over the world, and a great deal of interesting innovations in the tech market. However in lots of ways, what’s being constructed is not solving genuine options– the industry is full of video games and apps and billion dollar assessments that do not make much sense. At the same time, the healthcare market is long past due for some creative options. Teaming technologists up with medical service providers is an excellent start to making a positive effect.
For example, Significance Labs is a new accelerator based in New York City that offers technologists and entrepreneurs a place to build technology to fix significant social concerns that low-income people face. Not Impossible Labs constructs technology for the sake of humankind, using open source designs and economical resources to build things like the Eyewriter and the Brainwriter. The concepts behind these companies are essential to creating better options that can actually affect people.
Health IT growth
According to a 2013 Deloitte report, 73 % of doctors think that healthcare infotech will enhance the quality of care offered long term for clients. The variety of health IT tasks is expected to enhance by 20 % by 2018, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Furthermore, as more medical carriers embrace electronic health records, physicians can team up much easier for patient care.
