The healthcare sector is one of the most important sectors of the economy, and not only because of its monetary contribution but also since it is solely responsible for saving more than a few lives. The healthcare industry takes care of the well being of the population, providing care to the people when their health deteriorates along with ensuring preventive measures so that they are safeguarded against widespread diseases.
But, if you think about it, the population of the world is much larger as compared to the existing resources of the healthcare industry. A classic example of which are the long queues at the emergency wards of the hospital that are seldom seen empty. As time passes by more and more people age and the burden of care services on the industry keeps on rising. And while we might not realize how big a role the resources play in ensuring the well being of the population, it is only in times of crisis that our eyes are opened.
The Shortcomings of the Healthcare Industry
There can be no better way to understand the insufficiencies of the healthcare system than by understanding the scenario of pandemics’s new coronavirus. Starting from a small province, the virus has spread to multiple nations across the globe, causing a halt to the everyday life and work. The impact of it is so fierce that not just work but entire economies are coming to a halt and people are being specifically asked by authorities to stay at their homes.
Since the virus spreads through physical contact, there is a huge challenge getting out of home and going to places where there are people. Having said this, everybody is taking the best of precautions, because the disease turns lethal. Starting from one, several thousand people have died due to the pandemic and many are scared of the rate with which the virus is proliferating in the society.
But the major setback that the world is facing is due to the lack of a strong healthcare IT Services support system. While developed countries are somehow managing to screen patients and keep a check on those whose conditions are deteriorating, it is the developing and third world countries that are at their worst. Even though these countries have a minimum support system for most of the diseases, the surge of patients of coronavirus and their government’s inability to keep it in check is something worth worrying.
Neither do these countries have strong manpower nor string technological support that can keep them sustained in the modern world. As a result, many affected patients are dying in such nations where healthcare is still in its nascent stages and not adopting technological intervention as part of its core structure.
While the losses of life are irreparable, nations and governments can only take cue from such incidents and try to utilize the best of technology for their medical institutions etc. The beginning of which has to be made with existing technological adoption such as machine learning development solutions models and more. Then once they are done, the shift has to be made to new technologies that can help in overcoming the deficiencies of the existing system to a great extent and in the shortest amount of time, which is the goal of healthcare.
The Next Gen Technologies
Emerging technologies around the world have a lot of potential in them. Not only can they be used to speed up the existing process of delivering healthcare but also bring new ideas to the table that can save a lot of lives without having to create a situation of panic.
In fact, most people get panic struck because there is no adequate facility. With technological intervention, these patients can be addressed adequately while doctors will not have to face a situation of burnout.
Virtual Reality
While many think that virtual reality is a dead technology, experts suggest the opposite. 2020 will be the year where virtual reality will either emerge as one of the best technologies or get lost amidst the crowd forever. For the healthcare industry virtual reality can mean a lot of things, Medical experts can be efficiently trained in handling or performing a procedure with VR material. SImilarly, VR video games can be created to train doctors for the real world scenario.
Real life Robots
Medical experts can not only be trained using digital experiences but also using real life examples which give them a much better exposure to the happenings of the real world. Researchers are now building robots that can bleed, give birth and replicate a lot of real human actions.
Bionic Eyes
By printing an array of light receptors on a hemispherical surface, researchers at the University of Minnesota are developing bionic eyes. That might be one of the biggest breakthroughs in bringing sight back for blind people. The eye consists of photodiodes and might be able to convert light into electricity with 25 percent efficiency.
Conclusion
With more new technologies in the horizon, a lot of existing problems can be solved in the healthcare sector. Therefore, the people who are of the image that technological disruption is only for innovation, might start accepting it and finding it relevant for handling the present deficiencies of the industry.
