
Advances in various fields of technology not historically associated with medicine are beginning to have a major impact on how care is provided.
In 2018, there are 8 trends to keep an eye on.
Telemedicine. Being able to remotely connect with patients and even perform procedures is bringing health care access to a number of underserved communities.
The Internet of Medical Things. IoMT devices allow practitioners access to large amounts of streaming data and instant access to information about their patients’ well being.
Cloud Computing. Moving information into remote platforms will make records more readily available. It will also allow practices to lower overall costs.
Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality. Using 3-D renderings to produce overlays for real world scenes, AR makes it possible for practitioners and students to access significantly more information. VR is also paving the way for new learning and surgical experiences.
Artificial Intelligence. Machine learning systems are identifying issues by looking deeper into datasets than human researchers can.
Chatbots. By automating mundane functions, such as appointment reminders, chatbots free up staff members to deal with more detailed problems.
Data Science and Predictive Analytics. Bringing together massive datasets, doctors and researchers can model disorders and injuries like never before.
Blockchain. Using distributed methods to create a secure peer-to-peer system will allow medical professionals to do a better job of sharing information securely.