The world will never be the same after COVID-19. The epidemic has not only moved us from our working desks to home tables at home. It has also changed how we treat our health and what we expect from healthcare services. So hands down, during the last 5 years telemedicine has made tremendous growth.
But what should we expect from 2023?
First of all, investors will be more meticulous about their investment choices. So being on top of healthcare technology trends is a must.
Before plunging into startup development, it pays to explore healthcare tech trends, like AI, Biodata or Telemedicine. Believe me, this is an exciting journey, and you couldn’t choose a better guide to make it than this article.
So let’s dig right in!
AI As Leading Healthcare Tech Trend
Of course, we are starting with AI development! Well, it's just hard to overestimate the influence of AI tech trends on the healthcare industry. But what effects are we exactly talking about?
AI in healthcare is used to:
- Facilitate the meds development, allowing for forecasting the results of tests and possible side effects;
- Detect early signs of disease on X-ray and MRI scans;
- Treat neurotic diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.
Besides that, AI can help to identify the disease better by collecting all the past data into its knowledge base. This can reduce false positives by 37% compared to analysis without AI. Virtual assistants are also a part of AI-driven medicine.
Besides direct disease prevention and treatment, AI can also help solve the problem of a shortage of personnel. For example, in 2022, the average doctor visit expectation was 26 days.
Thus, AI-based systems can take patients' surveys and examine their medical histories and test results. As a result, medical professionals get all the information already processed by AI. Based on this data, the professionals decide on the diagnosis and treatment.
Such AI-based automatization can significantly optimize processes and improve healthcare services' quality.
The healthcare startups that leverage the power of AI healthcare technology include:
- Babylon Health – an AI-driven digital service provider that connects healthcare professionals with patients on a web and mobile application;
- Freenome Inc. – an AI-driven startup, which helps to detect patterns in extracellular biomarkers for an early cancer diagnosis;
- Recursion Pharmaceuticals – a startup using AI in the development of new medications;
- BenevolentAI – software development for Machine Learning to facilitate the process of medications development;
- Healthy.io – a startup leveraging computer vision technology in urine results analysis.
It is estimated that by 2026, AI-based apps will save $150 billion for the healthcare industry.
Healthcare Marketplaces
Nowadays, healthcare marketplaces have already become a part of people’s lives. Surfing the marketplaces, users can browse physicians, couches, psychological analytics, or any type of healthcare specialist they need.
However, it is anticipated that there will be an increase in mobile marketplaces that will offer open-source integration (like in fintech with open banking). The open-source integration will allow different companies to work towards digital solutions in approving diagnosis, workflow, and reporting.
Biodata and… AI Again
One of the most significant technology trends in healthcare is biodata. This is data that will dynamically gather information from different users’ devices: smart watches, smart thermometers, fitness trackers, blood pressure monitors, etc.
The thing is that the healthcare industry alone produces enormous amounts of data. Usually, they are stored in the so-called EHR (Electronic Health Records) and cover demographic information, progress records, and prescriptions.
AI can further analyze this information and produce health recommendations, forecasting the probability of a particular disease or deviation in development.
In a more global context, data analytics can be utilized to streamline specific trends and boost healthcare development. For example, the information from cancer treatment taken from billions of patients can provide insights on improving existing approaches to cure the disease.
Here are the 7 ways to develop a HIPAA compliant software.
Check out our expert guide!
Telemedicine as COVID-19 Legacy
Humans have a common tendency to find positive things even in global upheavals like COVID-19. So one of the positive results that the COVID-19 era has brought to the table is telemedicine app development.
Telemedicine is the term used to describe the delivery of healthcare services online using electronic information, software, and hardware technology (like cameras, computers, videoconferences, etc.) One of the biggest benefits of telemedicine healthcare trends is a relatively low development cost if there is already developed infrastructure: video-conferencing and information exchange tools.
For patients, the telemedicine healthcare trend has unveiled many opportunities:
- Minimization of infection risks;
- On-demand access to medical advice;
- Access to highly-qualified professionals despite the location;
- Having alternative opinions;
- The economy of time and money.
The telemedicine industry increase has reached 35% annually, whereas about 40 US companies are involved in the domain. Here are examples of some telemedicine startups:
- MDLIVE – a telehealth provider and on-demand delivery of medications app;
- Lemonaid – medications delivery app;
- LiveHealth – a platform to connect with physicians, allergist or psychiatrist or therapists;
- Amwell – an on-demand healthcare app;
- GoodRx – a service providing treatment recommendations;
- CureApp – some telemedicine apps to help in the treatment of different diseases;
- Genneve – video consultations with gynecologists for women.
Look at HealthTap – a typical e-health app for iOS and Android. The app provides access to 50k medical professionals, each having specific skills and a rating. The system is designed so that the patient gets medical help in the shortest amount of time.
Medication Development
New forms of medications are another healthcare tech trend that is hard to believe at once. Just check out “the smart pill” technology that uses mini robots that are out in a capsule no bigger than a usual Vitamin D capsule. This is not an episode of a fantasy movie. This is a fundamental technology developed by Rani Therapeutics startup, founded by Mir Imran.
Once the capsule enters the human gut, the stomach's walls absorb it, and the robot begins its trip around the human organism. That said, the capsule is remotely controlled so the pill can get to the most hard-to-reach parts of the human body and run specific manipulations there.
Such robots are used to cure the GI tract and can even stop internal bleeding.
Personalized Medicine
The essence of personalized medicine healthcare tech trend is in considering the patient’s genetic, physiological, and other individual characteristics when choosing the treatment approach. This method is based on using innovative biological IT and Nanotechnologies.
Companies that offer personalized medicine approach:
- Encellin – implanted sensors for treating and controlling the patient’s health;
- InsightRX – a platform for predictive analytics, which includes the principles of quantitative pharmacology and machine learning to understand the individual reaction of the patient to the specific treatment;
AR/VR
Another buzzword of our times is AR/VR. And it also has not stayed aside from the healthcare industry. The major role that the AR/VR tech trend plays in healthcare is improving processes via virtual environments and providing medical services.
Virtual reality settings are especially effective in recovering from trauma. Also, it can be very helpful for surgeons to use AR/VR to broadcast the process to other medical professionals to get instant advice.
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Cloud Computing
Patient data is growing incessantly. Starting with the COVID-19 era, there has been a massive spike in this growth, and healthcare vendors faced the challenge of managing this volume of information.
EMR (electronic medical records) and EHR (electronic health records) are both cloud-based technologies that make storing and managing patients’ treatment histories, vaccinations, test results, and other medical data easier.
Unlike local servers, cloud solutions have many benefits:
- Scalability. Doctors can quickly scale up or diminish the volume of resources they need depending on the workflow;
- Cost-effectiveness. Many clouds work by the “usage payment” principle: you do not have to pay the extra cost when the volume of resources you use is smaller;
- Functionality. Using AI&ML technology, cloud systems can process data faster;
- Security. Clouds integrate powerful cybersecurity instruments to prevent leaks or unauthorized access.
DNA–Based Medical Prescription
Biohacking & Gene Editing is an up-and-coming instrument that allows doctors to explore one’s genes and how they influence health. DNA can be used in meds tests, based on which a human can learn which medications suit them best.
23andMe – is a US health tech startup founded by Ann Wojcicki. The startup provides remote DNA examinations based on collected biomaterials.
The patient gets a lab kit for saliva sample collection by mail. A few weeks after the examination, the patient receives his genetic information. That all is worth $99.
Another startup leveraging DNA investigations is Invitae. The company conducts tests to explore the genes in patients’ DNAs to spot any changes that can potentially lead to disease
Digital Therapeutics
Just imagine: instead of medications, the doctors prescribe a… mobile app!
This is precisely what Digiceuticals brings to the table. Digiceuticals or digital therapeutics healthcare trend is an industry with a high potential. It covers the methods and instruments in the treatment of neurotic disorders, in particular post-traumatic syndrome. Now, there are applications where doctors can track the patient's psychological state and even make corrections to it.
Some apps can track the sleeping routine of the patients. And some apps use a game to make modifications that influence the human brain, lowering anxiety rates, for example.
What is essential in apps like Digiceuticals is a feeling of connection and support with a medicare specialist. The Uptech team realized this during one of our market research in our mental health app case.
So in the mental health app we developed, we provided instant communication access provided to all users. Thus we developed such features:
- Instant chat with medical professionals via Sendbird chat;
- In-app user calls;
- In-app calendar to schedule user calls;
- An educational platform with video tutorials, quizzes, and a mental health community of same-thinkers.
We at Uptech are firm believers in the power of deep-dive research and identifying users’ needs. Thanks to thorough research, we developed an app that brought a feeling of human connection to the users, which made the product valuable.
Patient Experience Matters
The user-centered approach has already become the backbone of any digital service, especially when it comes to mobile apps. No wonder that is happening! As patients have a broad list of providers, the latest should focus on quality, technologically-based services.
As for the healthcare industry, the patient’s experience is becoming the spotlight. Today, not only technologies are used to improve the patient’s overall experience. The user is also becoming more engaged in the healthcare systems.
According to the research, 84% of people want their customer support issues to be solved quickly. When choosing the software development partner, they will favor the one committed to providing a quality patient experience.
Want to Make a Top-Notch Healthcare App? Here Is Why Uptech Is The Right Team
There will be no promotional fluffy stuff here. Two bare facts only.
We Know How It Feels
Firstly, Uptech has years of experience developing products. But not only we develop products for our clients. We also brainstorm, discover and launch startups in our R&D team. Among them there are:
- A mental help platform Rozmova;
- An AI-based avatar generator Dyvo;
- A performance management platform Plai (which, by the way, won Google Funding for startup growth).
Uptech team knows exactly how it feels to build your own product, from the idea to the growth stage. Also, we know what it takes to build a healthcare app that reaches out to users’ hearts.
We know how it feels, so we treat our clients’ projects like our own!
We Have Experience in Healthcare
Another pro to cooperate with Uptech on a healthcare app – we know the business very well.
Our team is experienced in building full-scale healthcare products for medical professionals, labs, hospitals, healthcare startups, etc.
Telemedicine, mHealth, or the Internet of Medical Things are not just buzzwords for us. We know exactly how to use and apply those healthcare trends to the real web or mobile app.
But enough of the pompous words. Check our mental health app case and make your own judgment!
Conclusion
Today, in times of massive competition in the market, healthcare startups should focus on users’ needs considerably. Now it is not only about building a great product with advanced functionality. What is required today is also a product that meets users' needs.
Contact us and learn more about building a healthcare product that users like.