Four Health Tech Trends That Will Shape 2020

The global healthcare industry is in constant evolution—thanks, in large part, to innovative technologies and their various applications on patient care. Robot surgeons, mixed reality, data analytics, and remote health support all seemed too good to be true just a decade ago. Now, these are the leading health tech trends to watch out for in the coming months.

1. Robotics
Getting operated on by robots may become the new norm in a few more years. So far, robotics engineers have dabbled in creating medical assistants, rehabilitation suits, and even surgical units that can conduct life-saving procedures. DaVinci surgical robots are currently the most popular of their kind. These FDA-approved machines can perform minimally invasive procedures that lessen pain and recovery time. Medical device giant Johnson & Johnson, in collaboration with Google’s parent company Alphabet, is also expected to enter the market this year with its own surgical robot that can perform lung biopsies. 

It’s worth noting that the use of these gadgets is still being perfected, and it has less to do with the machines themselves, but with the people controlling them. Hospitals have different standards of training, if any, and operating robots is currently not a requirement for general surgery practice. It’s an additional skill that professionals need to learn if they want to keep up with these changes, and given the rise of tech use in healthcare, it may soon become crucial to the curriculum of surgical training. 

2. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR)
The applications of AR and VR go far beyond the realm of entertainment. Just take a look at innovative products like Nofect’s Smart Balance, an AR-powered rehabilitation tool designed to help patients recovering from stroke and lower body disabilities. Overall, mixed realities in healthcare are currently focused on therapeutic techniques for physical, mental, and psychological ailments. InsightsCare’s feature on VR use in healthcare notes similar applications of the technology, like using VR goggles to rehabilitate upper extremities following injuries.

Another example is the use of the technology for pain relief. Professionals believe that providing AR or VR experiences to patients can alleviate pain and serve as an alternative to medication. The immersive environments can distract patients from physical and even mental pain, without the risk of addiction that is common in opioids and other medications.

3. Data analytics
Fitbits and other smart watches are not just helpful in fitness; they can track information relevant to one’s overall health, too. When pooled together, health-focused wearable devices contribute to the growing mountain of medical data that can further develop medical technology with important insights, while also improving patient care and transforming their everyday lives.

For instance, people living with a chronic illness can make smarter lifestyle choices that can help minimize their symptoms as well as their expenses. One example of a chronic condition is diabetes. Continuous glucose monitors (CGM) are making healthcare easier and more cost-effective for diabetics, who spend 2.3 times more on healthcare than the average patient. CGMs are small enough to fit under a patient’s clothes in order to provide real-time information on blood sugar levels, and are set to grow by 25% over the next few years. More than just a cost-cutting solution, however, these devices are also pertinent to providing patient care and more importantly, in mitigating illnesses among populations. 

4. Telemedicine
Receiving remote healthcare and support is becoming more possible and convenient with the rise of telemedicine. Simple Health CEO Joel Wishkovsky highlights the importance of telemedicine, which he says can “close the physical gap between practitioners and patients.”

Through telecommunications-powered medical devices or software like the humble Skype call, patients from rural or underserved communities have more access to some much-needed medical care. This can also prove beneficial for patients with limited mobility, as the technology also lessens the need to physically visit clinics or hospitals for simple medical evaluations. 

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