Technology has become an important part of every aspect of our lives. We rely on it to do just about everything today. 

Advances in technology, along with comprehensive medical management services,  have a significant effect on the healthcare industry and how it operates. This affects everything that happens inside and outside of the office. It affects procedures and prescriptions, scientific advancements, and even the way that doctors and patients communicate. 

Technology has the power to redefine the entire industry. It makes everything more accurate and it helps us better predict and treat illnesses and diseases. Without technological advancement and changes in the industry, healthcare would look completely different today.

This advancement never stops, and we must continue to grow with it. In 2019, we are seeing a lot of significant changes brought about by new technology. Here are 5 technologies that are redefining healthcare today.

1. At-Home Testing for All

At-home testing puts the power in the hands of the patients. People can run simple blood tests to find out if they have a disease and monitor it as it progresses. 

One example of this technology is imawareTM. It works by taking a small blood sample, just a drop or two from a pinprick on the finger, to test for celiac disease or rheumatoid arthritis. With just a few drops of blood, imawareTM can run a comprehensive array of tests.

Once the sample has been collected, patients send it to the labs through the mail. After the tests are run, you'll get results in an easy-to-read format online. It takes about two minutes to collect a sample and five days to get results.

This is a great option for people who don't have the time to schedule an appointment and go to the doctor. The test can be done in just a few minutes at whatever time fits your schedule. You don't need a prescription to buy the test, you can just purchase it online.

2. Blockchain EHR

The blockchain, best known for hosting bitcoin transactions, has a lot of potential in the healthcare industry. With unparalleled security and wide-spread accessibility, the blockchain can change the way that we handle electronic health records (EHRs).

Data breaches within the healthcare industry are a serious issue. Hosting EHRs on the blockchain would not only increase security to an unhackable level, but it would make access to EHRs easier for patients who may have switched doctors or gone to a specialist in a different office.

Very few healthcare businesses are taking advantage of the blockchain today because of the overwhelming amount of information that could be stored for a single patient. This information overload makes it difficult to find the exact information they need from a patient's record. 

Few developers have created apps for this purpose, but if the industry were to embrace a national database hosted on the blockchain, it would create a web of information that both doctors and patients would benefit from.

3. Big Data

According to Digital Authority Partners, big data is "a large set of complex data, whether unstructured or structured, which can be effectively used to uncover deep insights and solve business problems that could not be tackled before with conventional analytics and software."

In healthcare, this means that data can be analyzed more effectively to find patterns and solutions. This improves clinical outcomes, product development, preventative care, predictive diagnosis, productivity in the offices, revenue for all healthcare practices and organizations, and more.

Big data is beneficial both for patients and for the healthcare industry. When used properly, it can reduce the time and resources put into testing and analyzing information. Ideally, this would result in cheaper healthcare and more resources to put toward research and development of new technologies.

4. AR Surgery

Augmented reality (AR) has the potential to change the way that we do surgery. With AR, surgeons will be able to keep their eyes on the patient and their hands while still being able to see important data collected by the machines in the operating room (OR).

Currently, ORs are filled with machines that often have their own individual screens. Surgeons have to look away from the patient and their hands to get vital information. Some of these machines offer the surgeon an inside view of the surgery but from an odd perspective.

AR glasses or goggles would allow the surgeon to keep their eyes on the patients and their hands at all times. They wouldn't need to look away at screens to see important vital sign information. And, the overlaying display of AR could show doctors the inside of the patient from their perspective so that they can maneuver more easily.

AR is likely something that would be integrated with a new generation of surgeons who can train with such equipment. Putting a pair of goggles on a seasoned, experienced surgeon may be distracting or confusing. So, it may take some time before we see a practical application of this technology.

5. Software as a Medical Device (SaMD)

Software as a medical device, or SaMD, means that the software itself is the medical product. This does not include software that runs electronic equipment to support the function of it.

According to Orthogonal, examples of SaMD include "medical apps that treat, diagnose, cure, mitigate, or prevent disease and other conditions." There is no need for hardware with this technology.

SaMD offers several benefits to both the patients and doctors. These benefits include:

  • More effective screening, diagnosis, and treatment decisions

  • Better monitoring and alerting systems for pre-existing conditions

  • Personalized and accessible plans for managing chronic conditions and diseases

  • Communication with medical devices to collect important clinical data and create a personalized care plan

SaMD is used in conjunction with existing technology and treatment plans to keep patients and doctors informed. This information allows doctors to treat a patient based on their exact needs.

The integration of new technologies into the healthcare industry is revolutionizing patient-doctor interactions, treatment plans, research and development of new medications, and so much more. In 2019, doctors will have more information on their patients and their conditions than ever before, which translates to better treatment plans and more successful outcomes.