The cry of alarm has been coming from several directions for some time now: the health system risks not holding up if it is not redesigned. The pandemic has touched the nerves of the hospital organization and local health care, but it is not just an Italian problem and it does not depend only on Covid. Staff shortages, work overloads, lack of structural investment and rising costs of care – to name just a few – have been tearing the rope apart for years. And the consequences of two difficult years will give a further tug: just think of the delays in cancer screening that could result in an increase in advanced cases. They all agree on the principle, therefore: the ways, times and places in which health care is provided must be rethought. Technology is undoubtedly one of the drivers of change. Here are 10 trends of how it will affect healthcare in 2022 according to Philips, a leading company in the Health Technology sector.
1 – Artificial Intelligence for routine operations
It is estimated that in a radiology department the time spent by staff on routine operations that could be automated can be as high as 25%. These activities increase the workload of the operators and take away time to devote to quality patient care. Is it possible to reduce this type of load? The answer is yes, with artificial intelligence (AI): in biomedical imaging, in particular, AI can speed up and make more precise exams such as MRI and CT scans. Another important field of application is surgery and all interventions based on image-guided therapy.
2 – Virtual rooms for remote interventions and remote collaborations
Over the past year, two-thirds of healthcare leaders said they are already investing in virtual tools for remote care. Virtual assistance is an advantage not only for patients, but also for professionals. One example is tele-ICUs (tele-ICUs), where emergency medicine specialists, located within a detached control center, are connected remotely – through audio, video and others. digital tools – with critically ill patients who are in intensive care in other locations, even very distant ones. Another example is remote ultrasound devices: these allow physically distant healthcare professionals to interact and discuss an exam with specialists, potentially on the other side of the world, using real-time collaboration platforms.
3 – More and more digital home care
The number of digital remote monitoring systems is growing to help patients manage their health even when they are alone at home. They range from wearable devices to apps that allow you to continuously control the parameters. And again, from preoperative coaching, which follows the patient before and after surgery, to methods for detecting the patient reported outcome – that is, the clinical outcomes reported by patients. These outcomes can help both doctors and patients themselves, allowing them to identify who is at risk of relapse or who has side effects and complications that require specialist intervention, or to maximize adherence to prescribed care. The pandemic has taught us that these tools play an important role alongside traditional treatments. But there is still a lot to do globally: according to the World Bank and the World Health Organization, half of the total population does not receive quality care.
4 – Services “go” to patients
Bringing assistance to the territory is a key element in providing quality services and reducing travel. In this context, Philips has developed virtual stations, the Virtual Care Stations, small telemedicine environments that integrate different tools, to be distributed and integrated in public and non-public spaces (in shops or in the town hall, for example). These and other environments can function as mini-hospitals in which examinations and treatments can be performed while remaining in remote connection with the reference structures. In this context, artificial intelligence could play an increasing role, for example for biomedical imaging, in supporting the use of portable devices.
5 – Integrated data to personalize care
To make the therapeutic path optimal, from diagnosis to treatments, up to follow-up, it is essential to have a clear picture of the patient’s clinical situation, in which information is easily accessible and shareable within multidisciplinary teams, as well as compared with data. of other people, for example with those of those who have the same pathology. A representative example is provided by oncology, in which there is an increasing trend towards precision and personalized medicine. Through integrated diagnostic solutions, the therapeutic choice can be optimized and simplified.
6 – Predictive systems to improve the management of services
Historical data and information in real time, processed thanks to artificial intelligence systems and predictive analysis models, can provide important information to quantify the request for assistance 24-48 hours in advance: for example to better manage the flows to the inside a healthcare facility and to make timely and effective decisions.
7 – Towards an increasingly “as a service” model
Business models based on Software as a Service (Saas) are spreading, which reduce the energy required for various operations and, at the same time, speed up information sharing. Based on cloud computing, these systems allow – even patients – to access data in real time and remotely. The use of local servers thus decreases (even up to 15%), together with energy consumption, and thus lowers the ecological footprint of a healthcare facility. This is just one example of how service-oriented circular models can reduce waste and carbon emissions.
8 – Reduce the environmental impact of healthcare
The health sector has a non-negligible impact on the climate, given that overall it is responsible for 4% of carbon dioxide emissions. With a view to defending the health of the environment – therefore also ours – we are increasingly moving towards circular economy solutions and a “green” approach. But real room for improvement lies in the transition to renewable energies and the increase in the energy efficiency of devices to reduce the consumption of electricity during their use. Globally, the combined effect of renewable energies and energy efficiency will be the main driver of decarbonisation.
9 – Helping consumers to make informed choices
In the rapidly expanding world of e-commerce, it’s not unusual for consumers to buy the same type of product from different brands to try it out. We are also talking about e-health technology products. According to Pitney Bowes, a US e-commerce company, 51% of shoppers knowingly act this way and can then return the items. But when it comes to returns, it is too often cheaper to destroy the product to avoid the costs of transportation, storage, relabeling and so on. To reduce this useless waste it is necessary to inform and educate consumers. In the European Union, more and more brands are joining the Green Consumption Pledge to raise awareness of the environmental footprint of their products. For example, through the adoption of the ecological label that communicates how the use of resources, materials and packaging is being reduced.
10 – Transforming innovations and commitments into measurable results
The success of each technology and commitment to sustainability will depend on whether or not they translate into measurable results. And as we move to ever more value-based care, healthcare facilities are investing resources in measuring outcomes, including social impact and environmental sustainability, as well as clinical outcomes. Being able to measure and report results in detail is key to demonstrating the value of services, helps compare options and show opportunities to improve or even redefine care