4 Healthcare Tech Trends You Can’t Miss Out in 2021

a doctor using his phone to connect with patients

Many people are finding treatment with smart technology very effective for a variety of ailments and health issues. Learn more about this and other leading med-tech trends.

For a long time, technology in healthcare was used primarily in specialty care or to advance high-tech drugs. Today, it’s being used to support primary and prevention care as well. This major shift was sped up by the advent of COVID-19 as demand for telehealth solutions surged.

The situation brought to light many benefits and opened up countless possibilities in med-tech. In this blog post, we take a closer look at the top possibilities and trends in the healthcare tech sector.

Trend #1. Customised Medical Care Solutions

Imagine a world where all your care solutions are carefully customised to suit your distinct body and situation. Fortunately, as technology continues to advance, this dream is shaping into reality. Here a few examples of technology that are paving the path towards customised care:

  • Smart Products: Smart solutions connect with your phone to manage and monitor your health at all time. For instance, the smart Qutek Body Composition Scale connects with your phone and other health wearables to offer highly customised weight goals, tracking features, and key metrics. Users can also track their nutrition levels, design tailored meal plans, and set weight loss goals making it like their very own personal trainer.
  • Chatbots: These allow care providers to initiate contact with patients even before they reach the hospital. Case in point, the Isabel + MedChat Triage Bot, which diagnoses patients through communication with chatbots. Other possible uses include scheduling doctor visits and prescription refill reminders.
  • Internet of Medical Things (IoMT): The possibility of accessing and analysing larger sets of data has become easier with IoMT. By connecting with the patient’s device, you can get more information about their health which is used by AI to create personalised treatments.

Trend #2. Virtual Consultations

As mentioned earlier, COVID-19 has sped up the process of digital transformation in the healthcare sector. At the end of the first quarter of 2020, Teladoc reported a 92% rise in virtual consultations on its platform. Not only did this reduce the rate of infections, but patients found this technology to be very cost-effective. With no travelling costs, low consultation fee, decreased wait time and more importantly, on-demand access, this is a desirable option for many patients.

Trend #3. Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM)

After helping treat the COVID-19 infection, care providers want to use RPM technology for other situations and ailments too. As a result, we can expect an increase in RPM usage for the following patient groups:

  • Senior Citizens: With age, the need for ongoing care increases. RPM allows seniors to receive the care they need from within the comfort of their homes.
  • Patients with chronic illnesses: These patients also require ongoing care and RPM allows them to avoid regular doctor visits while managing their conditions.
  • Patients in the post-operative state: RPM reduces chances of post-surgical complications while lowering the high cost of hospital stays.

Trend #4. Promotive Health through Smart Technology

The last few years have seen a major shift from curative to promotive and preventative health. This refers to healthy behaviours and activities that reduce the risk of developing morbidities and chronic conditions. Unfortunately, traditional health providers are slow in catching up to these demands, but health tech companies have filled the void.

Smart tech, in particular, has made waves in this field. Many people are finding treatment with smart technology very effective for a variety of health issues. This change started with the emergence of simple diet apps, and has evolved to include AI-based fitness apps, smart gym equipment and wearable tech.

If you’re looking for more smart medical solutions, view our complete range of products today and follow Qutek on Instagram for more exciting new innovations.