U. S.

MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY 2025

U.S.MedicalTechnology2025
(TeamNavy)
RobKirk
KelliMowry
TerresaRoulhac
SierraVargas
HCA600
NationalUniversity

U. S. MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY 2025

U.S.MedicalTechnology2025

Medicaltechnologyhasasignificantimpactinnotonlythedeliveryofhealthcarebut,in

shapingitsfutureaswell.Youwouldbehardpressedtofindanaspectofhealthcarethatdoes
notrelyheavilyupontechnologyorseekoutitsprospectiveadvancementsinordertoprovide
processimprovement.Documentingpatientencounters,earlydetectionofdisease,surgical
interventionandevenfundingarebutafewvariablesthatcanbeattributedtotheU.Shealthcare
systemsdependenceontechnologicalinnovation.TheoutlookforhealthcareintheUnited
Statesispromisingand,inlookingtothefuture,istieddirectlytotheevolutionofmedical
technology.
Astechnologycontinuestogrow,sowillthewayinwhichpeoplereceiveandcontrol
theirmedicalrecords.TheEMRalsoknownastheElectronicMedicalRecordhasanumberof
benefitsforboththepatientattheprovider.Forexample,theEMRcantakedatafromapatient
andtracktrendsoveraperiodoftime.Thesetrendscanbeusedtoidentifypotentialproblems
anddiseasesandalsodeterminewhichpreventivescreeningsaredueataparticularinterval.
OtherbenefitsoftheElectronicMedicalRecordincludehavingtheabilitytonotonlydetermine
whatpreventivemeasurecanbetakenbutgiveapatientwithhighbloodpressuretheabilityto
monitorhisorherinformationtoimprovehisorheroverallhealthcare.(Healthhit.gov,n.d.)
TheEMRoftodayconsistsofmanyportablecomputerstationsandpersonaltabletsused
todocumentthepatientshealthvisit.Currentlyhealthcareinformationisprotectedbythe
HealthInsurancePortabilityandAccountabilityActof1996.ThegoalofHIPPAistoprotectthe
healthinformationofpatientsandhelpcontrolthecost.HIPPAisalsodividedintoanumberof
sectionsthataddresscertainpartsofreformforhealthinsurance.(Dreyzehner,n.d.)

U. S. MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY 2025

Astechnologycontinuestochangethewayinwhichhealthcareinteractionoccurs,the
ElectronicMedicalRecordwillplayahugepartin2025.Intheyear2025,theindividuals
electronicrecordmaynotevenlookliketherecordswearesousedtotoday.Peoplewillbeable
totracktheirownhealthwithsmaller,morecompactdevices.TheElectronicMedicalRecordof
thefuturewillhavemoreintegrationwiththepatientasawhole,withquickerresults,andwill
requirenewprivacypoliciestoprotectthepatient.Forexample,imagineadoctorwhohasbeen
monitoringabedriddenpatientfromacliniclocated3000milesaway.Thepatienthasa
thermometerthatconnectsdirectlytohisorhermedicalrecordthatthephysicianhasaccesstoo.
Imaginethephysicianbeingabletonotonlyreceivethepatientstemperaturebutalsotesta
sampleofsalivathatisusedtoinformthepatientthatheorshenowhasearlystagesoflung
cancerthatcanberemovedandtreated.ThatisonlyonescenarioofhowtheElectronicMedical
Recordwillchangebecauseoftechnologyin2025.(Juneja,2014)
GlobalconnectionwillalsochangetheEMRin2025.Informationwillflowmorefreely
andwillallowforpositiverelationshipsbetweendifferentsocieties.(MDG,n.d.)HIPAA
policieswillbeadjustedwiththechangingElectronicMedicalRecordtoensurethatapatients
privacyisprotectedbutadaptedforthenewwaysinwhichinformationwillbesharedamong
healthcareproviders.
Technologywillplayamajorroleinhealthcarein2025andwillallowthepatientto
havefullcontroloftheirhealthcare.In2025,healthcarewillreallyfocusonthepatient,
keepingthemoutofthehospitalbecausetheyarehealthy.Therewillbemanynewproductsthat
willallowpatients/consumerstobemotivatedtostayhealthyandincontroloftheirhealth.

U. S. MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY 2025

Currentlyaspatientswestrugglewiththefactthathealthcareisexpensive.Asimple
visittothedoctorcouldcostmanypeopleatleastamonthspay.In2025,thenewtechnology
willminimizevisitstothedoctorandalleviatemajorexpenses.Forexample,smartphoneswill
becomeapatientsnurse.Anurseprovidesbasictestssuchasvitalsignsandbloodsugar
levels.Thesenewappsforthesmartphonewillbeavailabletomonitordifferentproblemsa
patientmighthave,suchasbloodpressure/sugarandheartrateorjustkeeptrackofsimplevital
signslikeanursewould.
Therewillalsobemanydifferentsensorandmicrochipsavailabletowear.Thesesensors
andmicrochipswillsendanyandallinformationtotheappropriateappandthepatientcan
monitortheirhealth.Also,withthesemicrochipsandsensors,thepatientwillhaveachoiceto
sendtheinformationtotheirprimarydoctor.Thiswillallowforthedoctortomonitorthemore
highriskpatients.Furthermore,thesensorswillbeabletosensemajorproblemsinapersons
bodysuchascancer.Although,somemayseethisasaninvasionofprivacy,themainpurpose
ofthesenewtechnologiesistohelpthepatientfindahealthproblembeforeitbecomeschronic
orterminal,nottomonitorpeopleandwhattheydoonadaytodaybasis.
Theprovidersrolein2025asitpertainstohealthcaretechnologywilllargelyinvolve
qualitycontrol.Technologydeveloperswillbenefitgreatlyfromproviderswhoserveasquality
assuranceadvisorswhohavedirectclinicalknowledgeoftheprobleminwhichthetechnologyis
supposedtosolve.Providersareonthefrontlinesofrecognizingclinicalneedtoallowbetter
patientoutcome.Thisaccessallowstheprovidertoplayavitalroleinthedevelopment,
promotionandadoptionofhealthcaretechnology.

U. S. MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY 2025

Aswemovetowards2025,allproviderswilloperateinamobileenvironmentcreatingan
environmentconducivetomobilediagnosticandtreatmentsolutions.Technologyservestosolve
aspecificclinicalorhealthcareproblem.Inordertodevelopfuturetechnologicaladvances,
identificationofmedicalneedsisnecessary.Asprovidersbecomemoretechnologicallysavvy,
theywillbesoughtouttohelpdevelopamarketableproductthatwillfulfillaclinicalneed.
Providerswillalsoservewiththepromotionandadoptionofnewhealthcaretechnology.Since
theyinteractdirectlywiththepatient,theycanpromotepatientfriendlytechnologiesthatwould
benefittheiroverallhealth.Fromdiagnosticequipmenttomobileapplicationsandsurgical
techniques,theproviderwillbethepivotalplayerwhenitcomestopromotionandadoptionof
healthcaretechnology.
ThefinancialaspectofhealthcaretechnologiesintheUnitedStatesissomewhatofan
insidiouscondition.CapitalismisawayoflifethathasgrowndeeprootsintheAmerican
psycheandinordertonurturethatconceptalmosteverythingdonetoday,beitpolitical,
entrepreneurial,orbusiness,mustadheretotheunwrittenruleofmoneyfirst.Themedical
community,technologyinparticular,isnoexception.TheUnitedStatesmedicalindustry
accountedfor$2.8trilliondollarsor17.2%oftheGrossDomesticProduct(GDP)(CMS,2012).
Thisfarexceedsthoseofotherwesternizednationsandisnotshowingindicationsofthisstatic
inadownwardtrend.Infact,reportsfromtheNationalHealthExpenditureData(NHE)indicate
thatby2022,thepieceofpiebelongingtohealthcareGDPwillriseto19.9%(CMS,2012).

Thecurrentbusinessmodelsadoptedbyhospitals,drugmanufactures,technologyfirms,

andshareholdersalikewillhavetobedrasticallyalteredinordertosurvivethesweeping
changesofthePatientProtectionandAffordableCareActof2010.Notonlydidthispieceof

U. S. MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY 2025

legislatureimplementlawandregulationbutitrodeonthebackofagroundswellingofsupport
fromtheAmericanpopulation.ThatshiftoftheAmericanpsychewillreverberateintothe
political,entrepreneurial,andbusinessfundamentalsmentionedearlier.Weanticipateby2025
thefinanceofhealthcaretoriseonlytoplateauduetotheimplementationofEHRsystemsand
new,moreaffordable,technologiestohitthemarketplace.Theneedtodeveloptechnologies
thatwillkeeppacewiththedemandofanagingpopulationandthenewlyinsured,willsurely
feedtheappetiteofentrepreneursandshareholders.Thisdemandiswhyweanticipatearisein
spendingandcost,eventhoughtheintentionoftheACAistoreduceit.Oncethehealthcare
marketstabilizesfromtheincreaseddemandandregulationscatchuptocloseunforeseen
loopholes,thefinancialaspectorGDPwillplateau.

Thestockmarketisthebestindicatorastohowthebusinessworldreactstotheebband

flowofcurrentregulationsaswellasanticipatingfuturetrends.Thehealthcaresectorsofthe
DOWJones,healthcaretechnologiesinparticular,haveenjoyeda368%increaseorprofit
margininthelastfiveyearsanda5%yeartodate(YTD)return(Fidelity,2014).Thesecolossal
profitsarehardtoignorewhenexploringfuturetrends.Therearenosignalsfromthemarket
placethatdemandfornewtechnologieswilldecreasesoonecanonlyassumethat2025will
createnewopportunitiesforcompaniestoexpandtheirprofitmarginsbycreatingthemost
updatedtechnologiesavailable.Thepharmaceuticalmarkethasalsobenefitedwitha102%
profitmarginoverthelastfiveyears(Fidelity,2014).Theimportanceofthisstatisticwhen
discussingtechnologiesistheresearchanddevelopmentaspectofnewdrugs.Tomeetmarket
demandandsatisfythecompanysfinancialgoals,thelatestandmosttechnologicallyadvanced

U. S. MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY 2025

researchmustbeconducted.Inturnthepayoutwillnethugeprofitmarginsforthecompanyand
placeafurtherstrandontheconsumersseekingfairdistributionofnewtreatmentoptions.

TheACAisinitsinfancyandthefinancialmarketshaveonlybeguntosortthroughthe

possibilitiesinregardtoprofitandproductproduction.Oncetechcompaniesadjusttothenew
regulationsandimplementnewbusinessmodelstheyear2025willbeuponus.Itwillthenbe
thegovernmentsburdentoreinincostbyregulatingdistributionorevenstiflingavailable
technologiestoensurecostsarekepttoaminimumallowingincreasedandfairuseby
consumers.
As2025approaches,technologywilldramaticallychangethewaywereceiveandaccept
healthcare.Electronicmedicalrecordswillevolvetowherepatientswillhavecurrenttimedata
andsecuritywilladvancetoensurethatpatientsafetyissafeguarded.Thepatientin2025will
havemoreinteractionwiththewayinwhichtheyreceivedtheircare,andphysicianswillhave
theabilitytoexchangeinformationregardingtheirpatientswithrealtimediagnoses.Initiallythe
financeburdenwillgoupwiththecostofnewtechnology,butby2025thecostofthese
technologieswillbegintopayforthemselves.Noonereallyknowswhatthefutureholdsfor
healthcare,buttechnologywillplayanintricateroleinalmosteveryaspectofthatchange.Now
wejusthavetowaitandsee.

U. S. MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY 2025

References:
CentersforMedicareandMedicaidServices.(2012).NationalHealthExpenditureData.
Retreivedfromhttp://www.cms.gov
Dreyzehner,J.(n.d.)WHATISHIPPA?Retrievedon23September2014from:
http://health.state.tn.us/hipaa/

Fidelity.(2014).HealthCareTechnology.Retrievedfromhttp://www.eresearch.fidelity.com
HealthIT.gov(n.d.)WhatisanElectronicMedicalRecord(EMR)?BenefitsofEHRs.Retrieved
on23September2014from:http://www.healthit.gov/providers
professionals/electronic
medicalrecordsemr
Juneja,M.(2014)HealthcareintheFuture:WillAdvancingTechnolgoymakeDoctors
Unemployed?Retrievedon23September2014from:
http://maneeshjuneja.com/blog/2014/3/24/health2025
MDGBlog.(n.d.)WhatwillDigitalLifeBeLikein2025?Retrievedon23September2014
from:
http://www.mdgadvertising.com/blog/whatwilldigitallifebelikein2025/