technologies, such as artificial intelligence, VR/AR, 3D-printing, robotics or nanotechnology.

We have to familiarize ourselves with the latest developments in order to be able to control
technology and not the other way around.

The future of healthcare lies in working hand-in-hand with technology. Healthcare workers have
to embrace emerging healthcare technologies in order to stay relevant in the coming years.

Be bold, curious and informed!

Fear of robots taking over healthcare jobs, AI taking control of the world and growing virtual
reality addiction are common and may seem unrelated, but ultimately they all represent a fear of
the unknown future. But no matter how scary the future might seem at the moment, we cannot
stop technological development; and sooner or later we will find out that whole areas of our lives
have been transformed through various technologies.

Thus, our task is to turn to technologies with an open mind and to prepare for the changing world
with as much knowledge as possible.

Technology can only aid and improve our lives if we stand on its shoulders and if we are always
(at least) two steps ahead. But if we adhere to this rule, the cooperation between people and
technology could result in amazing achievements.

By embracing digital technology in healthcare, we can create sustainable systems, equalize

doctor-patient relationships, and find more effective solutions for diseases, ultimately leading to
healthier individuals and communities. It’s essential to start by improving our health and attitude
towards health, medicine, and healthcare through digital technologies.

As you are probably well aware, we did our fair share in this preparation, writing hundreds of
articles, creating hundreds of videos, publishing dozens of studies and research papers, and of
course, writing a good number of books.

So what does it all look like in practice? To serve as an introduction, this article will explore 10
ways in which medical technology is reshaping healthcare. For more in-depth analysis and
further examples, I invite you to check The Guide to the Future of Medicine.

1. Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence has the potential to redesign healthcare completely. AI algorithms are able
to mine medical records, design treatment plans or create drugs way faster than any current actor
on the healthcare palette including any medical professional. And with the recent generative AI
revolution, they finally became available and useful for everyday people and everyday healthcare
professionals.
Atomwise aims to reduce the costs of medicine development by using supercomputers to predict
from a database of molecular structures in advance which potential medicines will work, and
which won’t. Their deep convolutional neural network, AtomNet, screens more than 100 million
compounds each day.

Google’s Med-PaLM is the first large language model specifically trained for medical purposes,
and its second iteration is reported to be significantly outperforming the first version. While it is
not accessible to everyday folks, it’s already being tested in an extended circle of hospitals

These are only two of the many companies using AI to advance healthcare in numerous ways
from designing new drugs to disrupting diagnostics. We’ve collected our favourite examples of
how some of the players currently on the market are keeping their eyes on the future in a recent
article. Imagine what horizons would open for humanity if early utilization of AI results in such
amazing discoveries!

2. Extended reality
Extended reality (XR) holds the potential to be the next major computing platform. Collectively,
virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) fall under the umbrella term
of XR – and all of them are relevant in terms of the future of medicine.

The immersiveness that VR offers has made it an appropriate fit as a drug-free alternative for
mental health care and pain management.

While the technology is still maturing, AR already has some promising use cases in healthcare.
Neurosurgeons at Johns Hopkins University performed their first AR-assisted spinal fusion
surgery in 2020. A similar procedure with the technology was successfully completed in
December 2022 at the Hospital for Special Surgery in the State of New York.

Mixed reality adds an additional layer of depth and perspective to the virtual elements that
enable further interactions which are not possible through AR. MR use has largely remained in
the realm of industries – rather than that of the general consumer – through devices such as
the Microsoft Hololens and the Magic Leap. In this example, physicians employed the MR
headset to hold hands-free conversations with colleagues and patients while viewing medical
notes and X-rays for clinical decision-making.

3. Health trackers, wearables and sensors

As the future of medicine and healthcare is closely connected to the empowerment of patients as
well as individuals taking care of their own health through technologies, I cannot leave out health
trackers, wearables and sensors from my selection. They are great devices for getting to know
more about ourselves and retake control over our own lives. I also use a dozen health trackers on
a daily basis to live healthily.
I personally use a Withings watch and sensors to monitor my sleep and track my workout. But
this is just the tip of the iceberg. Over the years I have tested over a hundred digital health
devices and wrote multiple times about how we can harness these new capabilities.

Regardless of whether you would like to manage your weight, stress level, cognitive capabilities
better or would like to reach an overall fit and energetic state, there is a device which is
guaranteed to meets your needs and do even more! The beauty of these new tech-fuelled devices
is that they really make patients the point-of-care. With the ability to monitor one’s health at
home and share the results remotely with their physician, these devices empower people to take
control of their health and make more informed decisions.

4. Portable diagnostics devices

When it comes to gadgets and instant solutions, there is the great dream that every healthcare
professional shares: to have one almighty and omnipotent device, with which you can diagnose
and analyze every disease. It even materialized – although only on screen – as the medical
tricorder in Star Trek. When Dr McCoy grabbed his tricorder and scanned a patient, the portable,
hand–held device immediately listed vital signs, other parameters, and a diagnosis. It was the
Swiss Army knife for physicians.

Thanks to the exponential progress in healthcare technology, we now live in a world where
similar devices, which were once a figment of sci-fi enthusiasts’ imaginations, are available! The
Viatom CheckMe Pro is one such palm-sized gadget which can measure ECG, heart rate, oxygen
saturation, temperature, blood pressure and more! There are also other companies working on
similar devices like the MedWand which on top of measuring multiple vital parameters, includes
a camera for telemedical purposes.

Then there’s the FDA-cleared BioSticker from BioIntelliSense which, despite being tiny and
thin, can measure a wide range of parameters such as respiratory rate, heart rate, skin
temperature, body position, activity levels, sleep status, gait and more. And of course, we
shouldn’t forget about portable ultrasounds like the Philips Lumify and the Clarius Portable
Ultrasound we tested a while ago or the Kosmos by EchoNous, so far the only portable
ultrasound benchmarked against cart-based machines I could try. The AI-backed, portable device
still impresses me.

5. Direct-to-consumer genetic testing

The whole Human Genome Project cost the US government approximately $2.7 billion, which is
an insanely huge amount of money. Especially if you consider that a few years later DNA
sequencing giant Illumina unveiled a new machine that the company says is “expected one day”
to order up your whole genome for less than $100. Just recently we started reading the first news
reports about this prediction becoming a reality.
Direct-to-consumer genetic testing has come very far in the past few years. A great number of
companies have started offering valuable insights, implementing new methods, while the
technology in other areas is still not delivering too much.

DTC genetic tests provide individuals with personalized information about their genetic
predispositions to various health conditions, enabling them to take proactive measures in
prevention and early intervention, which is crucial for maintaining a good quality of life for
longer. Additionally, it empowers individuals to make informed decisions about their lifestyle
and healthcare, which can lead to better overall well-being and longevity.

6. Revolutionizing drug development

Currently, the process of developing new drugs is too long and too expensive. However, there
are ways to improve drug development with methods ranging from artificial intelligence to in
silico trials. Such new technologies and approaches already are and will remain to dominate the
pharmaceutical landscape in the years to come.

Companies like Turbine, Atomwise and Deep Genomics are leveraging the power of AI to
develop new drug candidates and novel therapeutic solutions in record time and shorten the time
necessary to release these to the market, all while saving costs and lives.

Another promising healthcare technology is in silico drug trials. These are individualized
computer simulations used in the development or regulatory evaluation of a medical product,
device or intervention. While the current technology and biological understanding doesn’t allow
for completely simulated clinical trials, there is significant progress in this field with organs-on-
a-chip, which are already being put in use. HumMod, or the “most complete, mathematical
model of human physiology ever created”, is being employed in several research projects.

Imagine if we could test thousands of new potential drugs on billions of virtual patient models in
minutes? We might reach this stage in the near future.

7. Digital therapeutics
Digital Therapeutics or DTx in short is one of the latest buzzwords in the digital health
ecosystem. Unlike others (NFT, Metaverse just to name a few) however, we see DTx as a
meaningful trend that has the capacity to create short-term, substantial improvements in
personalised healthcare.

DTx delivers evidence-based, clinically backed solutions to manage and/or improve health
conditions via software and/or other digital health technologies. Drugs and digital therapeutics
(DTx) have a symbiotic relationship. While DTx brings unique advantages, it works best in
conjunction with traditional therapeutics. Together, they can deliver impressive results, such as
reducing readmission rates and managing chronic conditions more effectively.
DTx solutions are typically delivered through smartphone apps. In other words, via a channel
pretty much everyone has access to. Not only is that important because accessibility is one of the
key factors for any new solution to become widely used. It also allows a certain kind of privacy,
bringing treatments to the patients’ homes, removing stigmas typically connected to a number of
therapies, either in substance abuse care or in mental health.

DTx represent a whole new pathway of healing that requires a bit of acclimatization: we visit app
stores in addition to the pharmacy and use our phones next to, or sometimes in instead of,
swallowing pills

8. Consumer medical robotics

One of the most exciting and fastest growing fields of healthcare is robotics; developments range
from robot companions through surgical robots to pharmabotics, disinfectant robots and
exoskeletons.

We’ve already seen Europe’s first exoskeleton-aided surgery and how a tetraplegic man became
capable of controlling an exoskeleton with his brain! There are loads of other applications for
these sci-fi suits from aiding nurses through lifting elderly patients to helping patients with spinal
cord injuries.

Robot companions also have their place in healthcare to help alleviate loneliness, treat mental
health issues or even help children with chronic illnesses. The Pepper, Paro and Buddy robots
are all existing examples.

AI-powered prosthetics is another interesting field with breathtaking potential, although such
prosthetics are not yet widely available. But with time, the costs of components will go down and
these technologies will become an integral part of creating artificial limbs. We’re still years from
seeing AI-limbs being commonplace but it’s a time to look forward to.

9. 3D-printing & bioprinting

3D-printing can bring wonders to all aspects of healthcare. We are still quite far from easily
printing ready-to-use organs – and get rid of transplant waiting lists forever -, but the field is
advancing in a steady pace with exciting announcements arriving regularly.

We can now print biotissues, regenerative heart valves that grow with the patients, artificial
limbs, retinal cells, pills, blood vessels and the list goes on and will likely keep on doing so.

The pharmaceutical industry is also benefiting from this technology. FDA-approved 3D-printed
drugs have been a reality since 2015 and researchers are working on 3D-printing “polypills”.
These contain several layers of drugs so as to help patients adhere to their therapeutic plan.
A team of scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Informatics in Germany and the
University of California at Davis have developed a method for 3D printing pills that can control
the rate at which drugs are released. And in February 2023, a hospital in Spain launched a study
to test the efficacy, tolerability, and acceptance of a drug produced for children using a 3D
printer.

10. Patient empowerment and patient design

What is the difference between patient design and patient centricity? The latter has been the
buzzword of the past two decades, however, the only thing it actually meant was
“we might think about you when we make decisions”. It kept patients in a passive role, the
decisions were made by the traditional stakeholders of the medical ecosystem.

Patient design is a different concept, one that invites patients to be active participants – and
stakeholders – at the highest levels of decision-making in healthcare. This is called a “co-design”
approach, and is defined as “a creative practice that can be used to improve customer experience
and enhance value”. Patient empowerment has been evolving for decades, but information
liquidity and access to technology made it explode in this century—and it became visible to the
naked eye.

Healthcare carries many concepts that are no longer valid but are ingrained so deeply that we
mostly never even stop to think about them. Involving patients in decision-making will help
identify these fossils and look at them with fresh eyes.

Food for thought

We are truly living in revolutionary times for healthcare thanks to the advent of digital health.
Our mission is to spread the knowledge and developments in healthcare that will usher in the real
era of the art of medicine. Join us in this mission by sharing our articles and your thoughts w

What’s Smart Technology?

Smart technology refers to devices that make use of AI, the Internet, connectivity to the cloud,
and more modern functionalities that they previously did not have.

For example, a smart fridge can connect to the Internet and collect user data where previous
models could not. An example of a smart healthcare device is a smart bed that can track patient
movements and is able to alert nurses when a patient leaves the bed.

Let’s explore five examples of the ways the healthcare sector uses smart tech to enhance the
patient experience, improve proactive care procedures, and create a healthier world.

1. Remote Monitoring and Automated Healthcare Systems

Remote monitoring of patients’ healthcare is a growing trend that goes beyond traditional
healthcare and into mainstream culture. Smartwatches and fitness trackers have become standard
for many people, monitoring health factors like heart rate, blood oxygen, irregular heartbeat
monitoring, and more.

In healthcare, providers are turning to devices to help patients by continuously monitoring their
conditions and making proactive care choices based on data trends and predictions.

For example, connected inhalers are a smart technology in healthcare that saves lives by helping
patients track usage and by reminding them when to take a dosage to maintain a healthy
schedule.

66% of asthma deaths could have been prevented with smart technology monitoring like
connected inhalers.

There are several wearable items or devices healthcare providers and patients can take advantage
of to improve overall healthcare, including:

 Biosensors
 Smart thermometers
 Connected inhalers
 Smart watches
 Fitness trackers (FitBits)
 ECG monitors
 Blood pressure monitors

Wearable biosensors are another technology used in hospitals. These allow providers across the
world to monitor patients and administer proactive care. These sensors are worn on the body and
monitor vital health signs like temperature and heart rate to give healthcare providers more
information and insights on the progression of diseases, illnesses, and overall health.

These biosensors helped the world track the spread of COVID-19 by monitoring patients to
detect symptoms and other signs of the virus. Medical staff could monitor patient data thanks to
the devices and avoid unnecessary exposure.

2. Telehealth and Remote Care

Up to 78% of patients reported feeling satisfied about their experience with telehealth services.
Additionally, 68% of physicians say they’d like to increase the use of telehealth in their practice.

Many of us are now familiar with telehealth, which became a popular choice for healthcare
providers and patients during the pandemic. With the help of conferencing technology, providers
could virtually treat patients over video call, provide prescriptions, and perform follow-up visits.
Part of this virtual care was the use of medical portal technology to build secure online
healthcare portals to help providers and patients track treatment, store health records, and collect
and access data from wearable devices or clinic visits.

While the use of telehealth and remote care became prevalent after the onset of the Covid
pandemic, it is clear that both patients and practitioners have found benefits in the use of this
technology and hospitals will continue to use it.

“Telemedicine significantly decreased odds of ICU mortality.” – Critical Care Medicine

3. Connected Emergency Response Solutions

Connectivity can greatly improve the efficiency and response times of emergency care,
something that can be the difference between life and death. With modern healthcare smart
technology, it’s possible to share data between ambulances, physicians, first responders, and
accident and emergency departments in a reasonable amount of time that facilitates real-time
responses.

This technology enables faster communication, video calls with doctors from inside ambulances,
quicker patient histories, and easier hospital admittance with history and conditions already
established.

On arrival, doctors can already have patient data on-hand—including vital signs, blood pressure,
heart rate, temperature, etc.

4. Smart Hospital Management

Smart hospital management can help improve efficiency and effectiveness, improve patient
experience, and help doctors by connecting digital systems to make it easier to access
information like bed occupancy, device usage, equipment status, materials and supply counts,
and other operational data.

Tracking this information and using it in decision-making can improve resource management,
reduce waste, and help hospital staff avoid not having what’s needed due to bad tracking or
incorrect data collection.

5. AI in Healthcare

Using AI within healthcare can help providers make more informed decisions and greatly
improve patient care with proactive care predictions, quicker data analysis, and even more rapid
diagnosis.

Using trained AI to recognize and diagnose certain diseases within test results can greatly
increase the number of patients being processed and diagnosed (in some cases, 4x as quickly),
reducing wait times significantly.
In Conclusion
Smart technology in healthcare is changing the game in more ways than one. With more
monitoring treatment options available to more people, physicians can use data, AI, and other
innovative new tools to make a more proactive, data-driven approach to healthcare.

To explore in-depth the journey healthcare and other types of organizations take to digitize
their environments and become future-ready, download Impact's Fast-Tracking Your Digital
Transformation eBook now.

What’s Smart Technology?

Smart technology refers to devices that make use of AI, the Internet, connectivity to the cloud,
and more modern functionalities that they previously did not have.

For example, a smart fridge can connect to the Internet and collect user data where previous
models could not. An example of a smart healthcare device is a smart bed that can track patient
movements and is able to alert nurses when a patient leaves the bed.

Let’s explore five examples of the ways the healthcare sector uses smart tech to enhance the
patient experience, improve proactive care procedures, and create a healthier world.

1. Remote Monitoring and Automated Healthcare Systems

Remote monitoring of patients’ healthcare is a growing trend that goes beyond traditional
healthcare and into mainstream culture. Smartwatches and fitness trackers have become standard
for many people, monitoring health factors like heart rate, blood oxygen, irregular heartbeat
monitoring, and more.

In healthcare, providers are turning to devices to help patients by continuously monitoring their
conditions and making proactive care choices based on data trends and predictions.

For example, connected inhalers are a smart technology in healthcare that saves lives by helping
patients track usage and by reminding them when to take a dosage to maintain a healthy
schedule.

66% of asthma deaths could have been prevented with smart technology monitoring like
connected inhalers.

There are several wearable items or devices healthcare providers and patients can take advantage
of to improve overall healthcare, including:

 Biosensors
 Smart thermometers
 Connected inhalers
  Smart watches
 Fitness trackers (FitBits)
 ECG monitors
 Blood pressure monitors

Wearable biosensors are another technology used in hospitals. These allow providers across the
world to monitor patients and administer proactive care. These sensors are worn on the body and
monitor vital health signs like temperature and heart rate to give healthcare providers more
information and insights on the progression of diseases, illnesses, and overall health.

These biosensors helped the world track the spread of COVID-19 by monitoring patients to
detect symptoms and other signs of the virus. Medical staff could monitor patient data thanks to
the devices and avoid unnecessary exposure.

2. Telehealth and Remote Care

Up to 78% of patients reported feeling satisfied about their experience with telehealth services.
Additionally, 68% of physicians say they’d like to increase the use of telehealth in their practice.

Many of us are now familiar with telehealth, which became a popular choice for healthcare
providers and patients during the pandemic. With the help of conferencing technology, providers
could virtually treat patients over video call, provide prescriptions, and perform follow-up visits.

Part of this virtual care was the use of medical portal technology to build secure online
healthcare portals to help providers and patients track treatment, store health records, and collect
and access data from wearable devices or clinic visits.

While the use of telehealth and remote care became prevalent after the onset of the Covid
pandemic, it is clear that both patients and practitioners have found benefits in the use of this
technology and hospitals will continue to use it.

“Telemedicine significantly decreased odds of ICU mortality.” – Critical Care Medicine

3. Connected Emergency Response Solutions

Connectivity can greatly improve the efficiency and response times of emergency care,
something that can be the difference between life and death. With modern healthcare smart
technology, it’s possible to share data between ambulances, physicians, first responders, and
accident and emergency departments in a reasonable amount of time that facilitates real-time
responses.

This technology enables faster communication, video calls with doctors from inside ambulances,
quicker patient histories, and easier hospital admittance with history and conditions already
established.
On arrival, doctors can already have patient data on-hand—including vital signs, blood pressure,
heart rate, temperature, etc.

4. Smart Hospital Management

Smart hospital management can help improve efficiency and effectiveness, improve patient
experience, and help doctors by connecting digital systems to make it easier to access
information like bed occupancy, device usage, equipment status, materials and supply counts,
and other operational data.

Tracking this information and using it in decision-making can improve resource management,
reduce waste, and help hospital staff avoid not having what’s needed due to bad tracking or
incorrect data collection.

5. AI in Healthcare

Using AI within healthcare can help providers make more informed decisions and greatly
improve patient care with proactive care predictions, quicker data analysis, and even more rapid
diagnosis.

Using trained AI to recognize and diagnose certain diseases within test results can greatly
increase the number of patients being processed and diagnosed (in some cases, 4x as quickly),
reducing wait times significantly.

In Conclusion
Smart technology in healthcare is changing the game in more ways than one. With more
monitoring treatment options available to more people, physicians can use data, AI, and other
innovative new tools to make a more proactive, data-driven approach to healthcare.

To explore in-depth the journey healthcare and other types of organizations take to digitize
their environments and become future-ready, download Impact's Fast-Tracking Your Digital
Transformation eBook now.