Top 5 healthcare technology trends to watch out for in 2022 - Jan 12, 2022.

2022 is set to be a big year in the healthtech space, bringing more emerging tech trends that will soon be accessible to even the smallest clinics.

With a “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality still hanging about the industry we expect it will take some organizations a bit more time to shake off the old ways. But if you’re ready to take your healthcare practice into the future you need to get familiar with the tech trends making the biggest waves in the industry.

In this blog we explore the top 5 healthtech trends that you need to look out for in 2022:

1. Artificial Intelligence

A Sydney-based startup* has raised $129 million AUD to create medical devices with AI, and a US-based company focused on teletherapy for kids** has raised $7.7 million USD. These investments give us a glimpse of new applications for AI powered technology we can expect to see popping up throughout the year.

While many healthcare practices are not quite ready to implement robotic nurses, AI in health is coming in hot and the number of uses for it is growing by the day:

Doctors can use AI for more accurate reading and interpretation of diagnostic imaging such as X-rays, ultrasound and CT scans.

Patients can benefit from virtual health assistants and interactive chatbots for more personalized, streamlined management of their care.

Administrators can save time by using AI algorithms to reduce bottlenecks, by better managing all of the data that a practice produces

2. Telehealth

Telehealth is booming due to the pandemic keeping everyone at home and fast tracking utilization by up to 38x higher than pre COVID-19 times.

Virtual consulting became a necessity, locking in telehealth as a pandemic trend that is here to stay. Global telehealth investment saw massive growth in 2021 so we expect to see an influx of telehealth tools that will become foundational for any healthcare provider.

This is especially exciting for any teams currently relying on non-healthcare specific tools that might be ‘doing the trick’ for now – but won’t necessarily cut the mustard when telehealth is an established norm and becomes standard for day-to-day operations.

3. Immersive Technologies

Coming down the pipeline we can see some really groundbreaking developments in the immersive technologies space – Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and wearables will bring a whole new experience to the learning and practice of healthcare.

Last year a Silicon Valley VR company raised $14 million USD****, driven largely by the investment arm of a U.S.  healthcare giant. Their tech is already being used in teaching hospitals around the globe – and so far it’s showing off some impressive improvements to surgical performance.

Not just a fashion statement, VR headsets will start being used more commonly for virtual training of procedures and surgeries. They’ll also be incredibly helpful for letting clinical students visualize real-case scenarios.

For patients, immersive tech can help people with developmental disorders to train their social skills in virtual environments. VR and AR-based rehab can also help in the recovery of brain injury and stroke survivors, plus it can effectively support the treatment of psychological disorders.

4. Data Automation

Data is a hot topic right now and most healthcare providers are drowning in it. The Internet of Healthcare Report showed that 64% of healthcare executives admit there will never be enough staff to handle the volume of data in their organizations.

This is where robotic process automation (RPA) comes in – according to Gartner 50% of U.S. healthcare providers will invest in RPA over the next few years.
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We aren’t suggesting you replace your workforce with robots, but building automation into your systems and databases is going to save time, reduce human error, and minimize burnout by taking some of the vast admin load away from your people.

Some benefits include easing headaches around invoicing and claims processing, a seamless patient experience, and making sure all documents and electronic medical records are secure and HIPAA compliant.

Embedding automation into your practice is something that needs to happen in 2022 – if you aren’t already across it. So get ready for more solutions entering the market that aim to slim down waste in your processes and drastically improve efficiency.

5. Streamlining Clinical Communication and Collaboration

In 2022, tools that improve communication and collaboration will become the backbone of any healthcare operation.

When colleagues can’t guarantee they’ll be in the same physical location, and when so many people are involved in someone's care, communication is a critical component. Many healthcare organizations are currently leaning on non-industry specific tools like Whatsapp and Microsoft Teams – tools that fulfil a basic need but lack intentional design when applied in a healthcare setting.

If only an app existed that had been built perfectly for the communication and collaboration of the healthcare industry…

This is where we come in. Celo is changing the game when it comes to messaging for healthcare, our HIPAA compliant platform is designed specifically to promote better communication within healthcare teams, while also integrating seamlessly with your Electronic Health Records.

As your teams are relying more heavily on smartphones and tablets to exchange information on-the-go, embedding future-proof tech like apps is hands-down the fastest way to build efficiency into your daily processes.

Original blog by Celo can be read here.