Technology makes no exceptions in what industry to make a revolution and in what not.
The healthcare industry, just like any other, is becoming more and more sophisticated. New technologies and approaches used in healthcare are aimed at:
- Enhancing administrative and operational efficiency
- Improving security and transparency
- Making a positive change in patient outcomes
Blockchain and AI are the most transformative technologies in the healthcare sector. Their impact on how healthcare providers deliver services and patients interact with them is difficult to overestimate.
Today’s article is an in-depth look at how these 2 healthcare technology trends are redefining the healthcare industry at this very moment.
Accurate and efficient care with AI
Artificial intelligence has been making gigantic development steps lately. Thousands, if not tens of thousands of developers are constantly working on improving AI-driven technologies. Of course, there’s a reason behind that competitive race.
They see AI as an irreplaceable tool for improving accuracy and operational efficiency.
AI has an ability that’s very needed in the healthcare sector and elsewhere – it can process vast amounts of data and identify patterns.
Healthcare providers see AI as an assistant that would help them with diagnosing diseases by analyzing data like:
- Medical images
- Lab results
- Patient histories
The level of precision and speed with which AI does that already surpasses human capabilities, and it’s only going to get better. There are so many cases in which timely intervention and treatment is crucial. AI algorithms that detect early signs of conditions like cancer or cardiovascular diseases are just one example out of a thousand.
AI-powered systems that optimize hospital operations because they:
- Predict patient admissions
- Manage staff schedules
- Ensure the availability of necessary resources
What do patients get?
The benefits that patients get from AI are also enormous. AI’s personalized treatment plans recommend the most effective treatment options based on the latest research, clinical guidelines, and analyses of each patient’s data.
A personalized approach gives more than just improved patient outcomes. Because the “trial-and-error” in treatment is being reduced, the overall patient experience is enhanced.
The integration of AI into healthcare software is neither easy nor cheap though. AI models require development and training and for that, you need to possess or rent substantial computational resources. These resources will then be used to analyze large datasets, getting access to which also drives up costs.
For AI to be both cost-effective and impactful technology that’s worth implementing into your software, consider partnering with a custom healthcare software development company. That way, you’ll tailor AI solutions to fit the unique needs of your organization without losing perks along the way.
Blockchain is a perfect fit for securing patient data
Blockchain technology changes healthcare providers’ approach to how they handle sensitive patient data.
A decentralized, immutable ledger that records transactions across multiple computers. Blockchain gives the data integrity and security the healthcare industry has been seeking for years.
Secure storing and sharing of medical records
The technology freed itself from the weakness that all traditional centralized databases have – being vulnerable to single points of failure. Blockchain distributes that very precious data across a network of nodes so that no single entity has control over the entire dataset.
The result?
The risk of unauthorized access and cyber-attacks is significantly lower.
In blockchain, each, well, block, consists of:
- A cryptographic hash of the previous block
- A timestamp
- Transaction data
Because of that, it’s basically impossible to alter the information without detecting that something has changed. For medical records, it’s the same – once data is entered into the blockchain, it is permanently recorded and cannot be tampered with.
There are various cryptographic techniques, but they all serve the goal of giving access to sensitive patient information only to authorized parties with the correct encryption keys.
Why are patients welcoming blockchain technology?
Not only you but patients too are aware of the fact that blockchain protects against data breaches flawlessly, so their trust in you is way stronger.
Plus, they appreciate having greater control over who accesses their health information. Blockchain allows owners of medical records to grant or revoke access to them and do that all while being sure that the information is protected from tampering or unauthorized use.
Trust increases both patient engagement and a willingness to share data for research purposes, moving medical science further.
More than just security
Apart from the obvious advantages of the blockchain in terms of security, the technology also does a great job of ensuring that patient records are:
- Up-to-date
- Accessible
- Accurate
The big thing about blockchain is that patient records have the parameters mentioned across different platforms and providers. Interoperability is often something on which a patient’s life can depend. Critical scenarios, like emergency care, require immediate access to a patient’s complete medical history.
Implementation of blockchain technology into healthcare software is as promising as it is costly and complex. Just like with AI, which is also incredibly useful yet expensive to implement, customizing blockchain technology to meet your set of needs is a good way to optimize investment and apply the technology effectively in general.
Final Thought
The development of Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain is far from over. These two technologies will continue to the refine healthcare industry and bring potential benefits for both providers and patients closer with each step.
Security and efficiency. Personalization and accuracy. To what extent the care will be improved is yet to find out.
Don’t overlook the complexity and cost when jumping into the implementation though. Understand what is it that you want to get from these technologies in the first place and what is of no use to your organization. Getting answers to these questions means investing in a technology that delivers its full potential without emptying your organization’s balance.
