Last week, we discussed the first half of 10 major tech trends making waves in the world of healthcare in days of late. Here are the remaining five:
6. 3D Printing Showcase Innovation and Growth
Healthcare is one of the main beneficiaries of 3D printing – as this type of technology advances, so does its medical uses. It will revolutionize how medical devices and surgical tools are manufactured. From prosthetic limbs and other body parts to fluidics modeling to precision drug dispensing, and so many more possibilities, you can rest assured that 3D printing will take the medical world (and other industries) by storm.
7. Energy Efficiency Is a Star Player behind the Scenes
It has been predicted that in 5 years, about 30 billion connected devices will create unprecedented data amounts – data centers around the world will consume a whopping 30% of the world’s electricity in order to support that much amount of information.
This is exactly why things like HP’s project The Machine is so groundbreaking – their computing architecture can power up computers like never before. In addition, Össur, an Icelandic company, has created the world’s first micro-processor joint system in which artificial limbs continuously adapt to both the user and the environment.
8. Telehealth Allows Medicine and Healthcare into Our Homes
Telemedicine helps patients and doctors connect through video chat and mobile devices. It’s also a cost-effective way for people to receive care, breaking the barriers of the traditional visit to the doctor’s office or home service. As this continues, doctor-patient interactions become more regular not just locally but also remotely in all corners of the globe.
9. Global Health Will Improve
In relation, there will most likely be an expansion of such technologies all over the world including developing countries. Medical attention is often lacking in such places, and while the intention is good a lot of volunteers have limited medical training too. Hopefully, with technology, healthcare can be received by nearly everyone regardless of where they live.
10. Technology Can Help Us Understand the Brain
The brain is one of the biggest mysteries in the medical world, and in science generally speaking. Medical tech can help save lives and open up more possibilities that were previously not even thought of – for example in 2012 two MIT researchers (Xu Liu and Steve Ramirez) found a way to implant memories into a brain. This method has a lot of pros (and also cons) for mental health but one thing is for sure, it helps us understand the brain even better.
In addition, a company called Emotiv also found a way to translate thoughts into action using neuro-headsets. Such cutting-edge tools and technology will help mankind in accessing brain information without using surgery or other invasive ways, thus opening up plenty of possibilities with regards to the human mind.
What else do you think technology can do for the healthcare industry?