Blockchain Technology – Answer to Modern Healthcare Needs

Blockchain and its application extends beyond financial transactions and cryptocurrency. Originally, blockchain technology was developed as a decentralized system to record transactions that were stored and maintained across a peer-to-peer network of computers. This technology was used mainly for cryptocurrency, but has now evolved as a cutting-edge data-security medium for the healthcare sector. Given that blockchain is a public ledger that is secure and immutable, it has become the perfect paperless solution within healthcare.

In a short period of time, blockchain technology has taken the medical world by a storm. Healthcare has always been a very centralized industry holding enormous amounts of patient data (medical history, billing information, insurance data, etc.), bringing prominent issues such as identity thefts, financial data breaches, spamming, and data misuse to the forefront. This, coupled with the fact that patients had little control over their own data, increased the need and urgency for secure, accessible, and verifiable data.

The emergence of blockchain has effectively fixed this gap, acting as a security blanket for all health-data and limiting financial breaches. A part from data security, blockchain is also addressing several supply-chain impediments within the healthcare industry via fraud detection capabilities and counterfeit product identification.

Blockchain is being implemented in the healthcare industry in the following areas:

• Medical Data Management
• Medical Claims, billings and insurance claims
• Medical research
• Data security
• Reduced operational (IT, support function, etc.) costs
• Pharma supply chain security
• Identification of counterfeit products
• Data based mHealth apps

Shaping the Future of Healthcare with Blockchain

Health-based information exchange that utilizes blockchain and AI can unlock the true value of interoperability. It is evident that blockchain has immense potential across industries, especially within healthcare. Capitalizing on this technology in an optimal way - the way many mHealth apps (such as Wanngi, Playpal, Sweatcoin, HealthyWage) are - can help connect fragmented systems that, in conglomeration, generate meaningful health-insights.

AI and Wearable Devices taking Healthcare to the Next Level

Similar to any other tech advancement, wearable health devices are everywhere now. Every other person has some kind of wearable to monitor their health or to remain fit. These wearables are non-invasive ways to collect high quality patient data. When artificial intelligence is added into this equation, it opens a whole new world of smart analysis and e actionable insights that can help save lives in real time.

Wearable health devices started as a fun tech trend but, as of late, have real world implications and have evolved into cost effective and efficient methods for tracking patient health without keeping them in the hospital. Recently in England, the National Health Service pilot program is deploying new discharge practices by providing patients with their own wireless, wi-fi enabled armbands that remotely monitor their vital signs, such as oxygen levels, respiratory rate, blood pressure, pulse and body temperature. It is no surprise that this new protocol has been enabled by artificial intelligence, has decreased hospital readmissions and emergency visits, and has helped patients follow their treatment plans more efficiently from their homes.

AI in the Play

Evidently, AI plays an important part in making all this a reality. Without being able to analyze this fragmented data, there is no use in collecting it. Before these armbands, the hospital staff had to collect patient vitals in-person every week post-discharge. So these wearables have not only saved patients their roundtrips but have also introduced an intelligent way of looking out for bothersome data, allowing patients and doctors to become proactive versus reactive. In short, ArtificiaI Intelligence, coupled with these wearable devices, create low-error health predictions at a significantly cheaper cost.

Decentralized Healthcare

AI can help in making the dream of decentralized healthcare a reality. According to WHO estimates, 60% of our lifestyle choices affect our health and quality of life. These lifestyle choices include regularly taking medicines, reducing stress, exercising more and adopting a healthier lifestyle. With AI monitoring individuals’ health, patients and individuals are now able to get tailored recommendations and reminders to exercise more, to make dietary changes, or to visit the doctor.

The Next Big Thing: 3 Major Trends in Digital Healthcare Technology Right Now

Every day, amazing new technological advancements help medical providers diagnose patients faster and more accurately, provide treatment options digitally, and monitor things like patients’ sleep, steps, weight, and heart rate. Technological progress isn’t slowing down anytime soon; this year, $8.1billion was invested in the industry—up 42% from the previous year.

So with all this investment, what will be the next big innovation in digital health technology? Well, it looks like there are three major trends in the field: Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality, and the greater ability to share data between healthcare providers and patients.

The 3 Biggest Trends in Digital Healthcare Technology

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere we look, from our kitchen (“Alexa, play my ‘dinner’ playlist”) to website chatbots. Every day, scientists are finding ways to use AI helps medical providers provide patients with better, faster, and more accurate care.

For instance, AI algorithms for health are being used to analyze radiology images. Currently, radiologists are overworked and overwhelmed. Because of the high number of patients, they can only spend mere seconds looking at images, which results in a high rate of misdiagnoses. AI can help by streamlining the analysis process, reducing the number of clicks radiologists need to perform a task, or by learning user preferences or habits to make diagnosis faster and more accurate. Automation helps relieve or prevent radiologist fatigue and improve diagnostic ability, so many companies are working on improving AI technology in the healthcare field.

Augmented Reality (AR)

Augmented Reality (AR) has been helping doctors use scans and images to diagnose patients and prepare for medical procedures. But new technology aims to help doctors during surgery to provide better, more accurate care.

During surgery, surgeons and their medical team need constant access to a large amount of data, including diagnostic images and vital signs. Currently, most operating rooms have 2D screens scattered around the room, and surgeons have to look away from the patient and the surgery to check them. For delicate surgical procedures, this can be dangerous.

AU can help make increase the success rate of surgeries. AU headsets are being designed that will allow doctors to see digital images, patient data, and other important things without having to look away from the patient. This will help reduce life-threatening errors and save money by reducing outdated displays.

Data Sharing

Big Data is talked about frequently in the health field currently, because in the past decade many developments have been made to provide patients and medical providers with greater and more accurate data about things like patients’ steps, sleep, weight, heart rate, and more. This trend isn’t slowing down anytime soon, as wearables and mHealth apps continue to become more advanced and widespread.
In particular, many leading health insurance companies are looking to or already have adopted methods to track and use patients’ quantitative data to create data-driven, incentive-based health policies that simultaneously will reduce costs and provide better care to patients.

Playpal - The Next Big Health Revolution 

Playpal is on the cutting edge of this data-driven healthcare technology. The Playpal platform uses extrinsic incentives and gamified challenges to give healthcare providers and insurance companies better access to patient data while providing more accurate care and diagnoses. Exciting technological advancements like AI, AU, and data-driven digital healthcare continue to improve patient care, streamline processes, and cut costs, making healthcare more effective and efficient.