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In addition to the accelerated pace of digital transformation, the COVID-19 pandemic transformed the traditional healthcare paths. The Healthcare industry turned to constantly innovate on the go and create new care models. The need to improve infrastructure and find solutions in the industry needed a convergence like never before. 

This convergence of digital technologies has penetrated through the industry to fundamentally change the way systems operate, function, and deliver care to patients. What makes all this possible are better tools such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), regulatory innovations, technology adoptions, and strengthen alliances between entrepreneurs and large companies. Moreover, it has made healthcare companies rethink and strategize their business processes.

Patients too are ready and willing to use these digital means to receive necessary care. Patients have transformed into educated consumers who are being viewed as individual consumer entities. Syed Shah, EVP—Clinical & Global Operations, Transformative Pharmaceutical Solutions recently, expressed in our Digital Health video podcast how the level of awareness in patients has led to certain expectations of benefits and advantages available in other industries, in Healthcare as well. With this heightened demand and the need to exercise good care; healthcare practitioners are leveraging technological innovations to streamline their operations.

Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is a raging phenomenon, and it is picking up pace in Healthcare with effective blending of the emerging trends of network infrastructure security, mobility, and Cloud access, IoT smart devices and usage of AI. The breakthrough developments are driving a massive evolution of evidence-based medicines by measuring, analyzing, and using the captured data. The heightened connectivity has become a standard of care in the digital world that is rapidly helping manage chronic diseases. These advances are helping patients adjust their treatment techniques and even alert their physician in case of emergency. During the video podcast, Bastian Epskamp; Product Manager, Medical Director, pointed out that these EBM standards form the baseline of supporting patient’s safety and enhancing the quality of care. In any solution, the design is the critical part.

Health and patient data are undergoing a dramatic and fundamental shift. This shift is further proliferated due to software applications and devices that are focused on evidence-based medicine. The constant monitoring and capturing of this data are leading to offer significant opportunities for supporting clinical decision, improving healthcare delivery, and management and policy making. Though these are big benefits and promises, it does present a great potential of barriers and challenges. Healthcare data security is a highly regulated area with a strict set of rules to handle, use, or transmit patient information. Not meeting these regulations laid down by policy makers simply indicate towards hefty fines.

Migrating to Cloud is the most preferred option to support fast-paced growth in the Healthcare industry. Cloud computing in Healthcare is leading the way to demonstrate how effective the move to Cloud actually is. There was a fair amount of apprehension about moving sensitive patient data to Cloud applications. But with the complexity of the Healthcare systems, Cloud is the best bet. Additionally, an incredibly important factor to consider moving to Cloud is the increased processing power to run data-intensive analysis.   

Market research predicts that this digital transformation that has gained momentum will only intensify in days to come. It is quite obvious that the digital health playbook is no longer a “stay in your lane” strategy. To make an impact in the lives of people you must move beyond what was traditionally your lane. Technology convergence is inevitable. Is the industry ready for it? Or its going to be a costly trade off?

By taking a comprehensive approach to digitization, organizations are in a position to deliver services more quickly and engage technologies for better patient care. Undoubtedly, digital health convergence is fast proving to be a game-changer. In order to get the complete benefits, end-to-end software solutions should be taken up by next-gen service providers.