Healthcare, without a doubt, is an industry that affects each and every one of us. As the world grows with technology, we expect to witness trends and advancements in healthcare technology breaking through in 2024.
If we let the numbers do the talking, the size of the healthcare technology market reaches €1 billion. $200 billion in 2022 and is expected to skyrocket to a staggering €1,301 million in 2032. According to this forecast, the CAGR will grow by 18.30% from 2023 to 2032.
Adoption of AI in the healthcare sector
In 2024 we will witness its massive integration of software development solutions into the sector. Speaking of hearts, AI has them in its sights, especially when it comes to cardiac ultrasound . Performs complete 3D quantification and modeling of the heart, even handling automated measurements. This way, sonographers can obtain and analyze images correctly, while physicians can provide superior, more efficient cardiac care.
AI also plays an important role in improving the overall work efficiency of our healthcare professionals. These are some of the aspects in which AI will be implemented in 2024:
Data management automation
AI systems address healthcare challenges with automated data management, including document processing, electronic health records (EHR), medical imaging, and many others.
Using AI algorithms, EHR data analysis can uncover patterns and trends, which can help healthcare professionals streamline workflows, improve documentation accuracy, and make smarter clinical decisions. For example, Epic EHR, a leading electronic health record system, has integrated AI into its software using AI algorithms. Microsoft's Azure
OpenAI Service .
Additionally, healthcare leaders recognize the potential of generative AI to ease administrative burdens on staff and improve operational efficiency, as revealed by a survey conducted by Bain & Company . Exciting applications, such as automated documentation and summary of patient visits, can free up physicians' time to focus on more valuable tasks.
Diagnosis
Diagnoses are getting better and better thanks to AI. It has the ability to analyze medical images such as x-rays, CT scans, and pathology samples, allowing for more accurate diagnoses. Even artificial intelligence projects to detect cancer by analyzing images of whole slides .
Using AI for scanner processing is a great achievement. For example, COVID-19 images. It is a deep learning model that automatically detects COVID-19 patterns in CT scans. There is also the Microsoft-backed InnerEye Research Project that shows great promise for processing CT scans.
As healthcare depends on critical decisions, many advanced healthcare organizations use AI as a supplementary tool, complementing existing diagnostics and enhancing research data collected by traditional means.
Discover new drugs
The sector will also explore the discovery of new drugs with the help of artificial intelligence. By staying up to date with technological trends in healthcare, they aim to make significant progress by 2024.
An incredible advancement in this field is DeepMind's AlphaFold2 . It has reached an impressive level of accuracy and is now openly available through Google Colab. The latest version of AlphaFold uses a machine learning method that combines physical and biological knowledge about protein structure.
Another example DeepAffinity A semi-supervised model that combines recurrent and convolutional neural networks to predict the binding affinity between a drug and target sequences. The model uses labeled and unlabeled data to encode molecular representations based on structurally annotated protein sequences.
Innovations in mental health technology
It is striking how accessible mental health support has become on electronic devices, revolutionizing the way we seek help compared to previous decades. Well, in 2024 we will witness one of the main health technology trends, especially in the field of mental health care.
Finding the right balance between quality care, clinical science and technological entrepreneurship can be challenging. However, telepsychiatry has shown great potential for growth and improvement. In fact, a 2016 review found that both clients and medical professionals were very satisfied with telepsychiatry.
Additionally, some patients feel more comfortable opening up from the comfort of their own home.
Nowadays, mental health services also extend to apps. Breath is one of them: it is a Chrome extension based on artificial intelligence that automatically offers you mental health exercises based on your Internet activity and your online behavior. It's like having a personal guide who knows exactly when you need stress-relieving practices and strategies.
Telemedicine solutions will become widespread
Having virtual conversations with healthcare professionals will become increasingly common starting in 2024. Although telehealth visits have declined since the height of the pandemic, Fortune Business Insights predicts that the telemedicine market will reach $185.6 billion by 2026 .
Virtual healthcare services, telemedicine software, and remote patient monitoring (RPM) bring a host of benefits to both patients and doctors:
- Improving patient access to healthcare
- Convenience and flexibility in receiving medical care
- Reduction of healthcare costs
- Effective and timely communication between patients and doctors
- Increased patient engagement and empowerment
Patients want the same level of convenience in healthcare as they do in any other aspect of their life. With mobile RPM, patients receive timely notifications to share how they are feeling through a simple mobile app.
This innovative technology further improves communication between patients and healthcare professionals. This is nothing less than a radical change for people fighting chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis or asthma, among others.
Extended reality as a tool for effective procedures
When it comes to healthcare technology trends in 2024, extended reality steals the show like a science fiction movie. Extended reality, which encompasses augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality, is called to bring innovation and benefits to the sector.
Although these gadgets seem intended for entertainment, they are making patient recovery time and hospital management better than ever.
Here's how:
medical training
AR and VR have proven to be revolutionary medical technologies for training professionals. They create immersive simulations that allow doctors and students to practice surgeries in a safe and realistic environment. This not only improves their skills but also prepares them for real-life procedures.
With the help of augmented reality devices, healthcare professionals can virtually hold the hand of patients during actions or procedures, offering them support and expertise from a distance.
Remote rehabilitation and physiotherapy
These cutting-edge software development solutions also help healthcare specialists deliver remote rehabilitation and physiotherapy. Thanks to augmented reality, they can create interactive and captivating exercises.
By overlaying digital elements onto real-world environments, augmented reality has the remarkable potential to inspire and guide patients in their rehabilitation process, increasing their engagement and ultimately improving their outcomes.
Specific treatments
Health institutions are making the most of virtual reality technology to offer interventions in certain treatments. At the University of Central Florida they are using VR therapy to help people with PTSD. They create simulated images of a hospital room and have patients recount their traumatic experiences while their therapist is present.
In Connecticut, Maplewood Senior Living has this VR Therapy Program for seniors. It is designed to help them unlock memories and make them feel better emotionally.
Portable medical devices for precise control
Wearables and mobile devices are increasingly interrelated. And in 2024, this health technology trend will continue to expand, pushing us to be healthier.
Demand for wearable devices like Fitbits and smartwatches continues to rise this year, along with the numerous mobile health and wellness apps available on platforms like Google Play and the Apple App Store.
In terms of numbers, the wearable medical technology market is expected to reach €1 billion. $428,920 million in 2030 growing at a CAGR of 28.6%.
It's pretty clear that both patients and healthcare professionals find value in being able to remotely monitor a patient's condition throughout the day using wearables or letting patients track their own health.
And get this: 3 in 10 working-age Internet users actually own a "smart wrist" device like a fitness tracker or smartwatch. This shows that people love these devices.
Predictive analysis to predict risks and outcomes
Predictive analytics is emerging as a truly promising trend in healthcare technology by 2024. It is gaining momentum as more and more institutions recognize its value and invest in it.
By using real-time and historical data, predictive analytics can help healthcare professionals gain valuable insights and take proactive steps to make better treatment decisions.
Predictive analytics also facilitates remote patient monitoring, ensuring continuous care. For example, one study has shown its potential to predict life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. By detecting risks early, predictive analytics facilitates the shift from reactive to preventive care, resulting in better patient outcomes.
But it's not just about the patient's health.
Predictive analytics can also help detect potential needs for maintenance or replacement of hardware parts. This can be done through continuous monitoring of medical equipment such as MRI scanners. Helps resolve 30% of service cases before equipment downtime occurs, saving healthcare operations from avoidable disruptions.
Robust data security
Postmeds, also known as Truepill, unfortunately experienced a major data breach in 2023 that affected 2,364,359 people. It is just one of many healthcare organizations that have been victims of cyberattacks and data breaches recently.
Keeping patient data safe has always been one of the key challenges in healthcare, especially as more custom enterprise software development advances are integrated. It is no surprise that the industry will increasingly invest in data security in 2024, so expect even stricter regulatory measures to be implemented.
Preventing data breaches starts with compliance. Ensuring HIPAA compliance is crucial to avoiding costly breaches. For example, if you care for international patients, keep in mind the European Union's General Data
Protection Regulation (GDPR).
If you are in medicine and offer a platform for telehealth, you have compliant video conferencing software. However, it is recommended that a bespoke solution is required if the existing data infrastructure does not integrate seamlessly.
Despite these efforts, there is no guarantee that the third-party program can fully protect patient data. Additionally, keeping information secure during remote doctor visits can be challenging.
Nanotechnology will revolutionize medicine
Nanotechnology is on the verge of a medical revolution with the emergence of tiny self-replicating robots called xenobots . In 2024, nanomedicine will be all the rage, offering endless possibilities and opportunities to savvy early investors.
Nanomedicine involves using tiny materials and objects, such as biocompatible nanoparticles, nanoelectronic devices or nanorobots, for medical purposes such as diagnosis or treatment of living organisms. An example is the "smart pill" that has sensors to detect illnesses long before you notice any symptoms.
This custom development services is intended to address genetic, oncological or autoimmune diseases at the cellular level, such as tumors, arthritis and others (or even to be the definitive solution). For example, it can be used as a potential cancer cell or virus hunter where a bunch of nanorobots are injected into a person's blood vessels.
Imagine: in 2024, instead of undergoing surgery or other invasive procedures, you will be able to take a pill with a nanobot. And this is just a small sample of what nanotechnology has in store for us in the field of medicine.
Sustainable procurement of healthcare supplies
To address the urgent need to decarbonize healthcare, health technology companies, health systems and other stakeholders are adopting sustainable practices across the healthcare value chain: operations, innovation, services and delivery. So we can expect public procurement to undergo a major sustainability transformation in 2024.
With ESG disclosure requirements increasing, green procurement is set to revolutionize the healthcare delivery landscape. As billions of people lack access to essential health services and disparities persist, the need for equitable and sustainable healthcare has never been more pressing.
One solution that the healthcare sector is studying is digital solutions. They are highly scalable and can help expand prevention, improve triage and reduce care costs. This allows moving from resource-intensive clinical settings to more affordable settings such as the home.
And for the 3.5 billion people around the world who currently lack access to healthcare, digital health technology can expand access to much-needed sustainable healthcare models.
Looking ahead, in 2024 and beyond, we will see more collaborations between health technology companies, health systems, providers and other stakeholders. Together, we are moving in the direction that will reduce the environmental impact of healthcare IT and pave the way to a sustainable future.
Regenerative medicine with 3D bioprinting
In 2024, 3D printing of biocompatible implants will be even more reliable and accessible to medical centers. With new materials and advanced prosthetic techniques, it is attracting the attention of scientists and researchers for its ability to create structures similar to natural tissues in three dimensions.
This custom business software development has become affordable and accessible, and some people even create their own limbs. The global community of volunteers known as e-NABLE has manufactured more than 8,000 prosthetic hands and arms for people around the world.
Additionally, patients now have a wide range of options for cardiovascular and neurological implants. It is even possible to develop structures of human organs and tissues for research purposes. By combining these structures with biocompatible microfluidics, healthcare facilities can create detailed models that mimic the functions of real human organs.
Neural implants
Neuroimplants, efficient brain-computer implants, are expected to be one of the most advanced medical devices to enter the market in 2024.
Multiple companies, organizations, projects and startups are prepared to offer these implants for various medical needs, such as restoring functional independence in patients with paralysis or blindness.
For example, as of 2021, scientists have put a small implant (about the size of a penny) into the visual cortex of a blind person. This incredible technology allowed him to recognize different letters and shapes.
We still have a long way to go, but the potential for brain implants to help with disabilities is truly mind-blowing.
Let's build your healthcare app today
Healthcare will continue to evolve and revolutionize the field of medicine in 2024. The possibilities are endless and it is an exciting time to be part of this constantly growing sector.
