Digital technology and New models of care
Ts. Dr. James Chong, DIRECTOR, ALLIED HEALTH, Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara
Ts. Dr. James Chong, DIRECTOR, ALLIED HEALTH, Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara
Digital technology possibly will help transform healthcare into a more sustainable systems, re-align the relationship between healthcare professionals and patients, and deliver a more cost-effective solution. The future of healthcare is definitely redefining in front of our eyes with advances in digital healthcare technologies. We must familiarize with the most recentinnovation to be able to control and utilisethe technology. The future of healthcare lies in working together with technology, and healthcare professionalsmust embrace emerging healthcare technologies to stay relevant in the coming years.
Health sensors and telehealth
In the future, as we look back on today’s healthcare it will look completely bizarrewhere we mustvisit the nearest facility to receive an appropriate care. Health sensors and telemedicine are making a paradigm shift and make patients the point of care. Even today, wearables are mainstream, and the Apple watch has such great health measuring functions that have reportedly saved multiple lives by alerting users in time of a serious cardiovascular condition. We, Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara (THKD) cardiology team not limiting ourselves with the uses of Apple watch for cardiac rhythm monitoring but also venture to Kardia mobile ECG. We can capture arrythmia by simply putting our digits on the device, and the data can be store and send directly to the cardiologist for review, leaping us nearer to achieve Star Trek’s Medical Tricorder. With health sensor, medical professionals will be able to obtain most of the information to suggest a possible medical condition. Adding in the consultation and transaction via internet, patient even can receive their prescribe medicine at home.
Artificial intelligence (Ai)
Ai has an unimageable potential in medical industry. We are in the next couple of years, where it will revolutionize every area of our life, including medicine. As Ai will be able to mine and utilize vast amounts of medical data and our entire medical knowledge, it will redesign healthcare services like never before. It will be able to suggest better diagnosis and help to design treatment plans. Since Ai will be able to understand the medical information via deep learning, with additional DNA data; Ai will help healthcare move from the traditional one-size-fits-all medical solutions to targeted treatments, tailored-made therapy, and exclusivelypersonalised drugs. With the help of Ai and genetic testing, full genome sequencing can decode your entire DNA and looking at it through the database and study on how our genome affects health or suggest risks involving certain medical diseases.
Physician can create a preventive plan or monitoring the possible symptoms. For example, your physician may change your lifestyle in a way to keep you healthy in the long run if your genome report shows potential risk of diabetes. Genome based precision medicinewill definitely become the trend or standard as part of the preventive measure for health issue.
5G
The upcoming 5G upgrade of our telecommunication networks will lay down the foundation for the digital health revolution and evolution. Currently, health sensors and the Internet of Medical Things
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Health care leader should acknowledge the innovation and development in digital healthcare that will usher the paradigm shift of the art of medicine
(IoMT) tools are putting our networks under increasing strain. With 5G network, it will not only bring further speed and capacity for data collection but alsoinviting more innovative medical technologies. In the future, wearables and pocket-sized connected devices will be more commercialized andcontinuously monitor patient’s condition. With high speed 5G network, it will allow data gained from these wearables to perform real-time analysis andnotify a patient physician if deemed required.Patient may feel more appreciate with high speed 5G network applicability where certain specialist may only available halfway across the world to perform remote surgery for them.
We are truly living in revolutionary time for healthcare thanks to the innovation of digital health. Covid-19 has changed general population mindset and adapt to digital health services. Health care leader should acknowledge the innovation and development in digital healthcare that will usher the paradigm shift of the art of medicine.
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