Anticipation is high within the healthcare industry for upcoming pioneering innovations based on what transpired in 2021. Here are our top six predictions for 2022 when it comes to technologies and trends within the medical space.
Trailblazing Drug Development
Developing several effective COVID-19 vaccines in under a year may go down as one of the most notable scientific achievements in the history of mankind. The groundbreaking rollout was expedited by governing regulatory experts, as well as innovative vaccine trials. Hosting virtual clinical studies enabled the participation not to be compromised. The FDA announced new guidelines for virtual trials, which opens up the doors for the creation and exploration of new drugs down the road.
Additionally, it must be noted that pharmaceutical competitors came together in a collaborative effort, which further helped speed along the novel vaccine and drug developments. For example, pharma giants Gilead, Novartis, and WuXi AppTec have formed an alliance to explore antiviral therapies.
Telehealth 2.0
Throughout the pandemic, telehealth was the shining star. Prior to the coronavirus outbreak in 2020, approximately 24 percent of healthcare organizations had telehealth services available. After only one year, more than one billion telehealth appointments were conducted. By 2021, nearly all healthcare institutions had telehealth programs at the top of their priority lists.
Thanks to telehealth, accessibility to health care providers and mental health support has grown and will continue to grow exponentially.
Digital Assistances
Digital staples in countless households across the globe, including Alexa and Google Home, have fundamentally shifted the manner in which people live their lives. Digital assistances, so to speak, have also played a contributing role within healthcare.
Data capturing has been embedded within the medical arena for years. So, it only makes sense that natural language systems and ambient listening have found their place as it relates to capturing and processing healthcare data.
The two most prominent electronic health care records (EHR), Epic and Cerner, started to use voice-enabled virtual assistants as part of their software in 2020. We expect this technology to advance with further refinement over time.
Nanomedicine
Nanotechnology is the branch of technology that deals with dimensions and tolerances of less than 100 nanometers. Nanomedicine utilizes nanotechnology in order to work on incremental scales such as atomic, molecular, and supramolecular. In 2021, researchers navigated innovative techniques in order to reach individual cells using nanomedicine. One clever example is a biopharmaceutical company leveraging nanotechnology which can combat bacteria and viruses.
Intelligent Pacemakers
A significant advancement within the medical field is the Bluetooth-enabled pacemaker. This technology provides patients the ability to connect their pacemaker to their mobile device, which in-turn advances monitoring the health of their heart.
A pacemaker’s purpose is to transport electrical pulses throughout chambers of the patient’s heart in order to avoid heart arrhythmias. Historically, the monitoring system is too complicated for a lay person to comprehend. Now, with the ability to connect mobile devices, it gives medical providers the ability to safely track their patients’ health status from afar.
Smarter Wearables
Fitness trackers became popular years ago, and their attraction to consumers has not slowed down. In 2019, the popular fitness tracking device FitBit, shipped nearly 10 mil-lion products.
Next up in 2022 — wearables within the medical technology space will become even more specified. For example, wearable continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) are set to become the new normal for people with diabetes. These wearable monitors offer real-time blood sugar level readings, vs. the need to periodically take glucose tests. Besides the convenience factor, it also provides instant insights from food consumption and fitness activity.
We wish everyone a healthy and prosperous New Year from Auxo Medical. In 2022, you can continue to count on us for delivering relevant, timely and valuable content as it pertains to healthcare.