Digital Transformation in Healthcare

Digital transformation in healthcare refers to the incorporation of digital technologies in all aspects of the healthcare industry. From patient services to healthcare organization models, technology has shown to be very valuable for the improvement of workflow, data management, customer experience, and overall processes. 

Telehealth

Telehealth represents the use of different telecommunication technologies in healthcare services. Telehealth has facilitated the connection and communication between patients and doctors, even if it is done at a distance. Thanks to this, people can now have access to more convenient and affordable services.

This has especially been beneficial for people who live in rural areas and need to travel a long distance to get medical services. Furthermore, telehealth also can contribute to safety in the sense that illness spreading can be reduced.  

Telehealth provides patients to remotely consult with a doctor, in cases when there is no need to do a physical examination. Health professionals use telehealth for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.

Telemedicine

As part of the broad scope of telehealth, telemedicine refers to the use of technology in the practice of medicine, during remote clinical services. The main difference between these two is that telemedicine refers to remote clinical services and telehealth to remote non-clinical services. 

Telemedicine is used to conduct different medical services, such as evaluations, diagnoses, and treatments at distance. All this is due to the help of sophisticated telecommunications technology. Increased access to the internet, smart digital devices, and high-quality videos are just some of the many factors contributing to telemedicine.

According to John Hopkins Medicine, telemedicine benefits both patients and service providers. Using telemedicine instead of in-person visits, patients will spend less time and less money. There will also be fewer interactions with others, hence more privacy and a lower risk for contagious illnesses to spread. 

On the other side, health service providers can follow patients’ conditions easier, will have fewer missed appointments, and improve office efficiency. Overall, this would lead to increased revenue as well. 

Internet of Medical Things (IoMT)

Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), or IoT in healthcare, refers to all medical devices, infrastructure, and software apps connected to the internet and used in healthcare. It enables medical service providers to monitor and keep track of their patients’ health status continuously, providing better care. 

The IoMT has become an important part of digital transformation in healthcare and its use is growing rapidly. Based on a Research and Markets report, the global market size of IoMT in 2019 was $55.32 billion and is expected to reach $257.16 billion in 2026. 

IoMT has affected healthcare in many aspects. ORDR has categorized and explained some of the main areas affected by different types of IoMT which are:

1. In-home IoMT – Enables patients to contact their healthcare providers and transmit their medical data remotely. 
2. On-body IoMT – Refers to the use of wearable medical devices which are connected to tracking systems and can be worn daily without causing people any inconvenience. 
3. Community IoMT – Refers to the use of IoMT devices in a broader geographic area for example to track patients when they are outside the hospital.
4. In-hospital IoMT – Refers to the use of IoMT in hospital settings, which is the setting where IoMT devices are mostly used. It involves many tracking devices, medical equipment, and monitoring devices. 

IoMT devices are categorized in the following main categories:

1. Fitness wearables
2. Medical wearables
3. Remote patient monitoring (RPM) devices
4. Personal emergency response systems (PERS)
5. Smart pills
6. Point of care devices and kiosks
7. Clinical monitors 
8. In-hospital devices

Fitness and medical wearables

Fitness and medical wearables are digital devices used to monitor vital statistics like heartrate, calories, steps, sleep etc., and collect users’ personal health and exercise data. They are designed to help people improve their fitness and health habits, and their overall well-being. 

Numerous advanced features of these devices have positively affected peoples’ health. For example, they can send real-time health information to doctors or can alert people when their heart rhythm is not stable. Some smartwatches can also monitor blood oxygen saturation, track sleep, or even automatically call 911 if the wearer is not moving. 

Even not intended for medical diagnosis, treatment, or medical purposes, Apple Watch new Series 8, has recently introduced new devices equipped with advanced temperature sensors and crash detection features.

Some of the most popular wearable devices are smartwatches. Other wearable devices include wearable ECG monitors, blood pressure monitors, and biosensors. 

Remote patient monitoring devices

Remote patient monitoring (RPM) devices enable healthcare providers to monitor, report, or analyze their patients’ health conditions remotely. Most used RPM programs are:

1. Blood pressure cuffs
2. Glucometer
3. Pulse oximeter
4. ECG and stethoscope
5. Wearables
6. Thermometer
7. Digital Scale

Personal emergency response systems

Personal emergency response systems (PERS) are medical alert systems used to continuously monitor at-risk in-home patients. PERS devices can be found in different forms for example as wall buttons, necklaces, or wristbands.

PERS devices can use different features like always-on communications, GPS technologies, fall detection technologies (including accelerometer and barometer), etc. 

Smart pills

Smart pills are small electronic devices that look like pharmaceutical capsules and can be ingested. When swallowed, they can perform functions like sensing, imaging, or drug delivery. For example, they can capture and obtain information from the gastrointestinal tract. Smart pills reduce the need for invasive procedures like colonoscopy or endoscopy, which can cause internal damage and are very uncomfortable.

Point of Care devices and kiosks

Point of Care devices are wall-mounted kiosks or mobile devices that function through specific mobile apps. They are mostly used for immediate administering and testing at the point of care, saving providers time and money. The concept of Point of Care healthcare involves conducting these procedures for patients and residents without the need to transfer them.  

Usually, Point of Care devices are used to collect data, such as daily activities, restorative nursing, therapies, meals, and mood observations. 

Clinical monitors

Clinical monitors are digital and smart devices used in clinical setups. They play an important part in the whole digital transformation process as they are used to record and collect patients’ vital data directly in the electronic health record (EHR).

In-hospital devices

In-hospital devices are all IoMT devices found in hospital settings. ECG, MRI, EHR are just some of the many digital technologies used to optimize and speed up work processes, obtain more accurate results, and enhance the overall patient experience in hospitals. 

Virtual Reality and Healthcare

Virtual reality (VR) uses computer 3-D images that allow a person to experience sounds, visions, and interactions via special types of equipment. It has been proven that VR can be effectively used for reducing pain and improving experiences for patients. 

This sophisticated type of tool enables people to immerse in a simulated environment. Many patients take themselves in virtual experience when they are getting chemotherapy, or getting other treatments. 

VR has also been proven to help with chronic and acute pain management. VR can help for chronic pain through different strategies like mindfulness, meditation, guided imagery, and CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). For acute pain relief, until now, VR has mostly been used for burn care, cancer pain, and routine medical procedures. These effects are mostly achieved due to the distractions caused by VR, however, experts are still studying and learning more about its effect on pain.  

Digital Transformations impact on data security in healthcare 

The widespread adoption of advanced technology and digital transformation in healthcare has undoubtedly been very beneficial. However, it has come with a cost. Hospitals and other healthcare organizations process, collect, and store enormous large amounts of sensitive data which face threats daily. 

In order to protect their data, reduce vulnerabilities, and prevent potential risks, healthcare organizations need to implement many safety programs, use a lot of processes, tools, and technologies, and raise staff awareness regarding these issues. Keeping up with the continuous evolution of technology advancement is not easy, and definitely not cheap. However, healthcare organizations are responsible to ensure safety.

Digital transformation security in healthcare

As digital transformation in healthcare is spreading rapidly, this industry is becoming more vulnerable to safety issues every day. That is why, organizations need to hire security professionals which will help them comply with different laws, regulations, and standard requirements. 

Here is a list of some of the most recognized standards and trainings, which will prepare professionals to protect their organizations:

1. ISO/IEC 27001 Information Security Trainings – Provides requirements for information security management systems establishment, implementation, and maintenance. 
2. Cybersecurity Management Trainings – Provides guidelines for the protection of cyberspace, especially the protection of privacy, integrity, and accessibility of data. 
3. GDPR – Certified Data Protection Officer – Is an EU regulation that enforces data protection for EU citizens’ data. 

About the author

Vlerë Hyseni is the Digital Content Officer at PECB. She is in charge of doing research, creating, and developing digital content for a variety of industries. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact her at: content@pecb.com.