In this blog post, we’ll explore 5 key trends in healthcare software development that you might want to keep an eye on in the coming year. From empowerment of clinicians and demand for user experience, these changes will have a widespread impact across all industries that use software.
Rising Medical Robotics Market
Robotics is seeing more investment and development than ever before. This year, the robotics market is estimated to be worth approximately $80 billion. Not surprisingly, healthcare is one of the industries that’s seeing a rise in robotics. In particular, the surgery sector of healthcare is seeing a lot of investment, especially with robotic surgery increasing in popularity. For example, laparoscopic surgery, which is performed using robotic surgery tools, has been rising in popularity since the early 2000s. With the use of specialized software to assist with robotic surgery, it makes sense to see robotics becoming even more prevalent in the surgery process.
Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality and Video Chatting
The rise of artificial intelligence has been a hotly debated topic for some time now. The healthcare industry is certainly not immune to this discussion, as you can expect AI to have a massive impact on the healthcare sector as a whole. In fact, it’s estimated that AI will have a $19.9 billion impact on healthcare in just the next two years. And with healthcare data becoming more accessible than ever, the rise of AI is not surprising. Additionally, with the adoption of virtual reality increasing across industries, the healthcare sector is not immune to the rise of VR either. And with the advent of video chatting, some of these technologies are even more closely intertwined with the healthcare sector.
Health Data Analytics
The healthcare industry is historically very data-driven. And with the proliferation of healthcare technology, this trend is only growing. For example, wearable devices, such as activity trackers, can provide a wealth of data that would not have been accessible in the past. More recently, the growth of big data analytics has only made this trend stronger. With healthcare organizations able to access and analyze massive amounts of data at a low cost, it’s no surprise that healthcare software is increasingly data-driven. This means that healthcare organizations have access to an unprecedented amount of data about the health habits of their populations. This data can be incredibly useful for research, patient care, and more.
Continued Growth of Blockchain Technology
So, what is blockchain technology? Essentially, it is a system that records transactions in a digital ledger. This ledger is distributed across a network of computers, which means that it is far more resilient than a centralized ledger. With information being stored across a decentralized network, blockchain is incredibly difficult to hack. And it’s this security that’s made blockchain an attractive option for a wide variety of industries, including the healthcare sector. For example, blockchain provides an ideal solution for medical record security. As each patient’s record is stored across a decentralized network of computers, it is virtually impossible to falsify a record.
Clinician Empowerment and Demand for User Experience
Whereas some technologies, like artificial intelligence, may take over some of the more menial tasks, others can help clinicians to do their jobs more efficiently and effectively. For example, technology can help clinicians to better engage with their patients through the use of more intuitive software. By using software that is designed with the user experience in mind, clinicians can be more effective at communicating with patients. This can help to foster a better relationship between patients and their doctors.
Bottom Line
Healthcare is an industry that has been slow to adopt new technologies. And while there are certainly challenges ahead, it is likely that healthcare software will continue to evolve significantly in the coming years. All of these predictions are likely to spur growth in the healthcare software development industry. As a result, it will be important to select a healthcare software development partner that is prepared for these changes.
