Healthcare is headed for care delivery transformation, fast tracked by wearable medical devices and health data interoperability, according to Renton, Wash.-based Providence CIO BJ Moore.
In a Feb. 10 LinkedIn blog post, Mr. Moore discussed some of his predictions for healthcare delivery aided by technology advancements. In the near future, the next generation versions of fitness watches, consumer DNA test kits and “smart” weight scales will be able to send health data they collect directly to the users’ physicians, according to Mr. Moore.
This constant flow of information will support a more proactive and cheaper approach to healthcare. People who put off going to the physician’s office end up waiting longer for treatment; these patients then can develop issues that are more difficult and expensive to treat, Mr. Moore wrote.
Once medical records interoperability is achieved, providers can start using machine learning and artificial intelligence to analyze patient data stored in a single source. These tools will be able to create health strategies tailored to the individual based on their data, but providers will need to enhance data privacy and security safeguards, Mr. Moore wrote.
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Despite the potential opportunities with tech in healthcare, Mr. Moore explained that this technology won’t replace physicians but instead will help aid their decisions.
“We’ll still have doctors who make the ultimate call about our treatment, but those decisions will be powered by ever-smarter devices and data,” he wrote.
Source: Becker’s Hospital Review