How Tech Will Shape Healthcare in 2023

Technology has driven significant changes in the healthcare industry in recent years, and it appears prepared to continue shaping healthcare's future at the start of 2023. It not only helps solve some of the most common problems in healthcare, like getting services to distant areas, recruiting, training, and keeping enough staff, but it also allows us to solve other crucial challenges. As digital technologies become more accessible and efficient, more players in the healthcare industry will adopt digital health technologies in an attempt to meet patients' growing demands.

Will digital health go back to basics?

After years of record digital health financing, followed by a severe market downturn, experts anticipate that investors will emphasize safety above risk in health technology this year. Even so, funding for startups will remain available this year, and the telehealth industry will be held to higher clinical standards as it becomes more widely used in care delivery.

According to a Healthcare Dive interview with Credit Suisse analyst Jonathan Yong, digital health funding may still experience a slight drop compared to previous years, but funding levels should stabilize in 2023. This could imply that digitally delivered healthcare will continue to grow.

The responses of each organization will be determined by their specific challenges, but we can start to predict which trends will shape the healthcare industry this year. 

Read on to learn more!

Artificial Intelligence

Another notable healthcare tech trend that is changing how healthcare is delivered is artificial intelligence (AI), which is being used to aid in diagnostics, personalized treatment plans, and drug discovery. Furthermore, AI algorithms can quickly and accurately analyze large amounts of data, leading to better and more efficient healthcare.

AI algorithms, for example, can help healthcare providers in diagnosing medical conditions more accurately and quickly by analyzing images such as X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had approved over 520 medical artificial intelligence tools as of November 2022. Among these are "an image-reconstruction algorithm to improve the quality of MRI images and an algorithm to assist clinicians in detecting collapsed lung cases," according to the news site MedTech Dive. Healthcare providers can also use AI to develop personalized treatment plans based on patient data such as medical history, genetics, and lifestyle factors. This technology is also used in drug discovery. It allows researchers to identify new drug targets and make treatments that work better.

Wearable Devices

Wearable devices, such as fitness trackers and smartwatches, are another health tech trend that is quickly becoming a household item. They are becoming more sophisticated and are being used to track various health metrics such as heart rate, sleep, and exercise. Individuals can use these devices to track their health and share data with their healthcare providers. 

In the case of Imani Miles, a 12-year-old girl from Flushing, Michigan, her Apple Watch saved her life. Jessica Kitchen, Imani's mother, was alerted to an unusually high heart rate by the constant beeps from her daughter's watch. She rushed Imani to the emergency room, where a rare neuroendocrine tumor was discovered in her appendix after it was removed for appendicitis. "It could have been so much worse if she hadn't had that watch," Kitchen told HOUR Detroit Magazine. Her cancer had already spread to neighboring parts of her body. But thankfully, Imani is now fully recovered after undergoing surgery.

Patients suffering from chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity can benefit from wearable devices. Patients can improve their overall health outcomes by monitoring their health metrics and making better-informed decisions about their health.

3D Printing

People's lives are slowly but surely changing because of 3D printing. It is used to make personalized medical devices, prosthetics, and even human tissue in the medical field. By making prosthetic limbs that fit each person's body perfectly, 3D printing can help cut costs and improve the quality of life for patients by providing them with personalized solutions.

MediPrint was founded by Zaid Badwan, a young Mexican engineer and entrepreneur. This startup uses personalized medical devices made with 3D scanning and printing technologies to help people regain their abilities. Some of his instruments are even brain-controlled. They use portable electroencephalography headsets, similar to those used in electrocardiograms. He hopes that in the future, this type of technology will be available to everyone who needs it.

These technologies can improve the comfort and functionality of prosthetics, resulting in longer lives and mental health relief for millions of patients worldwide. Furthermore, 3D printing can be used to create medical devices such as surgical instruments that are tailored to the needs of a specific surgical procedure.