Technology changes everything. Here are seven incredible pieces of new technology in healthcare that are changing the way the industry works.

Last year, the U.S. government spent $3.65 trillion on healthcare. This places the United States as the third most expensive healthcare system in the world.

But did you know that a large portion of this went towards medical research and development projects?

In fact, approximately $37 billion of federal spending went towards 2016’s $171.8 billion budget for R&D.

So what happens to this money? Well, some of it gets funneled in research projects such as drug development or cancer treatments. But some of it goes towards developing new technology in healthcare.

Not clear on how these gadgets could help the American healthcare system? Or want to find out more about these developments? Then you’re in the right place!

Read on to find out more about seven types of new technology in healthcare.

1. Virtual Healthcare

There are several different names for virtual healthcare. You might have heard of telehealth and telemedicine. These all come under the umbrella of virtual healthcare.

This advancement demonstrates how technology and healthcare can streamline the healthcare process. It utilizes mobile apps and video chat options to provide a means of communication for patients and doctors.

This means doctors can monitor patients without scheduling unnecessary follow-up appointments. In fact, some wearable technologies mean they keep an eye on patients who are miles away from the hospital. These allow doctors to monitor things such as heart rate and blood pressure, as well as more specific conditions.

This is a great option for patients who have mobility issues or live far from hospitals. And it could save the healthcare system vast amounts of money.

In fact, by reducing the number of in-person consultations, it could save $7 billion every year and make 37,000 providers available to see other patients.

2. 3D Printing

3D printing actually dates back to 1983, although it was far from the mainstream then. Nowadays it’s a concept that most people are familiar with.

It has become an extremely important piece of healthcare technology. It offers doctors the opportunity to customize the items that they want to print. This means that specific items can be printed to suit the patient’s needs.

So far, doctors have used this technology in healthcare to design organs for transplantation and to repair damaged skin and tissue. It has also helped to cut the cost of ‘poly-pills.’

3. Virtual Reality

Just like 3D printing, virtual reality is now a phrase that almost everyone in the developed world is familiar with. But did you know that it’s now being put to use in medical training?

The use of virtual reality in healthcare training works in two ways.

First, it gives doctors the opportunity to get a feel for procedures that they haven’t experienced yet. While virtual reality is no contest for the real thing, getting to grips with what to expect is always helpful.

And this doesn’t just benefit doctors who are still training. Even experienced doctors can benefit from revisiting procedures in virtual reality to brush up on their skills.

But virtual reality can also have a powerful impact on doctor-patient relations. It offers doctors an opportunity to experience audio-visual symptoms for themselves. This creates an entirely new level of empathy with patients, which is invaluable when it comes to providing treatment.

4. Robotic Process Automation

Robotic Process Automation, or RPA, uses Artificial Intelligence technology to process medical records. And this has an indirect benefit on the ward or in the operating theater.

It helps to streamline the system for processing medical records. This, in turn, saves valuable time and space. As a result, doctors can spend more time and focus on their practical work — helping patients.

But there are also vast opportunities to expand the use of Robotic Process Automation. Check out this link to learn more about RPA and the future possibilities that it offers the medical community.

5. AI Data Analysis

RPA also benefits patients by enabling better patient data analysis.

Data analysis can support doctors during diagnosis and while creating treatment plans. It allows them to quickly see clear patterns in a patient’s history. And it can even bring up other relevant medical files for comparison.

Artificial Intelligence can also carry out background research to help longterm projects.

In fact, in 2018, one project used AI to search for drugs that could be useful for fighting Ebola. AI technology enabled a much more extensive search than previously possible. And this helped researchers to discover two drugs that could reduce the rate of infection.

6. Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology currently enables us to treat parts of the body with better precision than ever.

This area of technology allows us to work on a minuscule level. In fact, nanotechnology involves matter what measures less than 100 nanometers. And in particular, this means that we can manipulate specific atoms or molecules in the body.

This means that we can deliver drugs with even more precision than before. This has revolutionized areas of medical treatments, such as cancer treatment.

Additionally, nanotechnology is being used to create miniature surgical robots to administer treatments.

For example, some research is attempting to create robots small enough to swim through your bloodstream. This could completely change how we distribute drugs around the body.

7. Medical Tricorders

Technically, this branch of technology and healthcare isn’t quite on the market yet. But it’s on its way. This snazzy gadget will totally revolutionize diagnostics as we know them.

We’re already partway there with technology such as Viatom CheckMe. This provides vitals and test results to help doctors diagnose patients quickly and effectively.

But in the future, a medical tricorder could take things a step further. This gadget would allow doctors to run an analysis of swab samples using smart devices. They might even be able to run analyses based on photographs of patients and perform ultrasounds.

Having these types of diagnostics on hand when seeing patients would dramatically reduce wait times in hospitals. This means that patients would be able to receive necessary treatment much quicker than they do at the moment. And doctors could catch emergencies before it’s too late.

While this type of gadget might feel like something from the distant future, it’s not far off. So keep your eyes out for this amazing piece of tech.

Feeling Excited About New Technology in Healthcare?

The way that new technology in healthcare is revolutionizing the way we look after our bodies is both amazing and inspirational!

These advancements provide doctors with more time and better treatment skills every day. Rather than replacing older types of treatments, technology is building on them to create new, cutting edge methods.

For more amazing news on how medical innovations are changing lives every day, keep scrolling!