5 consumer healthcare trends to watch in 2019

The field of medicine has witnessed significant changes over time with growth and development in technological innovations. In today’s world, the healthcare professionals are approaching a model in which healthcare is more often taken to the patient, less often requiring the patient going to seek medical care in a health facility.

Patients will receive more care in their homes.

This model means that the future of consumer healthcare is bright with promise, with many reasons to be optimistic. The following are some of the trends towards smarter healthcare that you can watch out for in 2019.

1. Virtual Telemedicine

This healthtech movement involves providing healthcare to patients by the clinicians using virtual visits. This is enabled by the communications technology. With virtual telemedicine, a patient uses technological devices that diagnose the patient and send the report to a doctor. This lowers the medical costs as well as improving convenience for both the physician and the patients. This technology is also useful in managing chronic diseases as well as emergencies.

2. Remote Patient Monitoring

This trend is also referred to as telehealth. It involves a practice where a patient is given a mobile device for self-medical checkups. These devices may be incorporated in the software applications in the patient's smartphones or computer. The data collected from the patient is then sent to the doctor. The devices may be used for daily diagnosis of such conditions as glucose levels or blood pressure.

3. Patient Personalization

Some patients are very sensitive and may be impacted by the method of data collection. The clinicians are now able to personalize the healthcare for patients depending on their health history. Creation of personalized patient experience is a way to ensure easy access to patients’ data tracking, and provide personalized healthcare accordingly.

4. Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) involves using machines to process human intelligence. AI in medicine is being used to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and speed of smarter healthcare. This allows the clinicians to optimize the workflow and have accurate diagnosis processes.

5. Remote Sampling

Remote blood specimen collections are highly acceptable by patients. This is a friendly process that requires less training. The patients can collect the samples conveniently from home. This greatly improves the patients’ experience.

The above trends have great potential in shaping the future of smarter healthcare in 2019 and beyond. Staying updated on the trends will give you a chance to enjoy the benefits.