Healthcare technology, or HealthTech, is an all-encompassing term. It comprises a wide range of artificial intelligence (AI) tools and technological advancements designed to improve various aspects of the healthcare system.
The goal of HealthTech is to empower clinicians with real-time, data-driven choices, ultimately improving patient care, efficiency, and outcomes.
mHealth (mobile health) means medical practice that is supported by mobile devices (such as smartphones and tablets) for healthcare purposes to enhance point of service data collection, care delivery, and patient communication. It includes health apps, wearable devices, and remote monitoring solutions.
The mHealth mobile apps utilize artificial intelligence (AI) to provide services, such as telemedicine which uses sensors, wearables, computers, and the Internet. Various communicating systems, such as smartphones and iPads, have propelled telemedicine as a truly equal option as in-person visits for patients in rural and urban areas.
Telehealth (or Telemedicine) plays a crucial role in modern healthcare, offering convenience, efficiency, and improved patient outcomes. It involves providing healthcare services remotely, using telecommunications technology. It includes virtual consultations, telemedicine visits, and remote patient monitoring.
Virtual Consultations are remote appointments where patients and healthcare providers communicate via video calls, phone calls, or secure messaging platforms. They offer convenience, especially for follow-up visits or minor health concerns.
Telemedicine Visits refer to the use of technology for diagnosing, treating, and managing health conditions remotely. Telemedicine visits involve more comprehensive interactions, such as diagnosing illnesses, discussing treatment options, and monitoring chronic conditions. Specialists can provide expert opinions, and patients can receive care from the comfort of their homes.
Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) involves collecting health data from patients outside traditional healthcare settings. Devices like wearable sensors, glucometers, and blood pressure monitors transmit data to healthcare providers. Clinicians can track vital signs, detect anomalies, and intervene promptly if needed. RPM is particularly valuable for managing chronic diseases and post-surgery recovery.
Telehealth is flexible for both patients and clinicians. It has increased access to healthcare, especially for rural or underserved populations, reduced travel time and costs for patients. But telehealth has challenges such as privacy and security of patient data, ensuring equitable access to technology. And addressing reimbursement policies and licensure across state lines.
Digital health[1] includes mobile health (mHealth), health information technology (IT), all kinds of wearable devices, telehealth, telemedicine, and personalized medicine.
The Internet of Things (IoT) and the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT)[2] contains various devices and mobile apps that utilize the Internet and play critical role in tracking and preventing illnesses. They include wearables and sensors that track patients’ conditions by monitoring body or organ functions, such as temperature, glucose level, blood pressure and other vital signs.
WebRTC stands for Real-Time Connections on the Web. This technology allows medical applications to provide remote health services. It ensures that other systems can interface and access data in a unified and secure way.
EHR (Electronic Health Records) are digital versions of patients’ medical records. They allow clinicians to access and update patient information, track medical history, and facilitate communication among healthcare providers. EHRs will be discussed extensively later in a separate chapter.
Information Technology (IT) Tools and Devices encompass a broad category of technologies used in healthcare. Examples include data analytics tools, decision support systems, and health information exchange platforms.
In 2017, the FDA approved the first smart digital ingestible pill with a sensor which can be tracked Online; the sensor transmits data to a patch that sends the information to a smartphone app. [3] Similarly, the pillcam can record and transmit videos of the intestinal tract.
In 2021, Hanson Robotics unveiled Grace, a humanoid robot, designed as an assistant for doctors and a companion for patients, especially seniors. It has sensors and detect a patient's temperature and pulse, speaks three languages - English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. It can socialize and conduct talk therapy.
In 2024, chatbots use machine learning, in which software identifies patterns in data, without rules or guidance from humans, to generate responses. These patterns can be a complete black box, even to the humans who develop the software.
Computer scientists and neuroscientists are developing tools that might reveal how the large language models (LLMs) that power chatbots are coming up with their answers [4].
To figure this out, some researchers are making model decision trees to replicate the functionality of LLMs, and others are engaging in chain-of-thought conversations (much like human psychotherapy) with the chatbots to determine how they are “thinking.” Other researchers are scanning LLMs' neural networks while the machines “think” to determine how a response was generated.
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