Have you ever wondered what hospitals will look like in the future? Have you ever thought about how technological advancements could make treatments more effective? Sci-fi movies and futuristic films have given us a lot to speculation about healthcare evolution. But what about the real technologies that are being developed right now?
According to this infographic, things such as Artificial Intelligence and machine learning could become common in hospitals in just a matter of years. Here are 5 ways that technology could change the healthcare industry in the very near future.
1. 3D Printing in Surgery
According to the Gartner Predicts 2016 report, the use of 3D printing will become prominent in the next few years to come. It will be used as a major tool in more than 35% of surgical procedures by 2019, just 2 years’ time. Also, It will be applicable to everything from prosthetics to implant devices and even synthetic organs.
The figures from the report predict that 10% of the developed world (that could be as many as 600 million people) could be walking around with 3D printed products inside their bodies!
By 2030, 3D printing will become a multimillion industry, with entire human organs being printed and used. Removing the need for a long drawn out donor waiting list.
2. Wearable Technology for Patients
The Internet of Things may be the next ‘Industrial Revolution’ of our time. As a result, billions of devices will connect to the web by the year 2020. Also, this includes around 646 million heart rate monitors, skin patches and blood pressure monitors in use of healthcare practitioners.
Wearable medical technology will reshape the way we understand personal health. As a result, this will allow us to understand our bodies in a way we’ve never done before.
3. Artificial Intelligence in Hospitals
By 2021, A.I will be in use of hospitals to assist medical staff in helping patients. According to Forbes, Artificial Intelligence is expected to roll out in 90% of U.S hospitals. Also, 60% of hospitals in the rest of the world will use it by the year 2025.
4. Robot ‘Chat Bot’ Diagnosis
Whilst we’re still far away from humanoid bots that slot seamlessly into society, GP assistant ‘chat bots’ could be the next big thing in hospitals and medical centres all over the world. Also, artificial Intelligence will eventually outperform humans at some diagnosis check-ups and even some routine surgeries.
5. Engineered Human Senses
Cyberneticist Kevin Warwick is currently developing a way to engineer new human senses. Through simple implants, Warwick aims to change the way that humans experience the world. So, our 5 senses of sight, sound, smell, touch and taste are limiting according to Warwick. He believes that there are other signals out there, such as radio waves and X-rays. As a result, his implants could help us detect these.
Engineering extra senses can help people detect things that could not be seen, heard or felt by the ordinary human being. In some ways, it could save lives or improve health.
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