According to the US Census Bureau’s 2017 National Population Projections, the beginning of the 30s will be a watershed moment for demography in America, notably for the senior population. Every baby boomer will be 65 or older by 2040, meaning one out of every five Americans will be retired. There will be far more demand for healthcare in the future than there will be supply.
According to one recent study, the digital health business will rise by 26% by 2025. This expansion highlights the potential benefits of digital health technology, such as the possibility to promote more tailored dialogues between patients and clinicians based on near real-time data transmitted via connected health devices and health system software. Utilizing digital health technologies will become more significant as health care professionals look for methods to increase patient services and grow their practices.
As a result, healthcare costs will rise, pushing us to adapt. Despite grim predictions, the future of our aging population is not hopeless. As new challenges arise, new technologies emerge to meet those challenges. So, how will technology help providers deal with an aging America?
Integrate Virtual Care
Since the pandemic began in 2020, telehealth has shaken up the healthcare industry. Telehealth uses mobile technology to allow medical practitioners to monitor their patients outside of traditional clinical venues like hospitals and doctor’s offices. Healthcare experts will hold frequent video conference sessions with patients via the Internet to discuss concerns and offer ideas by 2022. The necessary infrastructure has substantially improved. Experts anticipate that by 2026, the telehealth market will be worth $185.6 billion. Remote patient monitoring (RPM) is a subset of that, and it is simply one delivery system within the broader telehealth business. RPM is a specialized technique used to communicate information between patients and clinicians electronically.
Many consumers find telehealth a more convenient way to contact healthcare practitioners about several issues, ranging from routine care and urgent health problems to chronic disease management and expert services.
Healthcare providers may want to investigate delivering these services through their virtual care platform or partnering with another provider. Third parties can help providers implement virtual care into their workflow, and train their staff. HIPAA compliance and privacy are some of the most critical aspects of telehealth. Healthcare providers must think about the apps they’re utilizing to interact with their patients. Are they licensed and certified to handle sensitive medical data?
In many cases, a more dedicated solution is necessary to conform to legal privacy standards more specifically. WebRTC is an open-source API-based system that connects web browsers and mobile applications and enables the transmission of audio, video, and data. It is one of the most critical technologies required if you need a dedicated telehealth app.
Wearables in Healthcare
Wearables have become more common in healthcare, and their potential in business has increased dramatically. Many have referred to the application of wearable technology to telemedicine as a revolution, calling it the “Internet of Medical Things” (IOMT)
The availability of more remote healthcare services and individualized diagnoses and treatment plans has the obvious potential to cut the cost compared to the traditional model. Instead of needing to visit a medical facility to obtain care, patients benefit from the ease of remote monitoring. Wearables, of course, integrating with Salesforce can offer meaning and accuracy. Salesforce Wear, the industry’s first enterprise program for wearable computing, enables developers to jump-start their capacity to link businesses with their customers in entirely new ways via wearable apps. It is a platform that allows developers to connect wearable devices to the company’s cloud systems, allowing users to access corporate data with a short tap of a watch or simple voice commands.
Smartwatches, smart wristbands, and intelligent eyeglasses have become routine in our everyday lives. Millions of people in the United States currently use smartwatches and activity trackers to track their daily activity and sleep patterns and help them improve their health. In Quantilope’s 2021 Consumer Electronics research of wearable device owners in the United States, 63% of those polled used smartwatches or fitness trackers. According to Insider Intelligence’s Smartwatch Users prediction, the number of US smartwatch users increased from 42 million to 45.2 million between 2020 and 2021, and this figure is predicted to rise to 51.9 million by 2024. With wearables becoming increasingly common, some people are beginning to see them as a tool for managing chronic diseases by making more data-driven decisions about their treatment and daily habits.
Seniors benefit from wearable healthcare equipment in numerous ways:
- These devices can enable continuous remote monitoring of older adults, alert caregivers/physicians to aberrant changes, and aid in the early detection and control of health conditions.
- Wearables can measure physical activities, send alarms, and aid in avoiding falls.
- By offering reminders, promoting physical activity, and assisting older individuals in making necessary modifications to their daily routines or behavior, wearables can aid in the self-management of health.
- Regular monitoring of clinical parameters by wearable technologies can let older persons receive home-based telecare, lowering provider visits and expenses.
With our aging population living longer than ever before, we must embrace technology to solve and alleviate healthcare problems. We can assist older individuals to improve their health and keep their independence by offering the education and support they deserve and inventing gadgets that prioritize their requirements, allowing them to live happier and longer lives.
Technology as Part of Workflow
By providing more personalized, integrated, and data-driven clinical suggestions, new digital platforms may improve the workflow of health care practitioners while also increasing patient satisfaction. Specific technology platforms, for example, that integrate directly into a physician’s existing electronic medical record platform, may allow care providers to see prescription costs, potential gaps in care, eligibility, and patient health history in near real-time. The software has been becoming a crucial part of a lot of the workflow.
In conclusion, it is clear that technology fundamentally changes the way providers provide care for these patients. To prepare for the future, providers can start leveraging different technologies to meet their demands. Salesforce allows care teams to work more efficiently together and improves patient-provider interactions. With immediate eligibility and benefit verification, Salesforce can help providers streamline workflow. The Madison Ave team works closely with providers to implement cloud technology, including Salesforce.