2020 has been a disruptive year for the healthcare industry: the COVID-19 outbreak has revealed the sector’s core vulnerabilities and acted as a catalyst for its modernization. The pandemic has also rendered inaccurate most of the previous long-term predictions. Yet, in 2021 most of the major digital healthcare trends of the previous years will remain unchanged – what’s set to increase is the pace of digital transformation.
The macro trends shaping the landscape for healthcare digitization are:
– Longer lifespans and the aging population
– The onset of chronic diseases and the increasing number of people living with chronic ailments
– The talent shortage in the healthcare sector taking its toll on the quality of services
– Overpacked doctors’ schedules
– The escalating costs of healthcare services
The COVID-19 pandemic has also revealed how the slow pace of new drug discovery can become a major obstacle to vaccine development. The necessity to pay closer attention to fast virus detection and adopt digital laboratory solutions for clinical and pharmaceutical R&D has become evident over the course of 2020.
In this article, we will take a closer look at the healthcare trends for 2021 from the technology, business, and social perspective. Read on to learn more!
Top Digital Healthcare Trends For 2021
With governments loosening some of the regulatory requirements, healthcare providers can now accelerate the adoption of innovations. With this regard, the outlook on the pace of digital transformation becomes more optimistic.
Another highly anticipated event is the spread of 5G technology that will start to live up to its hype in 2021. Wider bandwidth, lower latencies, and increased capacity will not only lead to better smartphone performance but also enable healthcare providers to leverage technologies such as AR/VR for diagnostics, surgeries, training, and treating mental and cognitive illnesses. 5G will account for faster data collection and processing, better telemedicine experience, and the implementation of robotics in the patient care segment. It will also propel the advancements in Artificial Intelligence and mobile healthcare.
Precision medicine will be one of the outcomes of this technological breakthrough. Faster analytics and improved access to patients’ EHR records and wearables data, will enable physicians to create personalized treatment plans for each patient, rather than blindly following pre-established protocols.
Top Healthcare Business Trends for 2021
The business trends look promising as well. As per the Jabil Healthcare survey, healthcare companies are actively working on developing digital healthcare solutions. Compared to 2018, the number of companies reporting that their digital health programs are in the state of development has almost doubled in 2020.
Healthcare providers are also actively implementing new business models, based on the data-driven approach. For example, value-based care (VBC) requires patients to pay providers for positive healthcare outcomes, as opposed to the number of healthcare services. Such an approach requires digital solutions for collecting patient data, to provide evidence.
The trend towards using embedded solutions and wearables for disease prevention and providing instant care is on the rise in 2021. The Jabil Healthcare survey reveals that 73% of respondents are already leveraging data for generating new revenue streams. As much as 43% of healthcare companies are considering introducing value-based care.
Big data will also start to account for transparent and fairer insurance plans, based on concrete health and lifestyle evidence.
On top of that, companies are starting to introduce organizational changes that support digital transformation. Healthcare providers are building teams with digital expertise, add new supply chain roles focusing on technology providers, and are communicating the value of digitization to their employees.
Impact on Society: Key Post-COVID-19 Trends Set to Last Through 2021
In his Forbes article, business and tech advisor Bernard Marr shares an interesting view on the current healthcare trends. In 2021, he believes, every company will become a healthcare company. As virus prevention concerns permeate every aspect of our lives, businesses across all industries will be required to take measures to safeguard their employees. These measures may include sanitizing stations, on-premise screening equipment, and enhanced quarantine measures. Handheld “lab on a chip” devices for fast COVID-19 detection could become part of a new reality.
A discussion about the implementation of immunity passports, granting citizens with antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 is now underway. This passport will give people who have been vaccinated more freedom to travel or visit public places. Immunity passports could also become a part of the ‘new normal’ in 2021.
The trend towards virus detection measures becoming part of smart city infrastructure will become more prominent in 2021. City governments will focus on implementing technologies designed to detect and eliminate the spread of viruses and infections, especially in densely populated areas.
With lockdowns reinstated and the pandemic still in progress, the work from home (WFH) model is likely to stick around all the way through 2021. This year, though, we will have to deal with its mental health outcomes. A lot of healthcare apps will focus on psychological wellbeing and overcoming the consequences of social isolation.
Final Thoughts
Governments across the world are taking steps towards adopting more flexible approaches to digital healthcare, so in 2021 we are likely to witness an accelerated rate of healthcare solutions development. The EU is currently working on Medical Device Regulation (MDR), set to focus on clinical evidence supporting the efficiency of digital solutions. In 2020 the healthcare solution development cycles have been reduced substantially, and this trend will continue through 2021.
Growing digitization will require healthcare companies to focus on the interoperability of their platforms and solutions. The need to exchange data between parties will call for the standardization of data processing algorithms and transmission protocols in order to provide truly accurate predictions and personalized services. Needless to say, the focus on safeguarding healthcare data will remain sharp as well.
Read also: 2020 In The Healthcare Industry: Top Challenges and Achievements
With digital healthcare transformation picking up pace, the need for healthcare providers to enter reliable tech partnerships becomes strategically important. At VARTEQ we have hands-on expertise in building digital solutions for healthcare. Have an idea you want to bring to life? Contact us now for a free consultation!