The medical industry is making the most of the latest technological advances.
From artificial intelligence to nanotechnology, medical research labs, hospitals, and medical startups are making the most of technology in order to improve clinical standards and patient care.
Another exciting development is the pervasive use of digital channels and big data when it comes to treatments, diagnostics, and care.
The digital revolution has truly been one of the most exciting medical developments of recent times — impacting everything from online pharmacy care to how we treat common conditions like migraines and diabetes.
Over the counter medicine and patient-centred care is bringing medical treatments into our homes and creating a more democratic approach to medicine and improving at-home care.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the most exciting recent technology advances.
Rise of medtech
Technology is helping us heal — medtech boasts one of the most dynamic startup scenes across the board — rivalling martech and spawning exciting offshoots like femtech.
From the precision of nano-tech medicine to super popular health wearables, or VR devices helping surgeons practise complex procedures, medtech is having a huge impact.
Medtech can also work behind the scenes in drug manufacturing, improving efficiency. Medtech can help us solve healthcare inequalities and make drugs and treatments more affordable and increasingly available over the counter.
Personalized medicine and online pharmacies
Medicine and treatments are becoming more precise thanks to technology. From patient-specific products now being a possibility thanks to 3D printing, to advanced genotyping and DNA-led therapy, medical care is being increasingly individualized.
Making medicine more precise has also contributed to the creation of increasingly high quality telehealth and medical apps, allowing patients to self-manage their conditions more effectively.
Online pharmacies have also become increasingly common, giving patients the chance to have a more proactive approach to their own treatment. Ordering drugs online with the help of online doctors makes it easier for people to manage their medications around their (busy) lives.
Migraine injections one day to replace migraine tablets?
People who have been buying migraine medication online may soon have another option: instead of taking triptans like Sumatriptan, we could be injecting ourselves with new drugs like erenumab or fremanezumab. These new migraine drugs have less side effects than the triptans that are commonly used for treating migraines these days.
In fact, the NHS reports that “Millions of people are set to benefit from the first new migraine drug in 20 years”.
Diagnostic improvements
Diagnostics have never been this good — and we have data to thank for that.
Preventative medicine largely relies on big data and statistical analysis.
Spotting trends and using data to catch conditions before they escalate is improving mortality rates across a wide range of illnesses and conditions.
Healthcare robots
One of the ways to solve the problems of caring for an increasingly ageing population is to use robots. Though the concept of robot nurses is starting to catch on (especially in places like Japan), there is still a long way to go.
However, robots are constantly becoming more sophisticated and they can be used to administer drugs, monitor patients, and even provide ‘social contact’.
Robotic surgery is also an exciting development that makes for more affordable and precise surgeries (and better surgical training).
Cancer nanotherapy
The problem with common cancer treatments is that they destroy and damage a lot of healthy cells and tissue as part of cancer therapy.
Nanotechnology would allow for a much more precise and selective targeting of cancerous cells.
Nanotherapy is leading to a wider set of cancer therapeutics, as part of a new way of approaching cancer treatment that’s much more targeted and individualistic.
Pills for type one diabetes
Type one diabetics have long had to put up with painful insulin injections, insulin pens, and insulin pumps — so the invention of a pill for type one diabetes is a long-awaited and welcome development in the diabetic community.
Type one diabetes is a relatively common but serious ailment, so this could really change the lives of many people.
Medical data
The move towards electronic health records (EHR) is a big step forward in terms of transparency and managing patient records.
The current big data and the AI revolutions means that online healthcare and online patient records are increasingly common, reliable, and secure.
In fact, securely storing and sharing data is one of the future challenges for medtech innovators.
The medical field is always quick to adopt new technology in order to improve, save, and prolong human lives. What’s your favorite medical leap forwards?
