How Technology Is Transforming Delivery Of Patients’ Healthcare

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the digital transformation plans for many businesses. We’ve seen an unprecedented rush to embrace technology that makes it easier for people to live, shop, work and recreate without risking their health.

This is true in healthcare as well. We had been moving towards more connected, mobile and virtual healthcare already, but the pandemic contributed a sense of urgency to all of these efforts.

I believe this is the moment for comprehensive change for the better in healthcare. We have the will to make these changes and an environment that demands them. What’s more — and perhaps most importantly — we have the technology. It's coming together at the "speed of life" and the future looks very promising.

Recently, I participated in a Twitter chat about healthcare technology for AT&T Business, as part of their #BIZTALKS series. I was joined by a panel of experts:

●     Kevin Jackson, CEO, GC GlobalNet

●     Shira Rubinoff, President & Co-Founder, Prime Tech Partners

●     Dez Blanchfield, Chief Data Scientist, Founder & CEO, Sociaall Inc.

●     Rod Cruz, Healthcare Solutions General Manager, AT&T

Here are just a few of the key points.

Patient Data Security A Top Concern

The end goal of a tech transformation in healthcare is a continuum of care. That means patients have a seamless experience with their healthcare providers, whether they’re on a video conference, in a doctor’s office, or visiting multiple departments within a healthcare center.

This type of patient experience relies on keeping a huge amount of data moving throughout the system, secure but accessible to authorized providers. Which, of course, means that security and privacy are foundational to the whole undertaking.

The threat here is real: According to the ForgeRock Consumer Identity Breach Report 2020, the healthcare industry accounted for 43% of all cyber attack breaches in 2019, by far the most of any single industry.

I believe the need to revisit the traditional bounds of what cybersecurity means, here. We might even need to expand HIPAA to help protect patient data. At the very least, security needs to be built into every device and system, augmented by managed security. We can’t keep trying to graft security onto insecure devices.

As Dez put it, “Nobody should be designing healthcare ‘anything’ if they aren’t familiar with cybersecurity, adding that “letting cybersecurity be an afterthought is already a failure.”

Telemedicine Will Play a Much Larger Role

We’ve all become accustomed to working, playing, and even attending school through video conferencing. Telemedicine has become more popular during the pandemic, and I believe it will be a cornerstone of healthcare in the future.

With mobile apps and wearable medical devices to keep track of patient’s vital signs, we should be able to virtualize the majority of doctor’s visits. Not only that, we should be able to keep patients out of the hospital with data-driven preventive maintenance. It’s similar to the way manufacturers are using IoT sensors to keep their machines running — only with larger privacy concerns and a need for patients to opt in.

The problem is, right now we think of patient-side health technology as a novelty — think about fitness trainers that count steps, or the watch that keeps track of your heartbeat and sleep patterns. But imagine a new breed of wearable device that was designed solely for clinical purposes, promoted by healthcare centers and insurance companies, designed to keep patients healthy and minimize how often they have to visit the doctor.

Shira agreed with me, looking ahead to the ways IoT devices (or IoMT, Internet of Medical Things) could help patients with telemedicine and inside healthcare facilities. She imagines “Utilizing IoT in healthcare such as devices that assist patients with their medication, sleep tracking for heart rate, oxygen levels and movements, remote temperature and continuous glucose monitoring sensors…”

Of course, all of this comes back to data. We’ve got to be able to collect, consolidate, and transmit these massive amounts of data at speed. All of these devices need to communicate with each other and with healthcare facilities. Fortunately, we have technology that will make all of the above possible: 5G.

The Role Played By 5G In Delivering Healthcare

5G will enable wireless networks to deliver performance that people have become accustomed to from wired networks: Low latency, high reliability, smart traffic routing and high speeds.

In addition to powering the IoMT, 5G can facilitate faster transmission of large files—such as MRI images—that could produce faster diagnosis and treatment, as well as shorter waiting periods for patients.

But it’s more than just fast transmission and greater connectivity. 5G will enable more immersive virtual interactions as well, with AR and VR adding immediacy to virtual doctor’s visits. Kevin put it this way: “Believe it or not, we will eventually learn how best to project our humanity and empathy through technology. 5G will enable that.”

Healthcare Leaders Should Invest in Data Infrastructure Now

We are on the cusp of radical change in how we administer healthcare — even a change in how we think about healthcare. Some of these technologies are still in the early stages of their rollout, like 5G and IoMT, but we’re already seeing the impact they will have.

To stay ahead of the curve, healthcare leaders should be investing in their data infrastructure, particularly in 5G and hybrid cloud solutions. As I keep saying, data is the fundamental driver of all of these changes. We need to be able to create more patient data, move it securely through the network, and make it instantly available to providers.

As we develop and stabilize the data infrastructure, healthcare leaders can begin investing in more specific technologies, like mobile apps for telemedicine, contactless check-in kiosks, IoMT devices, and more.

Focus on the Patient Experience

As we pursue this transformation, we can’t lose sight of what we’re doing it for: To secure a better experience and more positive outcomes for patients. It’s not about technology for technology’s sake. It’s not bragging rights about who has the most advanced testing or the fastest network. The reason we’re doing all of this is to improve how we deliver healthcare.

Improving patient experience and outcomes does positively affect healthcare as a business, too. A healthcare system with a seamless continuum of care will be more efficient, with more engaged and satisfied workers, and will attract more patients than healthcare systems that lag behind.

We have an opportunity to put technology to work in the service of promoting health and well-being, transforming healthcare for patients and providers. That’s an exciting proposition.

The next #BIZTALKS chat will focus on cybersecurity, and will be on Wednesday, October 21st at 12pm CDT. Click to add it to your calendar.

To learn more about healthcare technology and AT&T, visit the AT&T Business Connected Healthcare Virtual Tour.