Why Technology Innovation Is Essential for The Future of Pediatrics.

Technology continually changes the way that people live, work, and socialize. This has been consistently true in my experience developing and leading innovation programs for the last 20 years. Virtual reality, artificial intelligence, the internet of things, wearables, robotics, and other advancements are often called "disruptive" as they impact and evolve how we previously lived. These disruptive technologies are reshaping how we all interact with our world and certainly with our needs in healthcare. It is no surprise that millennials and Gen-Z generations who are now parents, have taken a liking to previously disruptive technologies such as apps and other mobile services that make everyday living more convenient.?These conveniences are rapidly knocking down barriers to care and looking at how fast disruptive technologies are maturing; the future is very promising for pediatric medicine.

While the world of adult medicine has been no exception to the digital revolution, it is surprising to learn that pediatrics has often been left behind in terms of new investments in technologies, research, and clinical resources. KidsX, a global consortium of innovators in pediatric health reports that 20% of all health patients today are within the pediatric population, yet only 1% of new startups in health tech are focused on child health. This disparity clearly highlights the need for innovation to ensure all patients regardless of age benefit from new technologies and receive the best possible care.

Advances in tech have enabled patients to communicate with their doctors and receive treatment without ever leaving their homes. Digital health services that were once "innovative" have become commonplace. The future of healthcare truly is technology rich, data-centric, on-demand, continually connected, and ubiquitous. So, where is pediatrics in the mix of these now emerged and in-place technologies? It is safe to say, pediatric innovation is still emerging and somewhat catching up to the advancements already in place in adult medicine. It is time to "double down" and advance pediatric care and delivery to ensure no one is left behind in our current state of remarkable technological advancement.

In response to what is now possible, there’s been an increased emphasis on technology innovation throughout pediatrics. Below are a few examples of why pediatrics needs innovation today, and where technology innovation may be able to help.

Pediatricians Are Facing a Growing List of Challenges

The challenges that pediatricians are facing include an increase in chronic diseases, an increase in the number of children living in poverty, and an increase in the average number of patients per doctor. Some diseases that are becoming more common, like asthma, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, epilepsy, and many others, can be addressed via specialized care. These issues have added complexity for pediatricians. Keep in mind, in pediatrics challenges extend beyond one state of being, as people age and develop, care plans and supporting technologies must also adapt to a meet the needs of a person as they grow.

As the number of children with chronic diseases sadly increase, the need for specialized, (sometimes expensive) care will also continue to rise. When poverty goes up, people have less money to pay for care, which creates a big problem for providers and patients alike. Innovation in healthcare is often synonymous with the optimization of care resources. This alignment between innovation and process improvement seeks to help advance pediatric care and also to ease the resource burdens that have emerged as a result.

On top of these challenges, the number of pediatricians is declining across the world. In the United States, the number of pediatricians per 100,000 children is expected to drop from 9.3 to 8.2 over the next decade. This decrease is expected to be most significant in rural areas, which already suffer from a shortage of physicians, nurses, and other care providers. The need for adopting more automation in care delivery, advancements in tele-medicine, and overall care optimization is both critical and urgent.

Reducing Costs

Hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare organizations are under pressure to reduce costs while increasing value and quality. In order to succeed in this challenging environment, many providers are turning their focus to innovative new technologies. One of the areas seeing a surge in the adoption of technology is pediatric healthcare.

Today, there are more "gadgets and gizmos" designed with kids and their parents in mind than ever before. Wearables and the internet of things (IoT) have opened the door to better technologies supporting the total continuum of care. Advancements in consumer technologies are providing incredible pathways to build upon them and improve pediatric centric technologies. This growth in the persistence of health-tech and software may also be due to an increasing number of adults recognizing that children will be a significant part of their future if they plan on living past retirement age. The modern world isn’t just full of games and gadgets for kids; it’s also filled with the technologies and apps that make taking care of themselves and others are now impactful and easier to acquire and simpler use than ever before.

You may be thinking, will robots take over to solve these problems? Artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and automation are often controversial topics. Many people wonder if the increased use of technology in the healthcare industry has had any effect on the number of jobs. In fact, the opposite is true. Healthcare technology has actually given way to more jobs than it has destroyed. With the advent of digital health technologies, the healthcare field saw a rise in demand for not only care providers, but specialized, additional roles as technologists, clinical engineers and data scientists.

AI Can Assist in Diagnosing and Treating Patients

Artificial intelligence (AI) has grown significantly in recent years, and it is moving from research to applications. AI systems are now being used to diagnose and treat patients. AI-powered speech recognition systems are being used to diagnose a variety of diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, diabetes, and asthma. AI can also be used to select appropriate treatments.

For example, drones have become a common tool in the fields of business and research. However, they have also become useful tools in healthcare. Drones have provided rapid diagnoses to people in rural areas who would have to drive long distances to get to a medical facility. Drones that are equipped with sensors can be used to detect diseases in plants and soil. They can also be used to detect methane leaks in landfills and pipelines. They can be used to detect bacteria and viruses in livestock as well as analyze water samples.

In the USA, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of an AI system to select the appropriate treatment for a patient with a rare form of childhood cancer. This approval is the first of its kind. The AI system, named "C-Path," uses machine learning to analyze images of a patient’s cancer tissue and scans of their genetic data. Based on the information in these models, it then attempts to figure out the best treatment.

Computer-Assisted Care

Computer-assisted care technology is revolutionizing the practice of pediatric medicine by creating new ways to help both children and their parents get the most out of their visits. The devices are helping to make appointments more efficient, allowing physicians to spend more time with each patient and diminishing the number of unnecessary tests that can add up to big costs for both patients and providers.

The field of telemedicine has opened up new doors for the practice of crowdsourcing patient care. With the help of remote devices and cameras, medical professionals are able to provide their opinions from any location. That means that hospitals are able to easily enlist the assistance of pediatric experts, such as those found at renowned children’s hospitals , in order to make better decisions regarding the condition of a child.

While it’s too early to know exactly how they will affect medical outcomes, they are already having a positive impact on patients’ experiences and satisfaction with their care. It’s also creating new opportunities for those with disabilities or other needs.?

Many people have said that these tools have helped them connect with the world in new ways, from conveying detailed information about their condition to helping them communicate. This is a great step toward improving treatment for some of our most vulnerable populations.

Automation Is Essential to Free Up More Time

One of the biggest advantages of automation is its ability to free up time. By automating the most tedious tasks, we can spend more time on things that are more imperative, such as caring for our patients.

For instance, many healthcare providers have been able to bring their billing and insurance operations in-house, thereby simplifying the process and reducing overhead costs. There are also systems that can assist with scheduling, allowing you to free up time for patients.

An example of such a system is "Grow", a scheduling software that has won awards from the American Medical Association. This system allows you to schedule appointments online, on the go, or even by speaking to your virtual assistant. You can even use it to send patient reminders.

NLP Can Assist in Managing Patient Data

Natural Language Processing (NLP) is an approach to understanding human behavior and interaction with others. This can be used as a powerful tool for managing patient data, especially when it comes to medical records.

It allows clinicians to collect and store data in a manner that is more accurate, understandable, and accessible to patients. The data can also be used to help predict future health issues and gather valuable insights that can ultimately save lives.

One of the biggest benefits of NLP is the ability to collect data in a clear, consistent way across all sources. By using NLP tools, information can be organized in a way that’s easy for both doctors and patients to comprehend.

NLP can also help physicians differentiate between normal and abnormal behaviors by helping them identify changes in patient behavior that may indicate a health problem. NLP can also track trends over time to gain insight into how patients respond to treatment or other factors that could impact their health.

Virtual Assistants Can Assist in Streamlining Processes

Many processes in pediatrics can be streamlined with the help of virtual assistants . These assistants sometimes called "bots" or "chat bots" can be programmed to notify us when items are due, look for irregularities in data, and even remind caregivers about certain items. As technology advancements have led to increased intelligence and more natural language capabilities, virtual assistants have become increasingly useful over time.

Advancements in artificial intelligence and automation are making it possible for assistants to complete a wide range of tasks without direct supervision. This allows them to focus more on forging meaningful connections with patients. In addition, assistants can provide valuable insight into patient behavior and preferences, which can support and inform physicians making treatment decisions and boost overall patient satisfaction. By investing in assistants today, we can ensure that your office keeps pace with changing technology trends and better serves your patients’ needs in the future.

Virtual Reality for Diagnosis and Treatment

Virtual reality has made a significant impact in the field of medicine thanks to its ability to simulate real-world environments. Virtual reality allows people to interact with 3D environments and experience things that they would not be able to do in real life.?

Virtual reality has been used in the diagnosis and treatment of children and adolescents. Doctors can use virtual reality to recreate environments that are difficult to experience in real life, such as flying through the human body. Virtual reality has also been deployed for rehabilitation and cognitive behavioral therapy. This has allowed children to engage in behavioral therapy anytime, anywhere.

Conclusion

The future of pediatrics is bright, but it’s important to prepare for the challenges on the horizon. Technology innovation can help to address many of these challenges by reducing costs, increasing efficiency, and freeing up valuable time. We can start by leveraging AI to assist in diagnosing and treating patients; automating our most tedious tasks; using NLP to better manage patient data and using virtual assistants to enhance our technology-backed processes. By preparing for the future of pediatrics now, we can embrace technology innovation to ensure that all pediatric care providers and care givers are prepared to face these challenges head-on.

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