Physicians Practice has published an opinion piece on the five health IT take-aways from 2019:
- Virtual visits are becoming an everyday reality. Virtual visits, which have increased 340% in recent years, offer patients convenient access to care, save time and the expense of traveling to an appointment and provide care to those with limited access to it.
- Care has become more accessible. The growth of telemedicine and retail healthcare facilities are evidence of the demands of patients for convenient access to care.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning are empowering providers. Research shows that emerging technology, such as AI, machine learning, and predictive analytics are making headway into healthcare. AI in healthcare is the use of complex algorithms and software to emulate human cognition in the analysis of complicated medical data. The primary aim of health-related AI applications is to analyze relationships between prevention or treatment techniques and patient outcomes.
- Health tech is shifting focus to the patient and simplifying adoption. Some of the latest health tech advancements are as simple as downloading an app or plugging in a device to monitor health and empower patients to take responsibility for their well-being and more easily communicate with their provider.
- Administrative burdens and inefficiencies still drain our time. Health IT in 2019 has not yet improved the quantity of time providers have with patients. The amount of time a physician sees patients continues to decrease. According to the Annals of Internal Medicine, doctors spend, on average, just 27 percent of their time treating patients.