The field of medicine has seen a great transition from skill dependence to carrying out treatments to depending on technology to solve many of the numerous medical mysteries in the last five decades. The medicine and pharmaceutical field at this point is now more advanced than at any other age, and this progress will continue for many years that are going to follow, provided technology exists.
We have seen some significant medical achievements in recent years, meaning specific trends have enabled this to happen. In this article, I will detail eight recent patterns that have taken the medical field by storm and will continue for years to come.
1. Improvements In Diabetes Care
Diabetes is one of the most significant causes of death in the world by disease. In the US, the world’s first artificial pancreas was made and approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. This replicates a healthy pancreas and will be a massive step toward helping diabetes patients live more comfortably. Google has also developed a patented digital contact lens that can measure blood glucose levels from tears. It will simplify the process of measuring a person’s blood glucose level.
2. Health Institutions Are Getting Social
We are used to hospitals being so formal, but this is changing radically. Hospitals and other health institutions are increasing their online presence more than ever. Most hospitals are now creating Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts to interact more with potential clients and advertise their services.
Doctors have also admitted that with their hospitals getting more social, the quality of care has improved, and the public now has a positive outlook toward them.
3. Customer Oriented Hospitals And Health Institutions
Hospitals, now more than ever, are trying to boost their image to the public. They have put a lot of effort into advertising their services to the public to gain new customers and retain the ones they have. The internet has enabled people to browse through hospitals. Moreover, choose the highly rated ones. Hospitals are improving their services and making sure you know it. Cases where you visit a hospital and have to wait in long lines without any response from the staff, are rare these days.
4. Digitalization Of Healthcare
Digitalization of healthcare is indeed not a new concept, but its success is starting to be realized now. New technologies such as patient-focused Customer Relationship Management (CRM) are improving healthcare experiences. Data aggregation is helping the healthcare sector to identify gaps in its service delivery and, in turn, improve it. Access to more medical resources online has helped both doctors and patients to have an excellent understanding of health.
5. Telemedicine
Telemedicine in primary care has been around for a few years, and it is expected to be improved in the coming years. Telemedicine refers to the processes through which diagnosis and treatment are made to a patient using telecommunications technology. With the advancement of mobile app technology, telemedicine will effectively solve many medical problems. Telemedicine allows you to access diagnoses, health advice, and even prescriptions through your phone or laptop. Websites such as Xpertdox are helping patients find the best care for their diseases easily.
6. Hospitals At Home
A model of healthcare whereby hospital services are disseminated right in the comfort of your home. Most patients do not like the hospital environment, and hospitals use this fact to bring medical care to where patients live despite the high initial cost of starting this model. The trend is primarily suitable for elderly people with low strength visiting health centers.
7. Depression
This is becoming a considerable concern for many healthcare experts, especially psychiatrists and neuroscientists. Although depression has been around for eternity, how it has manifested is disturbing. Many suicide cases have been reported worldwide in 2017, more than any other year. The economic crisis all over the world means people have to work harder for lesser pay, which can be stressful.
Much research on depression is still being carried out to know more causes and effective treatments for depression.
8. Drug Addiction
Another negative trend that has been picking up is drug addiction. Over 100 Americans are overdosing daily, and the situation gets dire every time. Fortunately, psychologists are getting more aware of the signs of drug addiction; they can single out posters and symptoms before things get out of hand. This does not mean that the problem will go away, as there is a need for more sensitization about the use of drugs. Let this stop being a trend in the coming years.
