Over the last year, there have been some significant developments in healthcare technology and the way in which providers are able to deliver the appropriate care to their patients. Based on these trends and developments, it is possible to determine what technologies and changes could be expected in 2014. These innovations include everything from simple advances that improve communication between doctors and patients, to developments that could very conceivably revolutionize certain medical practices. If you’re following the industry, or are simply fascinated by the huge strides likely to happen next year, keep your eye on some of these developments. By Jared Jacobs
By Jared Jacobs
Over the last year, there have been some significant developments in healthcare technology and the way in which providers are able to deliver the appropriate care to their patients. Based on these trends and developments, it is possible to determine what technologies and changes could be expected in 2014.
These innovations include everything from simple advances that improve communication between doctors and patients, to developments that could very conceivably revolutionize certain medical practices. If you’re following the industry, or are simply fascinated by the huge strides likely to happen next year, keep your eye on some of these developments.
Printing Technology
Printing technology, in this context, is not about producing more forms and documents. This is about printing biological material that allows doctors to design customized implants in the middle of a surgery. A couple years ago, some manufacturers had already used 3D printers to create bone structures. The industry has gone beyond that, this month, with the introduction of the BioPen.
This new tool, developed by researchers at the University of Wollongong in Australia, will let the doctors control exactly where they deliver live cells and growth factors – meaning they can “draw” the bone right back onto the site of an injury to help speed recovery.
Printing technology doesn’t stop there, though. Another breakthrough announced in the month of December was 3D tissue printing. Instead of printing bone materials through a special pen, researchers have used inkjet printing technology to print cells taken from the eye. This represents the first time that anyone has been able to print out central nervous system cells. Both of these advances are still in their initial stages, but expect some huge developments in 2014.
Connected Services
Big data and mobile devices are coming together to make it easier for doctors to gather and record important patient information and access it whenever necessary to make better diagnoses. The move to electronic health records has not been an easy one, but there is a huge potential there to make sweeping changes throughout the industry.
Next year there will likely be a lot more integration of tablet computers in the doctor’s office and in the hospital because they provide simple and immediate access to important information. At the rate data is produced these days, it will require a powerful and effective interface to sift through it all and find the things that are relevant. Where will it go from here? Keep your eyes on wearable technology – anything that makes access even easier.
New Uses for Old Objects
It was recently reported that the treatment costs for fungal infections was more than $3 billion USD in 2010. Projections suggest this could increase to more than $6 billion in 2014 because many common fungal strains are becoming resistant to the drugs and other therapies normally used to fight them.
Now, in Singapore’s Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN), some researchers were able to take the common polyethylene terephthalate bottle (PET bottles) and use a polymer synthesis to transform it into novel small molecule compounds that self-assemble into nanofibers. They were able to use these fibers to selectively target the unwanted fungal cells without harming the mammalian cells around it. Watch for the application of this technology to spread like, well, a fungus.
Alarm Hazards
Some developments aren’t about new, groundbreaking technology. They’re about improving the current system to improve the patient experience and deliver better care. According to the ECRI Institute, one of the biggest safety goals for 2014 is improving alarm hazards. Their research showed that after 98 alarm-related events over the last three and a half years, 80 patients died while 13 others suffered permanent loss of function.
New technology, such as better mobile devices and information delivery systems, can help eliminate alarm fatigue and reduce the risk of alarms simply not alerting the right people when they should. An alarm needs to reach the right people in order to be effective, and there should be a lot more technology developed to improve the distribution of these signals.
More and Better Robotic Surgery
The use of robotic surgery has increased dramatically in recent years, but it has been a challenge to train surgeons to use them well. Over the next year, as these machines become even more prevalent, there will be a bigger push to develop new applications and train more doctors to use these machines.
One of the promised benefits of this technology, though, is the ability to have a doctor perform the surgery from across the country – or even further away. Watch for new developments that increase the remote capabilities, so that if there isn’t a doctor nearby who is ready to handle the procedure, the hospital can virtually bring in a qualified surgeon.
There were a lot of major breakthroughs in 2013, and next year looks like it will hold just as many advances, innovations, and surprises. Whether it’s about building on some previous technologies or creating something completely unique, there is some real potential for great things on the horizon.
About the author
Jared Jacobs has professional and personal interests in technology. As an employee of Dell, he has to stay up to date on the latest innovations in large enterprise solutions and consumer electronics buying trends. Personally, he loves making additions to his media rooms and experimenting with surround sound equipment. He’s also a big Rockets and Texans fan.
