1. Computer algorithms are now able to diagnose patients
After the shocking realization that 12 million people per year left their doctor’s office with a potentially harmful misdiagnosis, many doctors turned to technology to help improve their diagnostic accuracy. Today, Tencent, a Chinese IT enterprise, has developed an AI (Artificial Intelligence) that can effectively diagnose diseases. This includes several different types of cancer.
This type of new medical technology is becoming more and more popular in hospitals. Statistics show that 80% of hospitals and medical practices plan on, or already have, some kind of AI application in place. Doctors believe this will be crucial in the future. And with the accuracy of AI cancer diagnostics topping 90%, it certainly looks that way.
2. Over 10 million mobile health apps available for download worldwide
In 2021, it is estimated that there will be more than 10 million apps available globally to help patients lead a healthier lifestyle.
Providing medical solutions through mobile apps is an increasingly popular trend in 2021. With the average Millennial spending 5.7 hours on their phones per day (and a shocking 13% spending over 12 hours), it makes sense to let your smartphone judge whether you’re leading a healthy lifestyle.
There are over 400,000 healthcare apps available for download in app stores and more than 200 are being added each day. This ranges from general wellness apps to calorie counters, at-home workouts to sleep trackers.
The number of apps dedicated to specific conditions is becoming more common. This market now represents 40% of all health-related apps.
Even though 66% of US hospitals already have apps available, only 2% of their patients are active on them. Despite the fact that a whopping 80% of patients say that they would like to use their smartphones more to interact with healthcare providers, hospitals seem to struggle with digital engagement.
The lack of app use could be an issue with the app’s usability or just a case of making patients more aware. However, healthcare apps are one of the medical technology trends that practices need to get on board with in 2021.