The world has changed so much over the last 10 years, even in the last 5, especially when it comes to our healthcare. The aftermath of COVID-19 combined with an acceleration in the adoption of technology and digitisation, have dramatically changed the health landscape for everyone; patients and practitioners.

Here is an overview of what I believe will be the most important trends for the next 12 months.

Remote Healthcare

Healthcare delivered remotely such as virtual hospitals, healthcare communities, and telehealth increased significantly during the pandemic. Even now that it’s generally safe to resume face-to-face appointments, many patients and providers have realised that for many health conditions, care can be provided more efficiently and cost-effectively remotely. Remote healthcare falls into several different categories.

Home-base Care

There has been an increase in home-based care driven by evidence that shows a familiar environment and proximity to family can have positive effects on patient outcomes. It also becomes massively cost-efficient when compared to inpatient care.

Telehealth

Telehealth covers everything from video calling your doctor to remote surgery, where a surgeon carries out surgery on a patient in a remote location using robotic technology. We saw an increase at the start of the pandemic and while we are beginning to return to some face-to-face treatment, a lot of doctors are opting to maintain telehealth options.

Virtual Hospital Ward

Another remote healthcare model is the virtual hospital ward which involves practitioners in a centralised location providing care for several remote patients, often with related conditions. Another initiative involves enabling patients to complete more of the procedures that are related to their illness and treatment at home befoe being admitted to hospital.

Online Communities

There has been growing understanding of online communities, in recent years, which may be patient-led rather than practitioner-led. This means users can come together to share help and advice related to their treatment and recovery.  

With the cost of delivering in-person healthcare continuing to rise, and ongoing shortages of medical practitioners in many countries including Australia, it’s safe to say all varieties of remote healthcare will be a growing trend in 2023.

Wearable Medical Devices

Wearable devices will be increasingly used by individuals during 2023 to track their own health and activity levels as well as by clinicians to monitor their patients remotely. The “internet of medical things” has rapidly expanded from simple devices that track our vitals (heart rate and blood oxygen levels) to smart watches capable of sophisticated scans such as ECGS, blood pressure and predict the risk of heart attacks, and smart gloves that reduce the tremors of patients with Parkinson’s.

To further this, a growing emphasis is being placed on developing wearable devices capable of monitoring and detecting signs of mental illnesses. For example, a study was published showing how physical indicators like activity levels, sleep patterns and heart rate can be used to detect when individuals may be at risk of depression. I mean we now have wearable tech to track insulin production to the minute, why wouldn’t we want wearable tech to track our mental health too.

In 2023, we will increasingly see wearable medical devices that will be equipped with processors and capable of utilising in-device analytics rather than requiring data that is sent back and forth between the device and the cloud to be processed. This has two primary benefits: privacy and speed.

Personalised Patient Experience

As mobile technologies progress, patients have become savvier and more proactive regarding self-care. Today patients and providers are working together, transforming the healthcare industry by becoming proactive rather than being reactive. Patient engagement and self-advocacy can lead to better clinical outcomes and improved quality of life.

Owing to which, in 2023, healthcare leaders will be focusing on ensuring patient journeys are personalised with less barriers and hurdles so individuals can remain engaged in their care. This includes utilising wearables, access to educational resources, and mobile apps.

Robotics in Healthcare

A relatively new field we are seeing in healthcare trends is the introduction and adoption of robotics in the scene. Medical robotics has the capability to reduce the workload in the healthcare industry. Through automation and AI, these machines can perform a range of tasks and support services, from facilitating the transport of patients and assisting in surgeries to delivering vaccines in remote areas.

In Japan, robots are helping nurses and healthcare workers in reception areas to guide patients to specific rooms within the hospital. Within nursing homes, robots are performing numerous services, including monitoring falls or assistance needs, moving individuals, delivering goods, and communicating to provide comfort.

This adoption of robotics in assisted-living situations has the potential to reduce turnover among long-term healthcare personnel. We can also see this adoption through the use of drones which are expected to transform and improve healthcare through:

• Blood product and hazardous material transportation

• Vaccine and medicine delivery

• Diagnostics

• Organ transfers

• Transport of small medical devices

Investment in Mental Health

COVID-19 really highlighted for healthcare leaders the importance of mental health due to the vast numbers of people who experienced isolated living conditions and/or job loss. Mental health will continue to be one of the biggest healthcare megatrends in 2023.

As a result of the pandemic, the global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by 25%. To help promote, support, and strengthen leadership for mental health the World Health Organisation created its Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013-2030 to improve mental health services.

An investment by governments in digital mental health solutions have also been on the rise. Some technological platforms enable more access to mental health services and connect patients with mental health providers. Through telehealth, on-demand, anytime therapy right from your phone is now a possibility.

Contrary, this is going to particularly interesting to see in Australia as the government announced a reduction in mental health sessions accessible via a Mental Health Care Plan in the new year and we are unsure of what this will mean for mental health treatment.