5 Examples of Smart Technology and AI in Healthcare

1. Remote Monitoring and Automated Healthcare Systems 

Remote monitoring of patients’ healthcare is a growing trend that goes beyond traditional healthcare and into mainstream culture. Smartwatches and fitness trackers have become standard for many people, monitoring health factors like heart rate, blood oxygen, irregular heartbeat monitoring, and more.  

The next iteration of smart wearables are actually smart rings which still connect to your smartphone, but use a series of sensors to take measurements from your finger to track a whole variety of internal body metrics at a more accurate clip than smartphones. Though the ring doesn’t have any sort of screen, you can see all of the data it collects and tracks on your smartphone.  

These smart wearables are making it easier for patients to keep a tab on their regular daily activity, giving their healthcare professionals more visibility into patterns, and a better pool of health data to work with. 

There are several wearable items or devices healthcare providers and patients can take advantage of to improve overall healthcare, including:  

• Biosensors  
• Smart thermometers  
• Connected inhalers  
• Smart watches  
• Fitness trackers (FitBits)  
• ECG monitors  
• Blood pressure monitors  

Wearable biosensors are another technology used in medical organizations. These allow providers across the world to monitor patients and administer proactive care. These sensors are worn on the body and monitor vital health signs like temperature and heart rate to give healthcare providers more information and insights on the progression of diseases, illnesses, and overall health.  

In fact, it was just a few years ago when biosensors helped the world track the spread of COVID-19 by monitoring patients to detect symptoms and other signs of the virus. Medical staff could monitor patient data thanks to the devices and avoid unnecessary exposure. 

2. Telehealth and Remote Care 

Many of us are now familiar with telehealth, which became a popular choice for healthcare providers and patients when the pandemic brought more attention to the application of smart tech in healthcare. With the help of conferencing technology, providers could virtually treat patients over video call, provide prescriptions, and perform follow-up visits.  

Part of this virtual care was the use of medical portal technology to build secure online healthcare portals to help providers and patients track treatment, store health records, and collect and access data from wearable devices or clinic visits.  

While the use of telehealth and remote care became prevalent after the onset of the Covid pandemic, it is clear that both patients and practitioners have found benefits in the use of this technology and hospitals will continue to use it. 

3. Connected Emergency Response Solutions 

Connectivity can greatly improve the efficiency and response times of emergency care, something that can be the difference between life and death. With modern healthcare smart technology, it’s possible to share data between ambulances, physicians, first responders, and accident and emergency departments in a reasonable amount of time that facilitates real-time responses.   

This technology enables faster communication, video calls with doctors from inside ambulances, quicker patient histories, and easier hospital admittance with history and conditions already established.   

On arrival, doctors can already have patient data on-hand—including vital signs, blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, etc. 

4. Smart Healthcare Operations and Infrastructure

Smart healthcare management can help improve efficiency and effectiveness, improve patient experience, and help doctors by connecting digital systems to make it easier to access information like bed occupancy, device usage, equipment status, materials and supply counts, and other operational data.  

Tracking this information and using it in decision-making can improve resource management, reduce waste, and help hospital staff avoid not having what’s needed due to bad tracking or incorrect data collection.  

However, smart healthcare management is not only about tracking beds or equipment in a hospital. For many healthcare organizations, it is about making sure clinicians and staff can securely access the systems, records, devices, and communication tools they need across every location.

For example, Tapestry 360 Health, a federally qualified health center serving patients across 15 clinics on Chicago’s North Side and nearby suburbs, needed reliable technology to support care across multiple locations. The organization serves more than 28,000 patients each year, many of whom face barriers to routine care.  

With Impact’s support, Tapestry 360 Health strengthened its IT infrastructure, moved to a more secure cloud-based environment, and improved the stability of the systems clinicians and staff depend on every day.

In that kind of care environment, smart technology is about secure access to electronic medical records, stable hardware, protected patient data, cloud-based infrastructure, and reliable support that keeps care moving.

The future of healthcare is increasingly moving towards using a series of sophisticated technologies such as:  

• The IoT
• AI
• Mobile Health
• Telehealth
• Extended Reality
• Blockchain 

The IoT

In the realm of smart hospitals and digital transformation in healthcare, the Internet of Things serves as a driving force. By allowing medical devices and sensors to communicate with one another, hospitals gain real-time insights into patient health. This facilitates something we covered earlier, remote patient monitoring, allowing healthcare providers to track vital signs, manage chronic conditions, and intervene proactively.  

Additionally, IoT streamlines hospital operations by optimizing asset tracking – ensuring medical equipment availability and functionality. Energy management is also improved, with IoT systems self-regulating energy consumption for cost-efficiency.

Lastly, patient flow within the hospital is also enhanced as IoT-enabled systems track movements, minimizing wait times and improving overall operational efficiency.  

IoT forms the foundation for smart hospitals, fostering connectivity and data exchange for better patient care and operational excellence.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence stands at the forefront of innovation, and smart hospitals are no exception. AI's capacity to analyze vast datasets expedites diagnostic processes, aiding healthcare professionals in making accurate and timely decisions.  

This technology also powers predictive analytics that enable the identification of potential health risks, giving patients more preventative care options. On the patient-experience side of things, AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants enhance patient engagement, providing instant responses to queries, appointment scheduling, and very basic advisory ability.

Specialty clinics can also use smart technology to track patient progress, flag changes earlier, and make follow-up care more consistent.  

For example, a cardiology, physical therapy, or chronic care clinic may use remote monitoring data, automated reminders, and connected records to keep care teams informed between visits. 

On the administrative front, AI automates tasks like billing and data entry, streamlining operations. This not only frees up valuable time for healthcare providers but also contributes to a more efficient and patient-centric healthcare environment.  

AI plays the role of the cognitive powerhouse here, augmenting healthcare capabilities and improving outcomes across the board.

MHealth

Mobile Health (MHealth) is a pillar when it comes to patient-centric care in smart hospitals. With the widespread popularity of smartphones, MHealth applications empower patients to actively participate in their well-being.  

Remote patient monitoring becomes seamless, as individuals can track health metrics and share real-time data with healthcare providers. Telehealth services also walk hand-in-hand with MHealth as the two facilitate one another.  

Health and wellness apps on mobile devices offer personalized fitness tracking, nutritional guidance, and mental health support, promoting preventive care. Plus, MHealth allows patients to more easily manage their medication and prescriptions.

For community health centers, mobile health tools can help patients stay connected to care even when transportation, work schedules, language barriers, or other access challenges make in-person visits more difficult. 

By making certain aspects of healthcare more readily accessible, MHealth transforms healthcare into a personalized and accessible experience, extending beyond the hospital walls.

Telehealth

Telehealth, a key component of smart hospitals, redefines communication in healthcare through digital transformation and improved technologies. The primary advantage telehealth brings to the table is the ability to overcome geographical constraints, ensuring healthcare access to a broader population.  

Through video consultations and remote monitoring, telehealth enhances patient-physician interactions, facilitating timely interventions and reducing the need for physical hospital visits. The cost-efficiency of telehealth is evidenced by reduced travel expenses and optimized resource utilization.  

Telehealth can also benefit patients managing chronic disease through regular virtual check-ins, personalized care plans, and daily reminders.  

In a general practice setting, telehealth can make follow-up visits, prescription checks, care plan reviews, and routine questions easier for both patients and providers. Instead of requiring every interaction to happen in person, practices can use secure video visits, patient portals, and digital intake forms to keep care moving between appointments. 

Additionally, telehealth serves a critical role in emergency situations, providing quick access to medical advice. Ultimately, telehealth fosters healthcare accessibility, efficiency, and continuity beyond traditional healthcare settings.

Extended Reality (AR and VR)

Extended Reality (AR and VR) technologies offer immersive and innovative solutions in smart hospitals and in training the future of healthcare professionals.  

In medical training, AR overlays digital information onto the real world, creating realistic simulations for surgical procedures and enhancing the learning experience. VR, on the other hand, provides a completely immersive environment, beneficial for pain management during medical procedures and rehabilitation exercises.  

The visual and interactive nature of AR and VR technologies also largely aid in surgical planning, offering surgeons a detailed and three-dimensional view. These technologies not only enhance professional education but also contribute to patient care experiences by minimizing pain and improving engagement in rehab processes.  

AR and VR bring immersive and interactive experiences that enhance medical operations, healthcare education and training, and the patient experience.

Blockchain  

Blockchain technology introduces a layer of security and transparency to healthcare data management in smart hospitals. It ensures the integrity of patient records through its decentralized and tamper-resistant nature, safeguarding against unauthorized access and data manipulation.  

Interoperability is enhanced as blockchain facilitates secure sharing of health information across disparate systems, promoting seamless collaboration. In supply chain management, blockchain is employed to trace the authenticity and distribution of pharmaceuticals and medical devices, ensuring transparency.  

Smart contracts, automated and secure agreements facilitated by blockchain, streamline processes like insurance claims and billing, reducing administrative complexities.  

Blockchain reinforces data security, interoperability, and efficiency, contributing to the trustworthy and streamlined operation of smart hospitals. Although, it’s worth noting that compliance requirements also play a major role in data security among healthcare organizations.  

5. AI in Healthcare

As mentioned above, AI will be a major player in smart healthcare, but this technology can also help providers make more informed decisions and greatly improve patient care with proactive care predictions, quicker data analysis, and accelerated diagnosis.