Technological trends that will drive health innovation in 2024

The year 2024 should see continued changes in the way patients are cared for in the healthcare field, as well as the challenges associated with how to use the huge volumes of information generated in the most varied medical activities. The forecast comes from DataLink, a provider of data-driven solutions for the healthcare sector.

Some trends will drive growth and innovation in the healthcare sector in 2024. According to DataLink’s assessment, one of them is predictive analytics for personalized medicine, early risk detection and intervention strategies, obviously driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies. Advanced algorithms will analyze large volumes of patient data to personalize treatments.

Another trend will be healthcare with computer vision of medical images based on AI. With this technology it will be possible to interpret and analyze images much more accurately. For example, in radiology, computer vision algorithms will identify and characterize anomalies more accurately, leading to more reliable diagnoses, as well as streamlining workflows for medical teams.

The integration of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality in the training of doctors and in activities aimed at mental health and remote physiotherapy will be another trend. These technologies could be used, for example, in surgery simulation and interaction scenarios with patients with certain mental conditions, such as anxiety and phobias. Similarly, they could change paradigms in the way physiotherapy sessions are delivered and experienced, using virtual rehabilitation exercises and interactive guidance and feedback.

AI-based Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is also expected to make an even greater contribution to speeding up administrative activities by 2024, freeing up valuable time for healthcare professionals. By exploiting Machine Learning resources, these RPA solutions in healthcare are becoming more adaptable and intelligent, ensuring greater efficiency, for example, in tasks such as scheduling, prior authorization, clinical peer review, documentation, and information retrieval.

Of course, Generative AI and Natural Language Processing will also continue to make their contributions to healthcare. For example, AI and Machine Learning-driven systems will be able to understand and extract information from unstructured clinical notes, speeding up informed decision-making. They will be able to help review medical records and make diagnoses and treatment recommendations.

In the segment of Internet of Things (IoT) devices and wearables, the trend of using this class of equipment for remote patient monitoring will continue to gain momentum. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning algorithms are increasingly analyzing data from these devices to reveal patterns and help provide personalized recommendations for adjusting medication or identifying factors that indicate a deterioration in patients’ health conditions.

Another trend will be the intensification of discussions about the ethical use of AI in healthcare. AI solutions will only gain the trust of patients and medical teams when there is a fair balance between innovation, privacy and ethical practices in order to take into account possible prejudices affecting certain groups. It will be necessary to ensure that the data sets used to train AI models reflect the diversity of the patient population.

Finally, by 2024, data silos will also need to be eliminated so that different healthcare systems can exchange information seamlessly. Interoperability has been a challenge in healthcare because of the complex and fragmented nature of most information technologies and data infrastructure in the healthcare sector.

“The year 2024 promises to be an exciting one for digital health technologies. Artificial Intelligence solutions, especially in driving Robotic Process Automation and Natural Language Processing, will not just be buzzwords; they will be the driving force behind a new era of innovation and efficiency in the healthcare sector. As we embrace these trends, we must keep our focus on the goal: providing better, more accessible and personalized healthcare for all,” says Saurabh Bhargava, Vice President of Data Science at DataLink.