Industries across the spectrum are undergoing digital transformation. Healthcare is no exception. In healthcare, the phrase “digital transformation” refers to the positive impact technology has on patient outcomes. It encapsulates all areas of healthcare, including pharmaceutical manufacturing, patient care, and relationships between doctors and patients.

Healthcare has always been at the forefront of technology, trying new ways to improve outcomes in pharma, patient care, hospital equipment, and everywhere else. The recent COVID-19 pandemic, though, has pushed some of the digital transformations forward faster than ever. As a result, our healthcare experiences may never return to how they were before the pandemic.

How Technology has Advanced Healthcare Since 2020

When we consider what the world looked like before the pandemic and how it looks now, we can see that many dramatic changes occurred in the healthcare sector. Here are some of the most prominent trends that we should expect to continue to advance in 2021 and beyond.

Telemedicine

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reported a 154 percent increase in patients using telemedicine in March 2020 compared with the previous year. As patients were quarantined in their homes and doctors were trying to minimize their contact with the outside world as much as possible, telemedicine became standard. Instead of driving into an office to be physically seen by a doctor, patients could consult with their doctors from the comfort of home. This more convenient and safer option saved time for both doctors and patients.

We should expect to see telemedicine expand beyond consultations. Using telemedicine, doctors can track patient behaviors, monitor symptoms, and provide support. We may also see some medical professionals move away from operating out of larger hospital systems to open targeted telemedicine centers in their communities.

Advancements in pharma development

The pharmaceutical industry uses advanced technologies for all its processes, from gathering and storing data to manufacturing drugs using artificial intelligence (AI) and big data. In 2020, pharma manufacturers became more comfortable with automating processes to improve efficiency.

Pharma companies are also using digital tools to collect and process data, opting for more advanced methods like blockchain instead of old-style spreadsheets. Blockchain is more dependable than manual methods for storing data. It can validate drugs to prevent the illegal sale of counterfeit medications. Many pharma companies have recognized the benefits of using advanced technologies and will continue incorporating them into their processes.

Remote clinical trials

In 2020, many clinical trials had to move from in-person to virtual because of new regulations. This posed risks to at least a thousand ongoing clinical trials as researchers had to make quick decisions about how to proceed.

Some clinical trials will return to in-person once the pandemic has receded. However, the necessity of using remote trials brought on by COVID-19 has led to some breakthroughs that can make these decentralized trials feasible and even preferable in the future. For example, by using tools like remote-monitoring devices, patients can send researchers real-time progress reports. We should expect to see a hybrid model that incorporates some in-person elements and some elements of remote study in future clinical trials.

Takeaway

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the healthcare industry to move forward faster than anyone had anticipated. The results of the industry’s digital transformation will continue to improve patient outcomes now and in the future.

References

• Bhardwaj, G. (2020, January 30). How blockchain can improve the pharma manufacturing supply chain. Retrieved February 17, 2021, from https://www.innoplexus.com/blog/how-blockchain-can-improve-the-pharma-manufacturing-supply-chain/

• Healthcare, G. (2020, May 14). Update on clinical trials disrupted due to covid-19. Retrieved February 17, 2021, from https://www.clinicaltrialsarena.com/comment/disrupted-clinical-trials-covid-19/

• Koonan, L., Hoots, B., & Tsang, C. (2020, October 30). Trends in the use of telehealth during the emergence of the Covid-19 Pandemic – United States, January–March 2020. Retrieved February 17, 2021, from https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6943a3.htm

• Langhauser, K. (2020, August 19). Pharma finds its digital groove. Retrieved February 17, 2021, from https://www.pharmamanufacturing.com/articles/2020/pharma-finds-its-digital-groove/

• McDermott, M. M., MD, & Newman, A. B., MD. (2020, March 25). Preserving clinical trial integrity during the coronavirus pandemic. Retrieved February 17, 2021, from https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2763819