Category: Healthcare

Each moment in healthcare has the power to define the delicate balance between vitality and vulnerability in life. What if healthcare professionals used each of those moments to focus on patient treatment without being bogged down by administrative tasks? Picture the endless potential in that possibility! This is the commitment of automation in healthcare. It is a crucial and game-changing power that is altering the medical care scene.

Through this blog, we aim to give you insight into the exceptional benefits of healthcare automation. Let us begin by answering the question of what it means to use healthcare automation.

What is Healthcare Automation?

In simple terms, automation in healthcare involves the use of technology to perform tasks that were previously carried out manually. Wait, do not imagine robotic devices taking over the role of human compassion.

It’s exactly the opposite!

Consider automation as the quiet assistant—one that efficiently handles monotonous duties and allows medical professionals to dedicate themselves to their primary purpose: tending to patients.

Automation also allows for deeper insights and smarter decision-making. Real-time access to data is a miracle worker in this regard. It allows healthcare professionals to monitor patient outcomes, anticipate resource needs, and predict patient trends. This proactive approach is helping healthcare institutions minimize inefficiencies and elevate their quality of service. Far beyond merely handling routine tasks, healthcare automation is becoming a strategic asset—an asset that empowers hospitals and clinics to deliver quicker, more personalized care—care rooted in accurate, data-driven decisions.

Benefits of Automation in Healthcare: Going Beyond the Fundamentals

Indeed, automation saves time and decreases human error. However, let’s delve further. What are the enduring effects of automation in the healthcare industry?

1. Patients Enjoy Control and Authority

Automation provides patients with autonomy. They can easily handle appointments, review lab results, or monitor insurance claims, without the hassle of waiting in lengthy lines.

2. Better Mental Health for Staff

Picture nurses and doctors buried under endless piles of paperwork. Imagine the stress disappearing as automation handles those non-clinical duties. Reducing burnout allows healthcare workers to prioritize meaningful patient engagements.

3. Smart Resource Allocation

Automation guarantees hospital resources, including beds and operating rooms. Consider it the healthcare equivalent of a Swiss army knife. It simplifies processes and cuts down on waiting periods while maintaining high-quality care.

4. Decisions Based on Data

Automation provides immediate access to crucial information for healthcare professionals. It aids in making prompt and intelligent decisions, such as monitoring hospital efficiency and tracking patient outcomes.

5. Connecting Humans- Automation in Healthcare Increases Compassion

The emotional consequences of healthcare automation are frequently ignored in discussions. For patients, some advantages go beyond just receiving quicker test results or more efficient billing processes. It’s about feeling at ease, knowing their healthcare provider has the time and energy to provide personalized care.

How Automation Is Transforming the Healthcare Industry: Application Scenarios

Automation impacts every aspect of the healthcare system, from patient care to the complex logistics in the background. Here’s an overview of its impact.

Treatment and Diagnosis are Being Automated More and More

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning are speeding the diagnosis process and customizing treatment plans. AI can examine medical tests more quickly than humans can, which assists doctors in the early and accurate diagnosis of conditions. AI is a super sleuth, diagnosing and unraveling problems proactively before any symptoms manifest.

Automated Appointment Booking

You don’t have to waste time waiting to book appointments anymore. Automation empowers patients to make online appointments, reschedule, or cancel. It provides control and decreases administrative tasks for the staff. It’s similar to self-checkout but for health services.

Read more: Healthcare Technology and Mobile Apps – Changing the Face of Patient Care

Logistics and Supply Chain

Automating supply management in hospitals helps avoid crucial shortages. Automation ensures that everything operates efficiently in the background.

Automating Administrative Processes

Administration is one of the primary applications of robotic process automation in the healthcare industry. Automation has the potential to decrease missed appointments, enhance the precision of billing, and expedite the processing of claims.

Robotic Process Automation in Healthcare

Robotic procedures enable increased accuracy, reduced incision size, and quicker healing periods. This ensures exceptional precision and security.

Insight into the Future of Automation in Healthcare

What is in store for the future? The full potential of automation in healthcare is only starting to emerge. Forecasting outbreaks, managing hospital capacity, and preventing diseases can be supported by predictive analytics using patient data trends. Picture a system that alerts doctors to potential issues before they occur. This isn’t fiction, it’s the upcoming evolution of healthcare.

We are also progressing towards completely automated telemedicine platforms. A scenario where physicians can remotely care for patients by utilizing live data from wearable devices. The benefits of implementing automation will enable individualized care worldwide.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the direct impact of automation on patient care?

Healthcare automation is like having a super-efficient assistant that speeds up processes, reduces errors, and leaves patients happier.

2. Which is better – robotic process automation in healthcare versus AI in healthcare?

Robotic process automation is like your trusty assistant handling the boring stuff, while AI is the genius of making personalized treatment plans and diagnosing like an expert. It’s like a dynamic duo taking on healthcare one task at a time.

3. Is automation going to take over healthcare jobs?

No. Automation in medicine & healthcare improves job functions by removing monotonous duties.

4. What are the financial consequences of implementing automation for healthcare providers?

The initial financial commitment may seem expensive. However, in the long run, automation leads to overall cost reduction. It can also substantially decrease mistakes, hasten reimbursements, and improve patient results.

Making the Best of Automation in Healthcare With Assistance From Fingent

At Fingent, we understand the distinct requirements of each healthcare institution. If you want to use robotic process automation in medicine and healthcare or investigate AI-powered diagnostics, we offer customized solutions to match your objectives. Our solution for NovitaCare is a case in point. The client’s need for an online platform that would streamline workflow and ease administration processes was met on point by Fingent’s solution.

Our method guarantees that automation in the healthcare sector goes beyond technology. The main goals are to enhance patient care, boost productivity, and restore empathy to the sector. Let us help you transform your processes using advanced automation solutions.

Reach out today, and let’s build the future of healthcare together.

There was a time when sifting through piles of paper-based medical records was an everyday task for healthcare professionals. Today, however, healthcare technology has simplified processes, making them more effective, streamlined, and accessible. Mobile applications, in particular, are equipping both healthcare professionals and patients equally to connect effectively and execute better treatments and facilities. From telemedicine to remote monitoring, instant diagnosis, and easy access to patient data, healthcare technology and mobile apps are paving the way for revolutionized patient care and healthcare services. What does the future of healthcare technology look like, and how much is it impacting the domain now? Find all that and more in this 3-minute read!

What Is Mobile Healthcare Technology?

Healthcare mobile applications include any applications related to ensuring people’s health and wellness. These apps can be built to serve different purposes. The most popular of them are fitness apps, which again might be categorized with functionalities that are subjected to exercises, weight, or diet management. Almost 3 in 10 adults report using at least one health app on their smartphone.

Medical applications built for hospitals, on the other hand, ease booking consultations and simplify doctor-patient collaboration. Medical applications can also be specifically designed for clinical and medical purposes. These equip healthcare professionals to access the right data, diagnose faster, track health conditions in real time, and provide personalized healthcare services.

Custom healthcare software development whereas, is the process of creating a progressive application that caters to the specific needs of an organization. There are two key factors that determine this development:

1. For healthcare professionals to check and track their patients’ health. It can also include managing staff administration, appointment scheduling, etc.
2. Patients can use the app to manage their health. They can also receive medical advice and book appointments.

Studies show that investors’ funding in the digital health industry amounted to almost 45 billion U.S. dollars in 2021! Clearly, the market for healthcare mobile apps has shown much growth and opportunity.

Why Mobile Applications Are Important in Healthcare?

The healthcare industry has seen many benefits thanks to healthcare technology and mobile apps, from emergency responses to treatment monitoring and direct communication with diagnosed patients. These apps can provide many tools to assist the hospital and patients. They also help improve efficiency in emergency management by alerting first responders automatically. These applications can optimize even the administration department of a healthcare center. They assist with tasks like record maintenance, documentation, clinical decision-making, and information management. Listed below are some of the revolutionized aspects of healthcare:

1. Health Monitoring of Patients

Patients can monitor their health through fitness bands and wearables, which connect to their smartphones and tablets. These can help track daily activities such as walking, sleep patterns, and dietary habits. This development has shifted the world of healthcare professionals and patients. It automates tasks like record maintenance and provides real-time access to health records.

Read more: Information Technology in Healthcare: Applications and Role

2. Home Healthcare Services

These services can calculate medication intake, monitor medical equipment, and meet other requirements. With these applications, patients can choose to receive at-home care in real-time. This is vital for patients with special needs who can’t regularly visit hospitals. These patients can range from senior citizens to people with mental and physical disabilities.

3. Payment Solutions

The development of medical applications has facilitated seamless payment processes. Patients can make bill payments without waiting for hours in the medical institute. With optimized payment solutions, they can safely make payments in an instant.

4. Medical Records

This is another widespread transformation medical apps bring to the healthcare industry. With these apps, doctors and patients can maintain medical records on the cloud. Here, they are not at risk of being misplaced or corrupted. Recording medical reports also helps doctors make quick medical decisions during emergencies.

5. Medical Reports

Healthcare professionals need to be accurate in what they do. Any errors made by them can cost lives. Medical errors mostly occur in diagnosis or oversight of previous medical reports. Fortunately, these instances have decreased since the integration of technology in healthcare, such as artificial intelligence for diagnosis. AI, such as machine learning and data analytics, provide accurate reports that support doctors in treatment. Quick access to patient reports on mobile devices also helps save time and make timely and accurate decisions.

6. Data Collection Through Wearables

Wearables such as pedometers can be integrated with mobile app development. This can help them track and automatically record health-based data in real-time. These apps will gather daily patient health data from their wearables and store it in a dataset. Later, this dataset can be used to track health progression or regression.

What Are the Benefits of Mobile Devices in Healthcare?

Medical app development can benefit both the hospital and patients. The advantages are innumerable. Listed below are some of the advantages that hospitals and patients gain.

For Healthcare Professionals:

1. Efficient Patient Management

Medical apps can provide real-time updates and notifications to medical staff. This will ensure that they cater to patient needs with accuracy. It also reduces the time spent waiting for updates. Patient data can be uploaded to the software cloud in real time. It can be accessed by any medical professional from here. This centralized access to patients helps professionals make quick decisions. All these features enhance the efficiency of the organization.

2. Time-saving Communication

In the field of medicine, communication is life-altering. Healthcare professionals’ collaboration and coordination must be flawless. Mobile apps allow professionals to communicate with each other. This way, they can share critical patient information. Electronic health records (EHR) systems also provide secure messaging chatrooms. Here, patients can confide in medical staff without fear of privacy breaches. These systems also help staff access patient data from mobile devices. Any changes in patient status will be altered for stakeholders through these apps. This ensures that treatment plans, administrative tasks, and crucial decision-making are prompt and cohesive.

3. Reduced Costs

Streamlining processes with the help of healthcare technology cuts down operational costs. It eliminates the need and risks of manual labor. Thus, optimizing resource use leads to cost efficacy. Some other financial benefits are reduced labor costs and administrative expenses. Accurate diagnosis with mobile application AI can also save organizations from costly lawsuits. They also optimize resource allocation and identify cost-saving opportunities.

4. Streamline Administrative Tasks

An integral benefit of mobile apps in healthcare is the streamlining of tasks. Through digital documentation, they mitigate the risk of errors in manual data entry. These applications can automate various mundane tasks and optimize them. From scheduling appointments to accessing previous medical records, these apps improve operational efficiency.

5. Cut Risk of Misdiagnosis

This is the most important benefit of mobile apps in healthcare. Data Analytics helps healthcare professionals evade the risk of misdiagnosis. Health apps can also nullify any challenges leading to inadequacy in treatment. These apps can store and retrieve reports of patient’s health conditions in real time. This ensures that doctors prescribe accurate medicines and treatment options.

For Patients:

1. Access to Medical Records

Patients like to be kept in the loop about their treatment. Medical apps allow them to access and understand their diagnosis. They can feel proactive and in charge through educational videos and health articles. These applications also provide interactive features like virtual tours, which help reduce anxiety and enhance patient comfort.

2. Remote Consultations

A well-appreciated feature of mobile apps is their remote consultation feature. This feature allows users to consult doctors at any time from anywhere and view medical records from their online consultations at home, promoting accessibility and convenience.

3. Health Monitoring and Lifestyle Tips

Mobile applications can be connected with wearables and gadgets to track health conditions. These apps can alert the user when there are fluctuations. They can also schedule appointments and connect to care providers hassle-free. Some mobile applications also provide educational tips for improving lifestyle. Patients can also access chatbots that will answer their questions for minor issues. This adds another layer of efficiency to mobile apps.

4. Easy Appointment Management

Scheduling appointments is a hectic process. Some people avoid visiting the hospital due to this hassle. Medical mobile apps mitigate this challenge. With its digital support, anyone can connect to many doctors and book appointments. They can also browse the professional’s profile and add filters for personalization. For regular patients, they can add a feature to update their appointments consistently. The app further optimizes communication and sends appointment reminders. They also provide options to cancel or reschedule appointments with ease.

5. Hassle-free Payment

Through secure payment portals, patients can make quick transactions. This way, they are saved from waiting in long lines for hours to make one payment. The payment systems also guarantee security and confidentiality. Users can also personalize payment methods, pay online, and contact insurers.

What Is The Future of Mobile Health Apps?

As mentioned earlier, healthcare technology and mobile apps will continue to progress with technology. This is one of the rare certainties of the world. Recently, Grand View Research conducted a study to determine the growth of technology in healthcare. They concluded that by 2030, the mHealth apps market size will grow at a CAGR of 17.7% to reach $86 million.

Artificial intelligence has already been incorporated into healthcare industries to solve various challenges. This collaboration is expected to grow further with the advancement of AI-driven applications. These apps can analyze data for early detection and provide virtual assistance. With this integration, the possibilities of healthcare app development are endless.

How Can Fingent Help Build and Find Opportunities with Healthcare Apps?

At Fingent, we build applications with intricate customization. Our healthcare clients have found operational efficiency, ease of collaboration, and process automation with our tailored healthcare technology solutions. One such example is our collaboration with NovitaCare, an early-stage healthcare startup in the US. The client wanted to improve engagement with their stakeholders and create better patient outcomes. We helped them develop a Healthcare Service Platform for their clientele that eased administration, optimized workflows, and streamlined HIPPA compliance.

Another example is the invoice and expense claim management system that we designed for MundiPharma, a leading pharmaceutical company with over 50 years of experience in the field. The application helped them streamline the payment process, issue invoices, and maintain operational transparency with intuitive dashboards.

Our professionals integrate emerging technologies to offer the best service. With our experts always having their finger on the pulse of technological developments, you can always stay one step ahead of the competition. With innovation backing your healthcare goals, we can pave your path to achieve excellence.

Connect with our experts today and discover innovative opportunities for your healthcare organization.

Over the years, the healthcare industry has tremendously evolved. It’s almost like the epitome of technological advancements! In the year 2020, the global medical technology market was valued at $456.9 billion and now is projected to reach $695.5 billion by 2027. From improving healthcare treatments to patient care and diagnosis, healthcare has leveraged every advancing digital capability to enhance itself. Now, the industry is on to transforming its training methods with Virtual Reality (VR). How is VR in medical training promising boosted performance and enhanced medical skills? Is VR turning the future of medical training? Let’s find out in this 3-minute read!

What Are Some Common Medical Training Challenges?

Medical training is critical and imposes challenges that go beyond lecture halls. The sheer volume of healthcare professionals, the need to grasp knowledge within a limited time, and the logistics of it all are challenging, to say the least. It has a direct impact on the quality and effectiveness of future healthcare. Here’s a look at the top roadblocks in medical training that need to be addressed urgently.

1. Balancing Quality With Quantity

Every reputed healthcare organization ensures regular and effective training for all its professionals. However, when the learners are large, it is often challenging to manage the training and provide personalized experiences. Neither can enough equipment be provided to all students nor can training effectiveness be compromised. This dilemma, if not resolved, can lead to underskilled medical professionals.

2. Logistical Constraints

There are many logistical hurdles that healthcare institutes must juggle. These range from coordination of healthcare facilities to scheduling lessons. Preparing interactive lesson plans and prepping room practice are some other logistical challenges. The complexity of these challenges hinders institutions from upscaling their programs.

3. Adapting to Technological Advancements

New advancements are popping up every day in the world of healthcare. Sometimes, adapting to these changes can be challenging. Institutions must constantly update their programs. They must provide healthcare professionals with the most current resources and expertise. Despite new technologies having a positive impact, they can be difficult to install and implement.

4. Forward-thinking Strategies

Grasping complex medical concepts in less time can be challenging. This calls for the implementation of novel strategies and curriculum models. These models should cater to the evolving landscape of healthcare. They should also support the next generation of e-learners. Institutions have to equip themselves to guide the new generation. A generation that will demand a dynamic and immersive learning experience.

How Does VR Advance Traditional Medical Training?

VR in medical training discards traditional learning methods. Creating simulations similar to real-life scenarios equips learners to respond quickly and accurately to emergencies. Also, allowing learners to replay the same situation often helps perfect medical procedures. It builds muscle memory and unparalleled confidence when faced with real-life situations. Here are some ways VR contributes to medical training:

1. Simulation of Medical Procedures

Virtual reality for medical training allows professionals to practice complex procedures in an immersive virtual environment. These situations are replicated with high fidelity, providing a safe learning space. Learners can refine their skills and discover new ways to address problems—all this without risking patient safety.

2. Enhanced Visualization

With VR, students can view complicated medical concepts and anatomical structures in 3D. This enhances their learning experience. It also allows them to explore the human body from various angles and perspectives.

3. Individualistic Learning and Collaboration

VR allows for remote participation. Here, every learner has the opportunity to have hands-on experience. They can collaborate or even learn as a group through VR projections. Learners from different geographical locations can join the same virtual space. Thus helping them learn and practice. VR also allows instructors to supervise learners in real-time. VR training builds teamwork and collective learning.

4. Cost-effective Learning

Setting up and managing VR systems can be cost-effective in the long run. Traditional methods need a lot of facilities that are not friendly to the pocket. Cost-effectiveness can make training more accessible to a wide range of medical students.

5. Emotional and Psychological Training

Virtual reality for medical training can eliminate high-stress situations. It will help students practice under pressure. Traditional settings cannot create these situations accurately. They also help learners practice the management of emotions. It helps them deal with the psychological implications of patient care.

6. Accurate Decision-making

One of the most important skills of a medical professional is accurate decision-making. This ability is not inborn; it is learned through practice. VR scenarios can create ethical dilemmas. This allows trainees to explore different outcomes based on their decisions. This helps sharpen their critical thinking and ethical decision-making skills.

What are the Benefits of VR in Medical Training?

Virtual Reality creates radical stimulating experiences that can be manipulated to practice scenarios or duplicate situations. These simulations can be accessed through virtual headsets and controllers to enable more immersive and engaging training. Headsets equipped with VR glasses and headphones boost these experiences, making them more seamless and effective. Pairing with hand controllers helps duplicate movements that enable trainers to practice surgical procedures or complex medical emergencies.

Read more: How Virtual Reality Improves the Standards of Medical Education and Training

The benefits of adopting VR in medical training are innumerable. Here’s a run-down of a few.

1. Reduced Training Costs

Medical training costs are often difficult to assess. The price of implementing simulating systems varies. Regardless, VR works at a reduced cost with fewer resources. Traditional healthcare training requires the involvement of expensive equipment, such as high-fidelity mannequins. VR eradicates the need for such expensive equipment. Furthermore, VR training can occur anywhere and at any time. This removes the expense of travel and accommodation. VR-based medical training can reduce costs without disturbing the quality of education.
A research paper published in the National Library of Medicine makes a valid point: “The larger initial investment in virtual reality can be spread across a large number of trainees and a longer time period with little additional cost, while each live drill requires additional costs that scale with the number of participants.”

2. Increased Training Efficiency

Learning is best established when it is done at one’s own pace. This applies more to medical training. VR allows trainees to practice at their own pace and use whatever materials they need. The ability to repeat training sessions helps learners perfect their lessons. Repetitive VR simulations can enable learners to refine their skills. This, in turn, builds muscle memory and confidence.

3. Enhanced Learning Experience

Virtual reality is known for its ability to offer an immersive experience. Pairing this with healthcare training can create wonders. It will produce an interactive learning experience that engages many senses. This refines muscle memory and makes it easier to absorb and retain knowledge. Virtual reality bridges the gap between theory and application. It leads to a perfect understanding of complicated medical procedures and concepts.

4. Research

Virtual reality has been a game changer in medical research. With this technology, it is easy to experiment and discover new surgical procedures. Many institutions are using virtual reality to study the brain in detail. A study has found that VR is more effective than traditional MRI scans.

5. VR Scenarios

Repetitive virtual reality simulators allow trainees to make mistakes. It also allows users to learn through repeated practices to perfect their performance. This is generally noted as the central feature of virtual reality in medical training. Traditional methods cannot compete with this benefit. They consume too much space, time, and faculty requirements.

6. Easy to Set Up

The entire virtual reality set-up can be accommodated in a space as small as 2 x 2 meters in under 5 minutes. This simplicity allows other simulation activities to take place in the same center. VR-based training also allows senior faculty to focus on other important tasks while students train. Virtual reality also adds the element of gamification. This makes the entire learning process more fun and autonomous.

VR in Medical Training: Some Interesting Use Cases

Research&Markets, a research firm, noted that the VR market would witness a 22.5 percent compound annual growth rate from 2023–27. Many medical institutions have jumped on the bandwagon already.

1. VR Surgical Training

VR simulations can help create complicated scenarios, giving professionals the right practice to drive surgical efficiency. Here’s a quick display of how VR can promote seamless training simulations. It helps develop the appropriate motor skills required for surgery, creating a realistic environment for the residents to practice. A key advantage of such a system is that it also allows educators to supervise the learner’s actions. They can connect to the VR glasses through a laptop device and offer real-time feedback.

2. Nursing Perfected at Johns Hopkins

Johns Hopkins School of Nursing has implemented virtual reality training at all levels. Professionals use VR-based equipment to learn subjects ranging from surgical procedures to nursing practices. Their areas of focus for training range from resuscitation to post-surgical management. The simple VR set-up consists of an Oculus headset and an Alienware computer. The virtual reality configuration also includes hand controllers, which assist in making cognitive decision-making more effective.

3. Real-time feedback at the University of Northampton

The University of Northampton has taken a giant leap forward. They have installed four sets of VR hardware and a large screen in training rooms. These screens and VR hardware display a physical simulation of a hospital ward. The screen also projects what the students are doing in the virtual space. It provides space for educator feedback and group learning. Learners can also take turns leading the VR scenarios with real-time peer companies. This implementation ensures innovative educational structures. It also builds peer support and teamwork.

4. VR trolleys at the University of Oxford

The University of Oxford uses VR simulation to train residents in John Radcliffe Hospital. Instead of integrating VR in a confined simulation space, the faculty uses mobile VR trolleys to transport equipment. Peer learning is also a primary form of learning here. They have groups of ‘super-users’ who introduce VR systems to new students. Another prime feature is that no faculty is expected to take part unless they choose to review student progress.

How is VR for Medical Training Expected to Revolutionize the Healthcare Industry?

Virtual reality for medical training is expected to transform the healthcare industry through its unmatched training strategies. By creating realistic simulations for students to practice, VR enhances the entire learning process.

Recent research tracked that VR in student schedules for laparoscopic surgery has improved educational outcomes by 74%.

VR creates a safe space for trainees to learn from their mistakes. which in turn hones their skills without costly repercussions. This will improve clinical outcomes and patient safety. VR training also reduces costs associated with traditional methods by eliminating the need for expensive equipment. It allows all students to access specialized training and delivers high-quality education.

Aside from training, VR also assists with innovative research in the medical industry. It enables simulations of diseases, treatments, and clinical trials. Research students can examine diseases and develop cures with a more effective approach. It also removes the risk of actually experimenting on patients. VR enables researchers and scientists to find cures for innumerable diseases.

Virtual reality is ready to revolutionize the medical industry. Advancements in education and research will change the world. Research from the Harvard Business Review attests to this fact. The key finding was that participants trained with Osso VR, a VR training and assessment platform, showed improved performance – 230% better than traditional training methods.

How Can Your Organization Strategize VR Powered Medical Training Software?

Organizations that are ready to implement VR in medical training must have a sound strategy in place. Here are a few steps that will ensure successful implementation and seamless adoption.

1. Analyze Training Needs

The first step is to identify specific training needs within the organization. Understand which medical procedures, scenarios, or skills will most benefit from VR simulation. This will involve consulting with medical professionals and stakeholders. Sort priorities in terms of significant impact.

2. Select the Right VR Platform

It is important to choose the right VR platform that aligns with your organization’s goals. You should consider factors like flexibility and compatibility with existing systems. Test whether the selected platform can fabricate diverse medical scenarios. This step will ensure a smooth transition from legacy training methods.

3. Develop High-quality Content

Invest in developing high-quality VR content. This content should meet educational objectives and engage students. VR can make subject matter interesting, but designing that subject matter is in your hands. Collaborate with experts to ensure accuracy in simulations. Your content must allow students to practice skills, make decisions, and receive feedback in real-time.

4. Accessibility and Equity

Ensure that the VR training program you create is accessible to all learners. This should include those with disabilities or diverse learning needs. Address any potential hurdles, such as technical requirements or physical accommodations. This will promote effective training.

5. Track and Check Performance

Watch over your VR system and continuously check its performance. Collect feedback from users to identify areas for improvement and refinement. Use data analytics to assess student progress and skill acquisition.

6. Stay Updated With Technology

When you take a step into the realm of advanced technology, there is no backing out. Embrace its changes and stay up-to-date with its advancements. This will also help you upgrade your system according to medical education trends. Incorporate new features and updates into your VR training strategies. It will help to maintain relevance over time.

How Can Fingent Help?

At Fingent, we believe in enabling businesses to recognize opportunities. We also redefine traditional processes with emerging technologies. We offer simple-to-use and quick-to-implement software solutions. These solutions will empower your organization to think beyond basic digitization. We implement an agile method to create high-quality, reliable, and cost-effective solutions.

Our service comprises three main advantages:

• Results adhering to deadlines: We offer transparent project management with warranty-assured deliverables. We also create well-defined project plans that can handle any unexpected challenges.
• Budget-friendly solutions: With Fingent, there are no last-minute surprises. We provide efficient operations with the best coding practices and 24/7 tech support.
• Advanced technological expertise: Nothing says reliability better than expertise. With Fingent, you will experience easy implementation and best practices. We have top-notch developers who offer the best advice on new-age technologies.

VR in medical training is the future! Call us, and let us show you how we can use our expertise to create impactful VR solutions for your organization.

Artificial Intelligence is a multi-talented assistant and has proven its worth in the healthcare industry. Healthcare organizations have found innumerable ways to use AI, from record maintenance to patient assistance. It has completely reshaped how doctors diagnose, treat, and monitor their patients. It is also capable of drastically improving research methods, which leads to unmatched accuracy in diagnoses. By integrating AI into hospital settings and clinics, healthcare systems can potentially become smarter, faster, and more efficient worldwide. This blog will help you explore the immense possibilities of AI in healthcare!

How is AI Used in Healthcare?

Healthcare AI, valued at $11 billion in 2021, is expected to be worth $187 billion in 2030.

This massive increase will mean that we will continue to see exponential growth in how medical providers and organizations in the healthcare industry operate. So, how are they using this power tool? Here are some ways.

1. Easing Administrative Workflow

Artificial Intelligence can process and analyze extensive amounts of clinical documentation within a few minutes. This enables professionals to spot disease markers and trends that could be overlooked with manual analysis. AI can automate mundane tasks such as data entry, claim processing, and appointment scheduling, freeing up time to focus more on patient care and the management cycle. Artificial intelligence also eradicates the risk of human error by offering a faster way to analyze and review health records, medical imaging, and test results.

2. Disease Detection

Machine learning (ML) is an area of AI that reads patterns and allows a machine to learn and apply the learned experience to similar scenarios. It enables physicians, researchers, and patients to identify impending diseases. Researchers and practitioners claim that machine-learning-based disease diagnosis is inexpensive and time-efficient. Furthermore, a current study proves that these diagnoses have an accuracy rate of 90%. Diseases like dementia, heart failure, breast cancer, and pneumonia can be identified with ML. The emergence of this fascinating technology in the diagnosis domain illustrates the utility of AI in medical fields.

3. Automate Documentation, Store, and Organize Health Data

Documentation and organization processes are monotonous. They can be very tiresome and boring, leading to human errors. This process can be automated by Natural Language Processing (NLP), which interprets and uses human language to perform tasks. NLP can improve patient care with accurate diagnosis, streamlined clinical procedures, and customized services. It can also help analyze medical records and suggest improved treatment methods. The most common use of NLP in healthcare is to analyze and classify medical records.

4. Accelerate Drug Discovery and Development

AI assistance to the pharmaceutical industry can improve the overall life cycle of products and make great leaps in medical research. It can be integrated into various tasks, such as drug discovery, drug repurposing, clinical trials, and product management. This reduces the workload on human employees while simultaneously achieving targets in a short period of time. Artificial intelligence can identify hit-and-lead compounds in drug research. This allows it to provide quicker verification of the drug target and optimize the overall drug structure.

5. Medical Inventory Auditing

Inventory management is a strenuous task that requires close attention and constant supervision. However, when you integrate AI into inventory management, you can curate a seamless flow of products. 

Computer vision can help in this regard. It is a type of AI that can analyze images and perform tasks that replicate human behavior. With computer vision, medical institutions can automate their auditing process and reduce errors in shipments of surgical supplies.

Artificial intelligence can also assist medical organizations with product evaluation, prioritizing inventory tasks, and allocating inventory information across the organization network. AI in the medical industry can also automate small tasks such as the transcription of bills and the recommendation of products based on a surgeon’s order history. Even this simple automation can bring overall accuracy to the functioning of inventory.

6. Virtual Nursing Assistants 

A virtual assistant is a manifestation of AI that provides 24/7 support and monitoring for patients. It consists of AI-driven chatbots that further enhance patient engagement and adherence to treatment schedules. The overall market for virtual healthcare assistants is growing at a CAFR of 30% from 2023 to 2033. This says it all!

Surgical robots are another brilliant invention powered by artificial intelligence. They can perform minor surgeries with a high level of proficiency. These robots can also collect patients’ previous medical records and make appropriate suggestions to surgeons. Medical researchers and scientists are now striving to create an AI robot fully capable of performing complex surgeries.

7. Personalized Fitness Coach

We have all encountered health and fitness monitors, such as smartwatches and apps that can track and analyze our medical histories. These monitors are also powered by artificial intelligence. They store real-time data sets, and they will alert the user when they recognize a suspicious pattern. 

AI can also transform limited customer service into a highly scalable, personal service that provides multifaceted recommendations through real-time conversational AI. On a larger scale, AI solutions, such as data applications, ML algorithms, and deep learning algorithms, can also help healthcare professionals. They can analyze large amounts of data and offer suggestions before professionals make decisions.

8. Patient Prioritization System

According to a recent study, 83% of patients report poor communication as the worst part of their experience in healthcare centers. This illustrates the desperate need for a clearer form of communication between patients and healthcare service providers. AI technologies like natural language processing, predictive analytics, and speech recognition can monumentally bridge this gap.

Clinical AI is also created to focus specifically on patient care. It uses various subtypes of AI to improve patient treatment. Predictive analytics is another helpful area of AI. It predicts potential health complications by analyzing patterns in a patient’s medical history and current health data. Since this AI takes a proactive approach, it ultimately leads to better patient outcomes and reduced healthcare expenditures.

9. Less-invasive Surgeries

AI-enabled applications can assist in the development of advanced guidance and navigation systems. They improve the accuracy and precision of surgical procedures. AI-enabled applications can also be used to work around sensitive organs and tissues. They can help reduce blood loss, infection risk, and post-surgery pain. AI-powered image analysis tools can also be used to spot surgical instruments and structures within the body. It can analyze past surgeries, allowing the surgeon to be well-prepared beforehand. This creates a more personalized approach to surgical planning and execution.

What are the Top Benefits of Using AI in Healthcare?

The benefits of AI in healthcare are manifold. However, its application has reaped the most benefits in fraud prevention, healthcare diagnosis, and preventive care. Here are more details: 

1. Fraud Prevention

Integrating AI can help recognize suspicious patterns in insurance claims. Sometimes, people will bill for costly services or procedures that are not performed, or they will undertake unnecessary tests that take advantage of insurance payments. Another famous type of false claim is unbundling. This is when people provide billing for individual steps of a procedure rather than the procedure as a whole. These scams can be detected by predictive analytics.

2. Increased Efficiency in Healthcare Diagnoses

A study in Harvard’s School of Public Health stated that using AI to derive diagnoses may reduce treatment costs by up to 50% and simultaneously improve health outcomes by 40%. Other studies suggest that deep learning AI technology can accurately predict breast and skin cancer, even better than experienced doctors.

3. Better Health Monitoring and Preventive Care

AI can help providers gather information from multiple wearables and monitoring devices. It can then be stored and analyzed to provide data-driven insights from many people. With AI-integrated health monitors, patients and caregivers can communicate better. These monitors can be wearables, sensors, or telehealth. They are used essentially by patients to identify symptoms early on and provide timely changes. They come in two distinct forms: AI chatbots, virtual assistants, and ambient/intelligent care. 

What are the Types of AI Used in Healthcare?

Many forms of AI have been successfully implemented in the healthcare industry. Some of these are listed below:

1. Machine Learning

Machine learning algorithms can identify patterns and form predictions by processing clinical data. This form of AI helps analyze patient records, discover new therapies, and perform medical imaging. Hence, it makes life easier for healthcare professionals and reduces costs for the patient. ML can precisely diagnose diseases, personalize treatments, and identify any changes in vital signs.

2. Deep Learning

Deep learning is a subset of AI used for tasks like speech recognition through natural language processing. This representation-based learning method is obtained by composing simple and nonlinear molecules from a lower level into a representation at a higher, more abstract level. Deep learning models are generally integrated with computer vision, speech recognition, and natural language processing to get the best results.

3. Natural Language Processing

Natural language processing (NLP) enhances patient care by improving diagnosis accuracy, streamlining clinical processes, and providing customized services. NLP can accurately diagnose illnesses by extracting important data from medical records. It can also determine the appropriate treatments and medications for each patient. This form of AI has become a powerful weapon in the modern healthcare industry.

4. Generative AI

Generative AI is a part of machine learning technology. It is trained with old data, and when commanded, it provides new data similar to the legacy data. It is used primarily for image and speech synthesis. Generative AI has untapped potential. It has the power to automate entire systems, enhance clinical decision-making processes, and even administrative processes. Generative AI shows great potential despite being scarcely implemented.

What is the Future of AI in Healthcare?

AI in the healthcare market was worth over 11 billion U.S. dollars in 2021. The next prediction is that this market will outdo itself and reach around 188 billion U.S. dollars by 2030. This elucidates the drastic impact that AI has on the healthcare industry.

Artificial intelligence offers us many opportunities to help reduce human error and assist medical professionals. It holds heavy promises of enhancing patient experience, tightening safety, and reducing costs associated with healthcare services. As these tools and technologies continue to develop, the potential to use AI will exponentially boom. 

Future AI tools will have the ability to automate or augment the workload and further free up humans to spend more time on other important tasks. Deep learning AI may progress to detect diseases faster, provide better-customized treatment plans, and even completely automate certain processes, such as drug discovery or diagnostics. With such limitless potential, artificial intelligence is sure to illustrate a future filled with advancements, enhanced health outcomes, and optimized patient experiences.

How can Fingent Help Leverage AI for Better Healthcare Services?

Fingent is a top-notch technology solution provider with around 800+ successful projects. We have loyal clients across four continents. With our custom software development experts, you can develop intricate, truly innovative, AI-powered, custom healthcare software applications. These applications will give you a competitive advantage, ample time-to-market, ROI, and clinical precision. 

We have positive feedback and strong bonds with an eminent list of healthcare clients, including the NHS, Novita Healthcare, Mundipharma, and Casenet, LLC, among others. As the world progresses forward with artificial intelligence, it is time for you to choose the right technological partner for this journey. Contact our experts today to discuss your AI project now! 

Over the next three years, 66% of healthcare executives are planning to increase their investment in digital twin, states a recent digital health technology report. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, digital twin technology has been playing a key role in aiding healthcare professionals. Digital twin is used to optimize the usage of ventilators for critical patients, support contactless temperature scanning, reduce person-to-person contact, trial drugs, and prevent the risk of disease transmission. In the post-COVID-19 era too, medical researchers can leverage digital twins to analyze the existing data and study the impact caused on the human body.
In this blog, we’ll take you through what is digital twin technology and how it’s creating an impact in the healthcare industry? Let’s checkout!

The Role of Digital Twin in Healthcare

Digital twin technology allows you to replicate the physical world in a digital layout. A digital twin is a virtual model of a device, object, or process that operates in real-time to update data when changes are made. Researchers rely on digital twins to test new scenarios in real-life environments with improved safety and cost-effectiveness. In the past, the application of digital twins was limited to sectors such as industrial engineering and manufacturing. It was economically unviable to build digital twins in other fields like healthcare and education. The proliferation and affordability of innovative technologies such as IoT, AI, ML, AR, VR, and XR are accelerating the adoption of digital twins in healthcare.
Read more: The Application and Impact of Information Technology in Healthcare 

The healthcare industry is constantly striving to enhance patient outcomes, reduce operating costs, and address unforeseen medical crises effectively. The US-based Digital Twin Consortium observes that digital twin technology has the potential to improve patient turnaround, reduce patient wait times, optimize equipment utilization, cut staffing expenses, and minimize bed shortages. It helps personalize medicines based on real-time data and improve the operational efficiency and performance of healthcare organizations by identifying workflow bottlenecks and scheduling optimization.

Top 5 Applications of Digital Twin in Healthcare

Digital twins allow the creation of handy virtual models and medical simulations based on the data gathered from wearable devices, patient records, drugs and pharmaceutical companies, device manufacturers, and other healthcare departments. This helps streamline the overall clinical and caregiving processes. Listed here are the top five applications of medical digital twins:

1. Customize treatments and drug administration

Digital twins allow physicians, hospitals, and clinics to deliver patient-centric care by leveraging precision medicine. Data stored in healthcare mobile apps, medical software, wearables, fitness trackers, and other medical devices can be captured into digital twins which enables doctors and front-line health workers to address patients with persistent or critical conditions. For example, combining AI-powered anatomical analysis with the virtual model of a patient’s heart helps understand the progression of heart diseases over time. It enables medical researchers to identify how the patient will respond to new drugs, treatments, or surgical intercessions. Digital twin experiments are also conducted to analyze the progression of neurogenerative ailments such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

2. Advance surgical procedure planning

Digital twin technology enables brain and heart surgeons to run virtual simulations of surgical procedures prior to executing complex surgeries. Testing pre-operative and post-operative surgical procedures and outcomes on a digital replica of human body parts reduces the risk of hampering human health. Advanced, patient-specific computational models of human organs help plan and augment complex surgical interventions with improved precision and care.
Read more: How Virtual Reality Benefits Autistic Patients

3. Enhance caregivers’ efficiency and experience

Digital twins support caregivers to gain a consolidated view of patient data scattered across various medical applications, physicians, and specialists. Technologies like Natural Language Processing (NLP) help infer the data and summarize the medical history of each patient. Capturing patient-specific information onto your medical dashboard throws better light into the context of each patient. This improves your clinical decision-making ability.
Digital twin model of a hospital allows you to measure the impact of organizational changes. For instance, you can use the virtual model to test new operational strategies, care delivery programs, staffing rotation, appointment scheduling, hospital bed facilities, surgical schedules, and so on. This helps redesign your organization’s workflow, improve coordination among various departments, and reduce the treatment window.
Case Study: How Fingent’s healthcare technology solution helped improve collaboration between doctors, patients, and caregivers

4. Test new medical devices and drugs

Federal drug regulators such as the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) agency as well as the European Medicines Agency (EMA) propose using AI algorithms to determine the safety and effectiveness of pilot drugs. Digital twins can simulate the health traits of a larger number of patients which helps analyze how a drug’s usage will impact a wider population. Using several inclusion and exclusion paradigms, AI helps pace up drug trials by identifying the willingness and availability of patients. Digital twins can also mitigate the harmful impact of experimental drugs and reduce the number of patients who need to undergo real-world testing.
It takes more than $2 billion to manufacture and launch a new drug into the market. Trial phase alone costs heavily and over 90% of treatments fail during this period. Capitalizing on technologies like machine learning and computational modeling helps expedite the early stages of drug design, development, and safety evaluation. Digital twins integrate the test data across various samples to give a holistic picture of the drug’s effect on patients.

5. Improve supply chain flexibility

The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic weakened our supply chains due to the lockdowns and transportation bans across various countries. This resulted in the shortage of essential healthcare supplies. Digital twins allow healthcare organizations to create robust contingency plans to address such unpredicted events, increase bed capacity, manage emergencies during shutdowns or shortages, offer remote patient care, and design and construct new medical facilities to reach out to more patients. Hospitals, labs, and healthcare establishments can remodel their supply chain relationships to create alternative plans, improve collaboration with suppliers, and team up with authorities to plan and negotiate.
Read more: Why is it better to outsource custom healthcare software development

Make The Most of Digital Twins with Fingent

Healthcare application development experts at Fingent help you overcome the hurdles that defer digital twin adoption such as data gathering, quality of clinical trial datasets, and information security and privacy. We develop custom healthcare apps leveraging technologies such as VR, AI, ML, and IoT that enable you to virtually test innovations and deliver exceptional patient care. These solutions can be tailored to optimize both your clinical and operational functions. For instance, we help you develop virtual simulators for ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support System), accident trauma care standard operating procedure, an orthopedic or cardiac surgical procedure involving complex tools, and Neo-natal Resuscitation Simulator (GOLDEN MINUTE PROTOCOL).
Read more: How Virtual Reality Improves the Standards of Medical Education and Training 
Besides VR, healthcare providers can benefit from various customizable solutions such as connected healthcare apps powered by IoT, integrated medical dashboard software, remote patient monitoring systems, and healthcare analytics applications. Improve your organization’s technology ecosystem with Fingent. Contact us to design digital twins and drive innovation.

Healthcare is a vast customer service industry that is trying to improve patient health and healthcare processes. This patient-centric approach has evolved, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. Virtual consultations and telemedicine practices have increased rapidly in the last two years. A report by PwC on global healthcare trends reports, 91% of consumers who used virtual clinical care in the past would do so in the future. Additionally, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows an increase of 154% in the use of telehealth in March 2020 compared to the same period in 2019.
As patients are demanding much more streamlined and seamless access to healthcare, most organizations are trying to get rid of old conventional systems that limit performance. Today, patients seek personalized treatment. That’s where custom-made software comes into the picture.
Read more: Is Augmented Reality the future of HealthCare?

Custom software is built to cater to the specific needs of the users. They intend to solve unique challenges. Emerging technologies have proved an immense benefit to the healthcare sector. When these technologies are integrated together they bring various benefits to doctors, patients, medical organizations, and the entire healthcare industry.
A few commonly known custom software solutions for healthcare are:

• Electronic Health Record (EHR)
• Hospital Management Systems
• Telemedicine
• Electronic Prescriptions System
• Appointment Scheduling
• Medical Equipment Management
• Medical Research

In this blog, we will further dig into how custom-made software provides superior customer service in the healthcare industry.

How is custom-made software boosting patient care?

1. Improved personalized patient services

Data-driven patient services are adding value to patient care. Data that is recorded, transmitted, and easily available is helping improve doctor-patient interactions. This allows healthcare organizations to personalize their patient services. Additionally, they can manage their interactions with thousands of patients without the need for administrative overhead.

2. Improved communication and organization

With custom-made software, different departments can communicate easily and improve the organizational culture of hospitals. Departments can share information without the need for manual entries and documentation. Also, patients can visit any department without carrying any document along as the information is already available electronically with the hospital.

3. Improved growth

Custom software digitally transforms the traditional medical record maintenance system and makes it paper-free. The Electronic Medical Record (EMR) can store data of thousands of patients securely host on the cloud. This decreases operating costs and eventually increases the ROI. Thus, custom software plays a pivotal role in improving business growth.

4. Integrated system

Custom-made software integrates different workflows that your organization requires daily. Custom software can synchronize several simple and complex processes such as finance, OPD, human resources, etc., in a single place. This helps reduce workplace stress and allows healthcare providers to invest more time in patient care.
Read more: Choosing Prescriptive Analytics over Predictive Analytics in Healthcare!

Why is Customer Service a priority in Healthcare?

Health issues can be stressful emotionally as well as financially. When engaging with healthcare organizations, most patients expect personal care in addition to the treatment. Thus, the more personalized the care, treatment, and engagement with patients, the more likely it is to have happy customers.

How can custom-made software improve customer service?

1. Scheduling appointments

Using custom-made software, healthcare organizations can improve the scheduling experience by reducing wait times and the time taken to capture patient data. It can also help provide appointment confirmations and reminders via text message or email prior to the appointment.
Booking appointments is the most elementary feature in most healthcare apps.

2. Service delivery experience

Custom-made software can provide healthcare practitioners with complete access to patient records health history along with diagnostic tools and systems. In addition, healthcare practitioners can use digital tools to record treatment notes, patient recommendations, queries, and diagnosis notes while interacting with the patient. This helps provide patients with tailor-made experiences and improve customer service in general.

3. Post-appointment follow-up

Healthcare practitioners can use auto-trigger feedback forms that allow patients to rate their experience, which will enable them to measure patient satisfaction. Doing so will improve customer engagement and foster a long-term relationship with patients.
Read more: Custom Healthcare Software Development: Why Is It Better To Outsource It?

How Fingent can help your healthcare organization improve patient care?

Whether your healthcare business is small or big, a custom healthcare solution is the only way to move ahead in the game and ensure quality and effective patient care services. Fingent is a trusted partner and has been proving efficiency in custom-made healthcare solutions for years. Here are some of Fingent’s success stories in enabling healthcare organizations to drive unique and streamlined customer experiences.

#1 A Custom Solution To Simplify Patient Care

Miscommunication between doctors, patients, and healthcare providers can turn life-threatening. That’s why it’s highly imperative that communications are streamlined. Although this itself could be a challenge!
That’s why Fingent helped develop a simplified patient-care solution, Encourage, that promotes effective communications amongst the various players in the healthcare ecosystem. A doctor can keep track of patients’ progress, assign tasks, and set reminders and care plans, as part of the patients’ profile. Patients can also get involved and also add selected caretakers to the care plan. The solution not just helps streamline communication, but also helps improve patient engagement and allows to better educate patients and families on various treatments.
Know more on how Encourage turned an apt custom software solution for simplified patient care!

#2 Healthcare Service Platform

Providing the right healthcare guidance, knowledge, or tools to the patients or their families can be time-consuming. Plus, it’s also imperative that the information shared is confidential and extremely accurate.
To streamline and solve such challenges in patient engagement and collaboration, Fingent helped develop an online platform, NovitaCare, that helps engage patients, providers, researchers, and NGOs to collaborate online and facilitate quality care. The solution equips many early-stage healthcare start-ups to streamline their workflow, improve patient-caregiver and caregiver-patient interactions, eliminate wastage, improve accountability and raise patient care quality.
Learn more on how NovitaCare turned into a top-notch solution for healthcare patient management.

#3 Improving Visibility on Hospital Performances with Data Visualization

It is vital for patients to choose the best hospitals and healthcare centers based on their performances. NHS wanted to create a platform that streamlined this search with metrics that compared hospital performances to showcase the best and those with good success rates.
Fingent designed an application that utilized data inputs from NHS to create interactive visuals and graphs to compare hospital performances. The solution drills down the minute of details to analyze hospitals across various parameters to deliver financial, clinical, and geographical insights, highlighting key performance issues and indicators.
Read more on how NHS used Fingent’s data visualization capabilities to identify the best-performing healthcare centers.

#4 Cutting-edge Web Application for Health Insurance Decision-makers

In partnership with Casenet’s ASG, Fingent helped simplify TruCare Insights, a nimble PHM platform that aids healthcare payer organizations.
Casenet’s Advanced solution group wanted to create an application that provides action-oriented dashboards and management ease to healthcare payer organizations. The platform, TrueCare did not provide integrated reporting options, and maintaining reports and reconciling them required excessive manual labor. Thus, Fingent helped the team build a highly scalable web application, with best-in-class UI/UX design, to seamlessly integrate the complex workflows of TrueCare, and manage 10 mn+ data records using custom filters.
Know more on how helping Casenet simplify their platform TrueCare streamlined their workflow and management!
Using our proven strategies, Fingent has helped many healthcare organizations and non-profit healthcare sectors boost performance and bring innovative ideas to life. Our experts help provide external perspective, agility, and understanding needed for real innovations. With us, you can get access to skilled software development professionals and all the ancillary roles to develop technology solutions that are apt and unique to your challenges. Additionally, we provide the best-in-class support during and after custom software development.
To know more about how we can help you deploy the top technologies for improved healthcare services, connect with us today!

According to a study by Autism Speak and the CDC, 1 in 59 children in the U.S has autism. While children and adults with autism have verbal, behavioral, and social skills challenges, they also have unique identities and preferences like anyone else. Some people with autism who are minimally verbal or non-verbal use iPad and voice apps to speak for them. Also, they use iPads as an educational tool every day. Tech like the iPad has led both parents and the autism support team to embrace virtual reality. Today, more and more counselors, therapists, teachers, and parents are leveraging Virtual Reality as a therapy tool to help autistic people to communicate and connect with the world around them better. For example, the Center for BrainHealth and the Child Study Center at Yale University’s School of Medicine used VR to help young adults with autism achieve economic and social independence.

Additionally, the technology is helping non-autistic people clear some misconceptions about autism and understand the reality of living with the condition.

While VR has been gaining attention recently, it was used for therapy as early as 1996. The studies in the 90s were promising, but VR was expensive, and headsets were bulky and uncomfortable, which was a major hurdle for people with sensory disorders. All these issues prevented VR therapies from becoming a viable option for people with autism.

Today, VR technology is not just cheap and accessible. The VR headsets are lighter and more comfortable too. So, researchers are studying the potential of Virtual Reality as a treatment tool for autism more than ever before.

Read more: How Virtual Reality Improves the Standards of Medical Education and Training

Uses of VR in Autism Care

1. VR Apps

At the University of Haifa, researchers have created a VR app that trains kids to cross a road safely. This app simulates what it would be like to cross the road with cars and traffic lights. The interesting part of the app is that it allows kids to practice crossing the street without the real-world consequence of being hit by a car. Kids can practice each step as long they need and reduce the risk while learning a new skill.

Floreo is a VR learning and social skills app that therapists, parents, schools can use and support staff to help kids with autism. This app helps children learn social skills like reciprocity and planning for unexpected situations through social stories. It also helps them detach emotionally with interactive virtual sensory tools. The app can be installed on a smartphone or tablet with a Google Cardboard headset. It comes with a good data capture system making it easier to track individual goals.

Read more: Learn how Fingent helped a leading education organization innovate campus visits to increase the number of enrollments from underprivileged areas of the state.

2. VR Games

Teachers recommend that parents play games with autistic kids to help them learn to mimic skills like sharing and back and forth communication. Generally, autistic people can find it difficult to make eye contact or have a two-way conversation between people. This struggle can unintentionally push others away. VR games such as Playground, Astropolis, and non-VR software such as SketchUp use the VR motivator as both play and learning opportunities.

• Astropolis puts players in a spaceship to fly, using resources to ensure space colonies are happy and functioning. Players can collect and manage the resources and defend the colony as well.

• Maritime Defender is yet another mini-game they can practice letting pilots through a wormhole or not allowing them to pass through. This helps with decision-making and control-based skills.
• Stellar Prospector and Starjack improve perception and thinking, and autistic people are encouraged to play this game.
• Sketchup, a 3D architectural and designing software, helps draft objects and structures. It gives autistic kids and adults a creative outlet not found in any school setting.

Other VR games such as Vivecraft, Tilt Brush, and Medium also help build things in 3-D and 360-degrees without the real-world challenges like running out of supplies or messing up, or having to start fresh. These games do not get autistic people direct jobs in coding, architecture, art, and design, but ignite their passion and encourage them to pursue a career in those fields.

3. Tackling Phobias

Virtual reality can tackle phobias in autistic kids, such as fear of classrooms, balloons, animals, and public transport. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy(CBT), along with visualization and imagination, can combat the effects of these phobias.

Using VR, participants enter a “Blue Room” and navigate through a 360-degrees video projection of a scene usually accompanied by audio that replicates the object or experience they fear. Here the participants do not have to wear goggles as the therapist manipulates the scene using iPad controls. Also, the therapist uses CBT techniques to calm the participants when exposed to their phobias.

Read more: Top AR & VR Trends to Transform Ecommerce in 2022!

Conclusion

The VR technology enables therapists, medical professionals, and parents to leverage it to help people with autism learn differently and improve their communication skills.

At Fingent, we have the expertise to create apps, games, and software that can help autistic people connect and communicate with people around them. For more information, reach out to our team.

With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the healthcare industry is spiraling at an unexpected speed and is continuously inventing healthcare solutions to drive streamlined operations. Medical organizations are now largely depending on custom healthcare software solutions to maintain medical history, electronic health records, patient’s personal information, and other medical data to provide better patient care and health services. This blog will take you through why your healthcare organization needs to invest in custom healthcare software development, and how it’s beneficial to outsource it!

What is custom healthcare software development?

Today, healthcare is driven by technological innovations such as big data, electronic patient record systems, interoperability, and machine learning. The need for this is to provide better patient experiences and improve health outcomes. To achieve this, there is a need for professionally designed tools and solutions that can help healthcare providers to deliver patient-first and cost-effective care.

Custom healthcare software development is the process of creating web or mobile apps for medical professionals so they can interact with patients better, use medical data analytics, and access patient health records.

Examples of how custom software development has transformed the healthcare industry include;

• Tools such as Hospital Management Systems (HMS) or Hospital Information System (HIS) are comprehensive integrated solutions that handle different aspects of hospital or clinic’s workflow efficiently.
• An Electronic Health Record (EHR) system collects a patient’s data and history and stores it in a digital format that makes sharing across different healthcare systems easy.
• Mobile apps and wearable devices are serving several health aspects.

Read more: Augmented Reality in Healthcare: The Industry Future!

Key benefits of custom healthcare software

1. Tailor-made solution

Software solutions built specifically catering to your organizational needs help deliver better customer services. Especially when it concerns providing patient-care services, it is always recommended to invest in custom or tailormade solutions. An off-the-shelf or packaged solution, in comparison to a custom software solution, may or may not be able to meet your organization’s requirements or even work well within a specific type of facility. A custom software solution will help solve your business-specific complexes and will help meet your business goals.

2. Streamline processes

Undoubtedly, technology enables us to get our work done efficiently and more accurately. A custom software solution can have a far-reaching impact. It frees your staff to allow them to focus on patient care.

3. Personalized care

Today, patients want to understand their health on their own and expect personalized services from their healthcare provider. This is why there is an increasing demand for telemedicine, at-home testing kits, and health apps.

4. Enhanced security

Custom healthcare software solutions are built in compliance with the industry standards and guarantee that personal data stays secure and confidential. An app must comply with Open Web Application Security Project standards and other certifications, to be approved.

When it comes to creating custom healthcare software, organizations can;

• Leverage any open-source platform to create a customizable solution without the need for coding
• Outsource the entire custom software development process to a reliable development agency.

Read more: Why Healthcare Prefers Prescriptive Analytics Over Predictive Analytics

Advantages of outsourcing healthcare software development

1. Economical and effective

By outsourcing to a third-party offshore company, you can save a lot of costs. It helps save largely on the cost of developing application infrastructure, recruiting professionals, training the recruits, and deployment and pre-installation set-up costs. Most service providers use advanced technology that would fit your budget.

2. Experienced team

While some projects require a large pool of software developers others may not. In such cases, it may be difficult to hire software developers and then relieve them after completing the work as it involves a huge cost to hire, set up infrastructure, and team. Therefore, outsourcing custom healthcare software development gives you the leeway to scale up or down resources as per your project requirements.

3. Agile and scalable solutions

In-house healthcare developers are usually burdened with several other tasks which cause them to lose focus and compromise on the delivery of the app. Collaborating with a third-party agency will provide you with the flexibility of managing the resources and whenever you need them. This will also help you include scalable software developers to build an app that is more agile and consistent.

4. Quick time to market

Outsourcing the custom development task will give you access to experts from healthcare domains to develop your applications. This will ensure your app be superior,well-grained, and reach the market faster so patients can be treated faster.

5. Increased productivity

As offshore developers are qualified and talented enough to develop your app, you won’t have to burden them with briefings and preparations. This will allow you to focus on improving the critical and core healthcare services of your organization thus improving the results significantly.

Read more: Healthcare Analytics Reaches New Heights with SAP HANA

Cost of outsourcing custom healthcare software development

When it comes to the healthcare industry, the average cost of an experienced developer is not cheap. That is why 59% of global companies outsource software development. While the costs vary from country to country, you will still save about 40-70% of the total costs. For example, the average hourly cost for a software developer in the US is $65–$130 per hour while the hourly cost of offshore developers in Asia and Africa is $20–45.

Why choose Fingent?

If you need custom healthcare software for your organization, Fingent is your trusted partner.

• We have a pool of experienced and skilled developers who can help you identify the right solution for your business complexities.
• Our agile methodology of development ensures client involvement at every stage so that the solution is scalable, cost-effective, as well as caters to specific client requirements.
• We offer transparent offshore development services in terms of overhead costs and recruitment fees.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for custom healthcare software development cannot be denied. Our developers are not only affordable but can add much value in terms of talent and skill to your organization. Connect with our experts today!

Top Healthcare Digitalization Trends To Look For In The New Normal

Healthcare digitalization is reshaping the way we interact with healthcare professionals, share medical data or make decisions related to treatment and outcomes. There are plenty of examples that substantiate the digitalization of healthcare today, such as Artificial Intelligence-powered medical devices, telemedicine, blockchain, remote-patient monitoring, and electronic health records.

The main aim of healthcare innovation is to streamline the medical professionals’ work, optimize medical software systems, reduce human errors, improve patient outcomes, and lower costs through integrated web and mobile experiences.

Read more: The Application and Impact of Information Technology in Healthcare

Let’s look at the state of healthcare digitalization in 2021 and beyond:

1. On-demand Healthcare Will Grow

With the COVID-19 pandemic restricting many people to remain indoors, more and more patients seek on-demand healthcare. It is convenient as it helps patients seek guidance at their own time and from anywhere they need it.

DMN3 reveals that patients obtain online medical information primarily for the following reasons:

• 77% for booking medical appointments
• 47% for searching information about doctors and healthcare professionals
• 38% for searching information about hospitals and medical facilities

That said, on-demand healthcare is rising due to the growth of the gig economy. Here, freelance professionals from various industries hire themselves out per job or ‘gig’ instead of sticking to one company.

Read more: Patient Engagement Platforms: 7 Must-have Features

Many online healthcare marketplaces link doctors directly with short-term tasks, making it easier for physicians to deliver patient care in specific circumstances based on their expertise and schedule. Simply put, doctors are becoming on-demand healthcare providers to meet the changing needs of their patients in a better way.

2. Big Data Will Be Used To Improve Healthcare Management

Big data is the information gathered from various platforms such as eCommerce, social media, online transactions, and financial transactions. It helps identify patterns and trends for future use.

Read more: 5 Ways Big Data is Changing the Healthcare Industry

For healthcare, big data offers benefits such as:

• Reduced medication errors: Patient record analysis allows the healthcare software to flag any inconsistencies between a patient’s health and drug prescriptions. This alerts the health professionals and patients in case there is a potential risk of a medication error.
• Simplifying preventive care: Many recurring patients stepping into emergency rooms are “frequent flyers.” These frequent flyers account for up to 28% of clinical visits. Big data analysis helps identify these recurring patients and create preventive plans to keep them from returning.
• Improved staffing: Using big data’s predictive analysis, hospitals and clinics can estimate future admission rates enabling these facilities to allocate proper staff to deal with the patient. This will help save money and reduce emergency room waiting time, especially when a facility is understaffed.

Case Study: How did a data analytics solution help NHS gain financial, clinical, and geographical insights to improve visibility over their KPIs? Read Now! 

Big data analytics, visualization, and insights generation can improve healthcare operations management and transform the patient experience.

3. Virtual Reality Will Transform Medical Training & Care Delivery Models

Virtual Reality is one of the most outstanding healthcare digitalization trends that change the way patients are diagnosed, and medical residents are trained.

• VR in medical diagnosis & treatments: VR is increasingly used in treatment segments in healthcare, such as patient education, robotic surgery, physical and psychological therapy, etc. For instance, medical professionals can use VR to construct a 360° patient-specific video detailing how the surgery will help the patient cure and the consequent results. Virtual Reality has been found effective in treating anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and stroke.   

Case Study: Find how Fingent developed a unique mixed reality application for a leading university that enables users to identify people using facial recognition.  Download Now!

• VR for medical training: Other uses of VR technology include doctors and medical residents using VR simulations to hone their skills (learning in near-real situations) and safely plan complicated surgeries. In addition, VR headsets are used post-surgery to encourage patients to exercise and follow physiotherapies. The technology also enables autistic children to learn and navigate the world.
• Growth of VR in the medical field: From startups to established pharma companies, everyone recognizes the role of VR in healthcare. Experts estimate that by 2025 the global virtual and augmented reality in healthcare will reach $5.1 billion market value. So, if you’re a healthcare company wanting to improve your digital marketing strategy, you should consider investing in VR.

Read more: How Virtual Reality Improves The Standards Of Medical Education And Training

Virtual Reality technology offers a powerful communication channel that allows you to understand customers’ needs better and virtually engage them with your products and services.

4. Wearable Medical Devices Will Enjoy A Wider Market

Another major healthcare digitalization trend is companies collecting their health data from medical devices such as wearables. Previously, most people would check in with their doctors only when something went wrong and were used to undergoing physical check-ups once a year. However, technology is changing that. Today, people highly focus on preventive maintenance and are interested in knowing about their health status frequently. This trend forces several healthcare companies to invest in wearable technology devices that allow patients or family members to track health vitals and seek medical aid when needed. Wearable medical devices enable up-to-date monitoring of high-risk patients and determine the likelihood of any severe health risk.

Experts estimate that the wearable medical device market value will cross USD 27,200 mn by 2023.

Following are some of the widely used wearable devices:

• Exercise trackers (Google Fit, Fitbit, etc.)
• Heart rate sensors (Samsung Heart Rate Sensor, Pulse Sensor, etc.)
• Sweat meters: to monitor blood sugar levels of diabetics
• Oximeters: to monitor the amount of oxygen carried in the blood

Wearable devices in healthcare offer the following benefits:

• Personalized healthcare experience: Medical devices help patients improve their health and give them a sense of ownership regarding personal healthcare management.
• Insurance pricing: Wearable devices provide insurers with insights that enable them to rate a patient’s risk for illness more accurately.
• Insurance incentives: Wearable devices allow patients to take preventive measures to improve their health. Such patients are more likely to obtain lower insurance premiums.
• Gamification opportunities: Fitness watches can help create competitive goals for users to achieve through diet, nutrition, and exercise.

Case Study: Read more about how Fingent helped create a fitness Regimen app for trainers.

5. Healthcare AI Investments Will Increase

By 2025, the healthcare AI-enabled tools market is expected to exceed $34 billion globally. This indicates that healthcare AI investments will peak soon as Artificial Intelligence is set to transform various segments in medicine.

AI-powered chatbots and virtual health assistants fulfill many roles in the healthcare industry, such as customer service representatives, diagnostic tools, or even therapists. Hence AI in healthcare is gaining immense popularity. According to a report published by MarketsandMarkets, the global healthcare chatbots market is estimated to reach $314.3 million by 2023.

Read more: 5 Leading Chatbot Use Cases Explained with Real-life Examples

That said, we can witness the real power of AI in diverse areas such as medical imaging, drug discovery, precision medicine, and genomics. For example, the first-ever drug designed by AI is showing some promise to help patients suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder. The AI-made drug molecule, DSP-1181, is in clinical trials currently. Researchers and scientists expect that the use of AI will make drug development faster and more efficient.

Overall, AI is projected to bring USD 150 billion by 2026 in annual savings for the US healthcare economy. As start-ups are lapping up the opportunity, the number of active AI start-ups has increased 14 times since 2000.

Why Keep A Close Eye On These Healthcare Digitalization Trends

These five healthcare digitalization trends will spill over in the future as the industry will innovate and adapt to meet the patients’ demands. As a result, organizations that embrace healthcare digitalization will see dividends sooner.

Fingent helps you navigate the digital healthcare space and adapt to the ‘Next Normal’ with our transformative experiences. Our custom healthcare software solutions have helped many of the leading healthcare providers worldwide. Contact us to learn more about how your healthcare organization or clinic can leverage healthcare digitalization effectively.

Custom patient engagement platforms improve caregiver-patient interactions today. Here’s how. 

With the COVID-19 pandemic restricting face-to-face engagement, patients have started using telehealth (telemedicine) technology and other digital channels to receive healthcare services. The growth of digital healthcare will increase the demand for healthcare technologies in the future. 81% of people (patients) want healthcare providers to know them individually and deliver more personalized and meaningful experiences.

While support programs like teleconsulting do not replace the physical presence of healthcare providers, they offer valued information, which is the need of the hour. With stay-at-home mandates, social distancing, and lockdowns, telemedicine is the vital care model that boosts patient engagement today. Personalized patient engagement fosters trust among patients and ensures continuity of care. So, in times of pandemic and beyond, patient engagement platforms will play a crucial role.

Read more: 5 ways to optimize the revenue of your medical practice and clinical processes 

Patient engagement and its growing significance

In simple terms, patient engagement is a concept where patients are actively involved and considered important decision-makers in their care.

Engaged patients are:

• Informed- as they understand their health status and the treatment.
• Empowered- as they believe they can change their health outcomes.
• Heard- as they can communicate with their providers better and participate in shared decision-making.

What is a patient engagement platform (PEP)?

A patient engagement platform is an application that enables patients to interact with healthcare providers via their mobile device, tablet, or computer. The patient engagement platform keeps the patients involved beyond the four walls of the hospital.

When implemented effectively, patient engagement platforms can help streamline access to medical records, provide appointment reminders, enable self-scheduling for patients, and deliver patient education or awareness.

How do patient engagement platforms help?

Patient engagement platforms (PEPs) can help automate the following processes.

• Send reminders to patients regarding their postoperative treatment protocols
• Allow patients to update mobility reports and pain score
• Deliver educational content
• Manage images of wounds
• Record and monitor health vitals like BP, FBS, BMI, etc.

Read more: 7 major impacts of technology in healthcare

What are the benefits of a patient engagement platform?

1. Ease the patient engagement process

A customized patient engagement platform helps improve your patient experience by assisting them in scheduling medical appointments. It can also help notify patients about their next visit to the clinic, or when they need to check their health vitals, or when their current medication course will be over. In addition, caregivers can use the patient engagement platform to track a patient’s medical history and use the data to channelize treatment plans when the patient pays a second visit.

2. Enable caregivers to focus on core competencies

With a patient engagement platform in place, patients can fill in medical forms, electronically scan their insurance cards, and consent from their mobiles, laptops, or computers. It will allow healthcare providers to focus on their core competencies and saves patients from standing in queues or long wait times. In addition, it can expedite the care delivery process during an emergency.

Case Study: Fingent partnered with Casenet’s Advanced Solutions Group to develop TruCare Insights as a reliable population health management platform. Download Now!

3. Empower care providers to make informed decisions

Healthcare organizations can use information like satisfaction scores, online appointments, wait times, and ROI to make informed decisions related to staffing and identify opportunities for improvement. Custom patient engagement platforms allow clinicians to track all this information effectively. It goes a long way in supporting clinical decision-making.

4. Optimize healthcare throughput

Patient engagement platforms allow online registration that ensures patients have less waiting time in the clinic. It enables healthcare providers to attend to more patients in a given time and improve data accuracy and demographics. In addition, patient engagement platforms spare medical professionals from time-consuming and manual data management processes so that they get time to receive advanced medical training. Nurses, physicians, administrators, and other hospital staff members can streamline their communication, increase staff satisfaction, and utilize data analytics to make strategic decisions.

Benefits to the patients:

• Patients are aware of the next steps, such as diet plans, exercises, medication plans, or next clinical visit
• Consistent and transparent care will be available 24/7
• Augmented patient engagement and experience
• Improved communication lowers preoperative stress and anxiety

Case Study: How did a data analytics solution help NHS gain financial, clinical, and geographical insights to improve visibility over their KPIs? Read Now! 

What to look for in a custom patient engagement platform?

Given the changes in patient behavior, expectations, and changing healthcare landscape, healthcare providers will have to ramp up patient engagement strategies and implement the latest engagement technologies. Patient engagement platforms must enable providers to determine the best ways to deploy their expertise and services to their patients.

Read more: Digital tools reshaping the healthcare industry

So, make sure the patient engagement platform has the following capabilities.

1. EMR integration

The patient engagement platform should integrate with Electronic Medical Records (EMR). For example, the platform should receive data from the EMR, such as a referral or recall, and revert to the EMR.

2. Sentiment analysis

The main aim of patient engagement is to understand patients on a deeper, emotional level. So, it is crucial to leverage sentiment analysis technology. This will enable providers to recognize when a patient is happy or frustrated and respond accordingly.

3. Real-time and interactive patient communication

The platform must encourage bidirectional communication, specifically text-based messaging. In short, patients must be able to communicate with their health system easily.

4. Chatbot functionality and keyword actions

The use of chatbots and keywords in patient engagement platforms is trending. It helps reduce human intervention. So, the patient engagement platform should allow for automated responses to common questions such as “where are you located?” The platform must also enable keywords to trigger automation, such as scheduling a ride for patients who need a lift.

Read more: 5 leading chatbot use cases explained with real-life examples

5. Patient on-boarding

The platform should drive patients to the patient portal and help them register quickly and conveniently to get medical support on time.

6. Integration with other vendors

A single app can’t solve it all. It is just not feasible and is also not in your patient’s best interests. Make sure that your patient engagement platform integrates seamlessly with your other vendors. For example, the platform can offer billing features or even integrate with medical billing software, medical invoice management software, etc.

7. Boost employee adoption

Your staff must like and accept the patient engagement platform. If they don’t appreciate the new technology, it won’t fulfill its potential. In addition, you must ensure that the patient engagement platform enjoys enterprise-wide adoption and has a user-friendly UX and UI.

8. Offer multilingual support

As not all patients speak English, you will have to ensure that the platform supports different languages used or spoken widely by your patients.

Read more: 5 essentials to an effective healthcare application 

Why should you adopt a custom patient engagement platform?

A custom patient engagement platform is specifically developed for your organization to cover your unique healthcare requirements and cater to your internal processes.

As such a platform is built from scratch, it gives you the freedom of choice for technology. Additionally, you can easily integrate this platform with third-party systems because you get to control the code entirely. Also, you will have full ownership of the final product and customize the software according to any relevant changes in your organization.

Benefits of a custom patient engagement platform

• High scalability
• Seamless integration to your existing infrastructure
• Enables integration with any new services you are willing to include in your medical practice
• Freedom to choose the technology
• Gain full ownership of the resulting solution

Custom patient engagement platform is best suited for medical practices that:

• Offer a wide range of services
• Plan to expand in size and services
• Have rigid workflows that are difficult to adapt
• Want to integrate the new solution with the existing system

Read more: The application and impact of information technology in healthcare

Develop your custom patient engagement platform with Fingent

At Fingent, we have the expertise and work closely with you to build a custom patient engagement platform to suit your business needs. Our software development experts help you select the best web development frameworks, database and backend technologies, data visualization formats, and leading front-end technologies to develop your patient engagement platform or any medical software that you would require.

Fingent helps you develop healthcare application platforms tailored to your needs, with top features like appointment scheduling, medical billing, patient feedback management, payment processing, chatbot, and fundamental to in-depth analytics. To know more, please get in touch with us.