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What Will the Medical Device Industry Look Like Post-COVID?

We know what the healthcare sector will likely look like post-COVID, but what about the medical device industry? What new considerations need to be made in order to best meet the needs of the future's healthcare industry?

Truthfully, hints at where HIT investments should be placed have been observed since well before the spread of COVID-19. Current pandemic conditions have only further facilitated focus in these pieces of technology we’ve long understood would benefit healthcare. IT leaders and decision-makers in healthcare facilities owe it to themselves and their patients to look to these pieces of tech to further fortify healthcare in 2021 and beyond.

Remote Care Systems

Remote care and telehealth have long been carried as the next big step in healthcare. COVID has only proven the efficacy of such technology by showing us how helpful it would have been if the infrastructure was in place before the global pandemic. Several facilities that were forced to adopt telehealth technology and virtual care have realized it’s been a major boon to their efficiency and plan on keeping these systems in place even after the pandemic is dealt with.

In a recent interview, Valleywise Health executives mirrored this sentiment, explaining that 80-90% of patients who had engaged in remote care expressed high levels of satisfaction and staff were excited to keep the systems going forward. And it’s no surprise why when you consider just how many processes, from diagnosis and triage to testing and patient education, can be handled remotely through something as simple as a video call on a medical tablet.

Infection Protection Hardware

HAI Prevention has become an industry-wide focus for 2020, and hardware designed to diminish infection risk is going to be highly sought after. Fanless medical computers have already been employed to great effect since they mitigate the risk of circulating infectious droplets and bacteria.

It also goes without saying that antimicrobial hardware will continue to be a staple in healthcare. However, special attention now needs to be paid on how these antimicrobial properties are applied. Simple coatings of antimicrobial properties aren’t enough in a post-COVID since these coatings can be easily wiped away after multiple cleanings with abrasive sanitizing products.

Medical computers that employ nano-silver technology baked into the actual components of the device, however more effectively destroy sickness causing pathogens by destroying the DNA in bacteria that allows for them to proliferate. These properties also aren’t wiped away after repeated cleanings.

Interconnected Wearables

Medical devices can be designed to integrate with medical tablets to gather important vitals, allowing for patients to be more involved in their care. Because tablet technology is fairly ubiquitous, it makes it far more intuitive for patients to use the devices, while also giving physicians more insight into how patients are responding to treatment plans. Those tablets can automatically upload data to their physician’s office, or the tablet can be brought in for in-person visits to review information. From there, doctors can adjust, adapt, or even change plans completely in order to better allow patients to actually follow through with discharge instructions and avoid an unnecessary readmission.

Early Detection Technology

Building on that need for more early detection, it’s very likely we’ll see an increase in the use of other hardware designed to assist in just that. Namely, we’ll see investing in medical devices that assist in the visual diagnostics department rise. COVID has shown us that keeping track of a patient’s condition from well before suspected infection is key in prioritizing those who may be immuno-compromised due to a pre-existing condition.

4K Medical displays and scanners designed to assist in the digital pathology process have already been well-proven in their ability to improve successful diagnoses as well as facilitate proper clinical collaboration since scans drawn by them are much higher quality and reveal more red flag symptoms early on.

What’s Important When Investing in Medical Devices

COVID has opened many providers’ eyes to the types of tech and innovations needed to better care for their patients when their status quo is challenged. Using these insights and learning from them when investing in medical devices for your facility is going to go a long way towards fortifying you against the future pandemics, outbreaks, and policy changes the world will throw your way. For more information on what medical innovations are worth your attention and bandwidth, contact an expert from Cybernet today.

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