From real-time data tracking to leveraging existing patient records, healthcare experts can see a future where technology can improve outcomes and reduce costs – but there are still some challenges.
At a meeting at the Digital Medicine Association’s 2030 Healthcare 2030 Summit in Washington, D.C. last week, a team of four healthcare experts shared their most exciting technology, and the technology that still makes them stop.
Continuous data monitoring, unknown areas
Amy Abernety, co-founder of Highlander Health, highlights upcoming innovations such as implantable chips with strong battery life that can track more than 130 metabolites in real time – the tools she describes are similar to continuous glucose displays, but more advanced. She said she believes the future is full of the potential of continuous longitudinal data streams, combined with other sensor inputs.
Abernethy also warns that healthcare is not ready to explain the overflow of the data, noting that the current framework of evidence is outdated, leaving clinicians uncertain about how to act on these new metrics.
Turn existing health data into value
Matthew Christiansen, vice president and chief medical officer for health affairs at Valley Health System, is excited about AI tools that end up using a large amount of health data to make clinically more efficient.
“I think of our EMR, which slows us down and costs us a lot of money. They are very inefficient. They are the most expensive buttons in the entire office, and we do nothing with all this data. We should use AI to help us understand what we already have and understand what we already have,” he said. ”
Christiansen believes that AI can help label important information, such as lack of screening records, and reduce the administrative burden on clinicians.
Reduce costs with smarter technology
Lisa Bari, director of policy and diplomacy at Innovaccer, said she is most promising for tools that help connect data and are more available at the care point.
She warned against adopting new tools to increase costs without improving results. For her, the priority should be technology that can reduce the cost of basic care.
“At this point, healthcare is so expensive that when we simply add technology as shiny and new things, we have the potential to significantly increase the cost of care. One thing I really hope and work hard on is not easy – it’s not easy, we haven’t addressed it yet – looking for ways to reduce this cost base with advanced technology,” Bari said. ”
Where wearable devices meet AI
Annie Tilton, head of clinical outcome research at OURA, is watching the fusion of wearable devices and AI.
She notes that wearable devices can transform health care from reactive treatment to preventive care and attract patients outside the clinic.
“In terms of AI, we are moving from predictive models to multimodal proxy systems that can support patients and providers between access, providing more information to make care-based decisions and build more continuous systems and deliver more personalized medications while maintaining privacy,” Tilton said.
She also noted that there is a “clear consensus” that AI tools can only have an impact on healthcare if they are accessible, trustworthy and practical.
