How IT is Becoming More Important in The Health Industries

Do you think IT is just for the Tech world? Think again. We are now in the fourth industrial revolution and it’s opening up a world of opportunities all around us, especially when it comes to healthcare. 

Devices are connecting quicker than ever with efficiency and convenience at the forefront of everyone’s mind. There has never been such a need for devices and senses that can either collect data, offer advice or take action on a variety of medical needs.

Healthcare industries are keeping on top of these trends to see what role the Internet of Things, also known as IoT, will play in health services and how it will be able to help. From data collection to remote care options to identifying symptoms in real-time.

What’s so unique about IT and the health industries?

It is commonplace to wear a Fitbit, Apple Watch or some other version of step counting, heart monitoring, calorie counting consumer wearable. 

Aside from the fact that consumers are more keen to look after their personal health, it shows that people are already embracing the use of IT in the health arena. Now imagine the possibilities of this on a much greater level.

In 2017, PwC released a report entitled ‘What doctor?’. The report surveyed over 12,00 people, across 12 different countries, to look at their attitudes towards AI in the health industries. A key finding showed that “The proliferation of consumer wearables and other medical devices combined with AI is also being applied to oversee early-stage heart disease, enabling doctors and other caregivers to better monitor and detect potentially life-threatening episodes at earlier, more treatable stages.”

The report also highlighted the shifting attitudes towards IT and health industries with a key finding showing that “there is a growing enthusiasm among consumers to engage in new ways with new technology for their health and wellness needs, and when connected to the internet, ordinary medical devices can collect invaluable additional data.”

From the ability to provide remote care, quicker and more accurate diagnosis, and further insight into symptoms and trends, IT is embedded in every part of the healthcare industry. IT solutions offer patients greater control over their individual treatment plans. Thinking of how you can get involved in such pioneering work? Let’s take a look at the roles…

What kind of digitally advanced healthcare jobs can you get involved in?

Nowadays, nobody has time for laborious and time-consuming paper-based systems, especially doctors who have back to back appointments all day. So it’s out with the old and in with the new. Starting with…

VA Healthcare Content Creator

Voice-based virtual assistants have already become a part of most of our personal and professional lives. In the healthcare industry, the soothing tones of Alexa, Siri and Cortana are looking set to become the go-to support service for a variety of medical needs. From booking appointments and creating schedules to looking after the needs of elderly patients in care homes, the opportunities are endless.

Presently, those who sit behind content creation for such modern-day VA needs are developers. But as these continue to evolve, the developers will also need to develop, in the form of passing the medical baton to specific healthcare specialists like you. Look at it this way, a patient tells Doctor Alexa that they’re struggling with their mental health but there’s no guarantee any at-risk checks will be carried out. This means that it will be essential for accurate and relevant content to be provided.

3D Printing Specialist

From the eyewash cup to prosthetic limbs and synthetic bladders, 3D printing has gone from strength to strength since it was introduced. 3D printing equipment is becoming more readily adopted in the healthcare industry, and all sorts of live cells and “organoids” are being created for live tissue transfers. And then there’s the polypill, a type of multi-layered pill with the ability to hold more than one type of drug for certain patients who require different types of medication all at the same time. Amazing!

With huge medical advancements such as these, a whole new breed of printing technicians with prototyping and 3D software design skills will need to step up. By getting involved in such an evolving role, you could be responsible for generating tissue and helping burn and accident victims get some new skin.

Medical Scribe

Writing up patient notes is certainly a mundane task, and takes up an awful lot of time that could be spent on patients. This is where tech advancements come in. AI and voice recognition will allow such a timely task to be automated in the not too distant future. That doesn’t mean people like you won’t be needed to give a helping hand! Human proofreaders will be needed to ensure such robotic hands have created accurate documentation to ensure only the safest patient outcomes.

Ethical Hacker for Health Data

Unfortunately, hacking happens all over the world, across almost all industries. As the healthcare arena increases their involvement with AI and the IoT, hackers focused on specific health data will have more data options to choose from – which is where you come in! There’s no better time to get ethical hacker certified and fight the good fight against cybercriminals!

From connected devices in the home to smart hospitals, individual medical records will be more vulnerable to hackers and are valuable for a range of reasons. From the usual reasons such as identity theft to much darker medical practices such as organ transplants on the black market.