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The Convergence of Technology and Healthcare

We saw the changes to our lives with the Covid-19 pandemic playing the role of catalyst for changes in life sciences and healthcare. This article will discuss how new technologies, including blockchain, cybersecurity, and the needed talent behind these, are impacting the medical sector.

Recent Changes to Healthcare

We have seen how the past few years have been shaped by the Covid-19 pandemic, which disrupted and revolutionized nearly every sector of our economy. 

When we look at monetary investment, it’s evident that technology spending is focused on healthcare. A report from Bain and Co found that even with economic uncertainty, healthcare is still planning to invest in tech, with software being a top five strategic priority for 80% of providers and a top three for 40%. 

This spending is for several reasons: efficiency, cost reduction, and telemedicine, whether by phone or video. Heavy technology investment in the era of Covid-19 caused healthcare to leapfrog into patients’ homes. 

These changes will be the driver of healthcare’s growth for the next few years. Yet we need to have a strong understanding of how the consumer fits into this system of delivering service, what their preferences are, and the new habits they are forming.

Once Before, in the 1920s

Periods of economic and geopolitical uncertainty have led to healthcare advancements. 

In the 1920s, there were many geopolitical tensions that eventually led to wars, but throughout the decade and the rest of the 20th century, there were remarkable advances in medicine. 

The construction of hospitals that followed the passing of the Hill-Burton Act in 1946 made the foundation of our current health delivery system, the same way we saw our highway system and other infrastructure change the face of America and its economy. We’ll likely see a similar change around needed vaccines and other due innovations. 

Rather than creating roads, bridges, and buildings, we’ll see digital infrastructure. Out of the discovery of the first mRNA Covid vaccines, we’ll find many ways to accelerate the process through biotechnology and innovation. Technology is an added dimension to healthcare innovation that has appeared out of the Covid turmoil. When technology is added to the mix, we’re going to see some fantastic opportunities.  

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