Digitalization continues to transform the world, and across industries including the health care industry. They are essential reasons why healthcare is going digital. Medical technology has advanced remarkable and is still advancing. Nowadays, there is robotic surgery that is making digital process easier, safer and more affordable. Patients’ demand have increased since patients have been approaching healthcare services as consumers expecting the same level and convenience and personalization they receive in other industries. External factors have made the shift of digitalization desirable and urgent. Covid- 19 pandemic immediately made digitalization urgent at every level of healthcare industry, so as to remain viable during the crisis and because of health concerns.
Before the pandemic, digitalization of the healthcare industry was already underway, but Covid-19 sped up the trend. Investment in digital tools and systems has changed significantly due to the pandemic. Digitalization has been in the aim of all healthcare facilities for some time, but has never received the attention and resources required to unlock its full potential. Study shows that before the pandemic, digitization was not part of the corporate strategy for many healthcare facilities.
Providers must manage data as a strategic asset. This needs new hardware, software and overall shift in culture. Data has to be integrated from many sources, and all the data must be accessible on secure and easily reachable data platforms. Managing data as a strategic asset will enable providers gain unprecedented insight into clinical and non-clinical processes. With the help of powerful tools, digital data can lead to better decision making in every step of patient’s care. In the clinical and operational space, caregivers will have access to more complete understanding of individual patients guiding their medical decisions. Patients will be better informed with reliable information enabling them to make the best decisions.
The bonds between patients and caregivers can be made stronger, safer and easier through use of digital tools and technologies that covers the physical distance. With digital tools, healthcare providers will increasingly embrace the concept of moving information and not patients. Home monitoring will make sure that patients receive hospital quality care while in their homes. Data gathering must continue to improve. The value of data increases as it is gathered.