A population living longer, the emergence of transformative technologies with applications across the healthcare spectrum, and continued global economic uncertainty. These are the main societal factors that will impact healthcare in 2024.
Their convergence means we are heading into uncharted waters. On the technology side, artificial intelligence (AI) promises to radically change everything from how we develop drugs and treat patients to the business side of healthcare. Its emergence is behind many of the trends described below.
And just as powerful will be the changes that are being made to shift the focus from reactive to preventative care in hopes of preventing an aging population from becoming an overwhelming burden on health systems around the world.
With these factors in mind, here is my overview of what I believe will be the biggest trends in 2024.
Generative AI in healthcare
AI will play a key role in many trends, but generative AI, in particular, will have a particularly big impact over the next 12 months. It will democratize access to other transformative AI applications, making it easier to implement and interpret results and generate personalized recommendations. It will create synthetic data that can be used to train medical AI algorithms without compromising patient privacy or where there is simply not enough relevant real-world data. And it can create chatbots and virtual assistants to help with every step of the patient journey. The applications of generative AI in healthcare are virtually limitless, and we’ll definitely come back to that when discussing the other trends on this list.
Personalized medicine
At a high level, this term refers to the creation of tailor-made treatment plans for each patient. In practice, this is increasingly done through technology and data. The most advanced applications are in genomics, where AI is used to analyze patients’ DNA to diagnose and treat diseases and to create personalized medicines for specific people down to the molecular level (sometimes called precision medicine). Many researchers believe that a personalized approach to health care leads to better patient outcomes and more efficient use of medical resources and will play an increasingly important role in solving the health challenges of the future .
Virtual health assistants
Virtual assistants and chatbots can help clinicians by providing advice on treatments, diagnostics and medications. They can also help patients by answering questions about their care and connecting them with the information they need to make more informed decisions about their own care. Increasingly, they will interface with electronic health record systems and be used to make and schedule appointments. They can also help patients stay compliant by reminding them to take medications or exercise. They can even provide camaraderie for patients who live alone or in remote areas to improve their mental health!
Digital twins
A digital twin is a virtual model of a real-world system, object, location, tool, or process. It can be used to simulate anything from a single device, such as a needle, to understand how it works in different conditions, to an entire hospital to understand how services are delivered. Digital twins of the human body and individual organs have been developed to model the effects of changes in treatment, medication and lifestyle choices. Perhaps the most complex digital twin currently imaginable is a twin of the human brainwhich researchers hope to advance by 2024.
Virtual hospitals and telemedicine 2.0 powered by IoT
This trend includes both telemedicine and wearable devices connected to the global network known as the Internet of Things (IoT). By using connected devices to remotely monitor patients and provide communication channels for healthcare professionals, more elements of care can be delivered remotely. We call this “telemedicine 2.0” because it goes beyond simply providing remote care, such as remote consultations, to a holistic approach to remote patient care and treatment. Virtual Hospital Services are an example of this trend in action in 2024 – where one central location acts as a hub for monitoring multiple patients in their own homes.
Preventive health care
It covers many topics, including exercise, wellness, and vaccinations, but it all comes down to the old adage that prevention is better than cure. This shift from reactive to proactive approaches will be a strategic priority for healthcare providers in 2024. Research has shown that it can create long-term benefits for patients, as well as reduce costs associated with treatment preventable diseases. Technological advances, including AI and wearable technologies, will also play a major role in this, enabling early warning and rapid intervention.
Virtual and augmented reality in healthcare
The use of virtual reality (VR) in healthcare is starting to take off, with several innovative use cases now entering the mainstream. In particular, it has been shown to be effective in helping patients manage long-term chronic pain. It has been shown to be more effective and cause fewer side effects than traditional pharmaceutical pain treatment, leading to improved quality of life for patients and reduced hospital stays. Meanwhile, augmented reality (AR) is increasingly being used by surgeons to provide digital information while they work without the need to look at separate screens. Another application is wound care management, where it allows non-invasive assessment of the severity, healing status and best treatment options for a patient’s wound.
8 Elderly care
Many developed countries have an aging population, which will inevitably put increasing pressure on health systems as people live longer and need more support later in life. Innovative solutions that enable older people to stay in their homes for longer, rather than taking up space in hospitals, hospices and care homes, will come to the fore. There will also be an increased focus on developing new treatments for diseases that occur specifically in older people and strain healthcare systems, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Other trends discussed here, including preventative care, virtual hospitals, and physician assistants, will also have important implications.
3D printing – From tools to organs
Additive manufacturing – where products are made using processes such as 3D printing – is having a major impact on healthcare. In parts of the world where medical equipment is hard to find, they can be used to print tools and devices on demand, including surgical instruments, orthopedic or dental implants, and prosthetics. Research Work is also underway on the viability of 3D printed organs intended to be transplanted from biological tissues taken from the patient’s body. If proven effective, it could provide a solution to the chronic shortage of organs available for transplantation and significantly reduce the cost of these procedures.
Convergence of mental and physical health care delivery
For most of medical history, mental and physical health care have been relatively siled. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a game-changer as providers increasingly recognize the intrinsic connections between physical and mental well-being and the need for a holistic approach. In 2024, frontline healthcare providers, such as primary care physicians, will increasingly screen for how mental health issues can impact treatment and recovery from physical illnesses.
You can read more about these topics in my books, The future Internet: how the metaverse, Web 3.0 and blockchain will transform business and society, Future Skills: The 20 Skills and Competencies Everyone Needs to Succeed in a Digital World And Business trends in practicewhich won the 2022 Business Book of the Year award. And don’t forget to subscribe my newsletter and follow me X (Twitter), LinkedInAnd Youtube to learn more about future trends in business and technology.
Follow me on Twitter Or LinkedIn. Check My website or one of my other works here.
