Technology, from electronic health records to patient portals, has already changed the way most physician practices operate.
With technology evolving so rapidly, physicians may wonder what lies ahead. One doctor provides a look at changes physicians are likely to see in the near future and further down the road.
“These new technologies will, ideally, automate tasks and help you recapture time with patients,” writes James M. Lebret, M.D., assistant professor of medicine in the department of general internal medicine and clinical innovation at New York University School of Medicine, on Medscape (reg. req.).
Technologies doctors have adopted or soon will: Telemedicine, remote patient monitoring, Internet-connected smart devices and patient-generated health data from wearables, activity trackers, monitors and apps.
Technologies on the horizon, but that are at least two years away: Artificial intelligence, such as natural language processing, machine vision and machine learning and predictive analytics or software used to analyze trends and to make predictions about the future.
Technologies that are 5 to 10 years away: These include blockchain technology, which some say will be as revolutionary as the internet. It provides a secure data structure enabling transactions to take place without an intermediary. Also, look for augmented reality and virtual reality as part of patient care.