The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly hastened the shift to digital medicine. During this time, two main directions have taken shape: the renewal of legacy systems and the gradual but rapid transition to completely new technologies and systems. The HIMSS Future of Healthcare Report states that <a href="https://www.himss.org/resources/future-healthcare-report-exploring-healthcare-stakeholders-expectations-next-chapter">80% of healthcare providers</a> intend to expand their investments in digital medicine advancement over the next five years.&nbsp;

According to the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2022/01/10/the-five-biggest-healthcare-tech-trends-in-2022/?sh=2b2894c054d0">Forbes reports</a>, the unprecedented growth in areas such as telemedicine, personalized medicine, genomics, and wearable devices will continue, with more and more HCPs adapting their workflow to the use of artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, virtual and augmented reality (VR &amp; AR), and the Internet of Things (LoT). All of this can influence the way new treatments and services are developed and provided, where the speed of advanced and powerful solutions delivery will be a top priority.

Given such a complex and versatile industry as medicine, often regarded as a slow-developing domain, trends in their broadest sense tend to exist for years, no matter how contradictory it may sound. The migration of data processing and storage systems to the cloud had begun long before the pandemic. At the same time, AI has already had a "solid introduction" into some areas of healthcare. Nevertheless, today's health sector has its own trends that have the potential to take it to the next level.

Here are the top trends in the health tech sector for you to keep up with:

In 2022, the adoption of AI in day-to-day clinical practice is expected to become even more widespread, given the technology's potential to optimize patient med-related journeys and help medical providers achieve better outcomes.&nbsp;

Research has shown that the global market for artificial intelligence in healthcare was estimated at <a href="https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/artificial-intelligence-ai-healthcare-market">$10.4 billion in 2021</a>. It is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 38.4% from 2022 to 2030.

Despite rather contradictory opinions of the medical community regarding the impact of AI on the field, the technology has changed the way modern-day healthcare delivery is perceived. For example, AI is used in diagnostics to process copious amounts of patient data (analysis of PET scans, MRIs, X-rays, and other sources). In addition to diagnostics, AI is also leveraged in treatment, disease prediction, and risk assessment.

The rapid transition to remote care has been the direct consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic.However, today, it has become more of a trend that is expected to gain momentum in 2022 and beyond. According to a 2021 <a href="https://www.philips.com/c-dam/corporate/newscenter/global/future-health-index/report-pages/experience-transformation/2021/philips-future-health-index-2021-report-healthcare-leaders-look-beyond-the-crisis-global.pdf">survey by The Future Health Index</a>, 64% of global med-related leaders said they are currently investing heavily in providing virtual care services.&nbsp;

Moreover, the <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/health-care/consumer-health-trends.html">Deloitte report states</a> that most patients and doctors alike were satisfied with the virtual approach to medical care during the pandemic. They also stated their intention to continue using virtual visits.

Virtual care also involves remote patient monitoring (RPM). This approach, in turn, leverages advanced technologies to collect patient data outside of medical facilities. With a single data pool, it's easier for medical professionals to diagnose and prescribe the appropriate treatment.&nbsp;

The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) is a set of interconnected systems aimed at providing effective remote medical services through innovative technologies and data integration. The implementation of LoMT in remote medical care contributes to the advanced service provision where the HCPs can fully control the patient's condition and the patient, in turn, has a complete rehabilitation and monitoring program. The IoT market is expected to grow by <a href="https://iot-analytics.com/number-connected-iot-devices/">18% to 14.4 billion</a> connections in 2022.

LoMT can broadly serve as one of the key elements of the "smart" hospital, the main trait of which is clinical excellence: a focus on personalized care and operational efficiency. At the same time, wearable devices, predictive analytics technology, hardware, and mobile apps have become major connectors that improve doctor-patient interaction remotely. What is more, together with AI and ML, the IoT can be the basis for improving traditional medical devices. For example, a smart inhaler is a device that synchronizes with a patient's mobile app.

When dealing with the collection, exchange, and storage of data, especially in a growing telehealth environment, the reliability and security of data are crucial factors determining the ongoing successful usage of the technology.&nbsp;

Blockchain technology emerged back in 2008, but its widespread use, including in modern medicine, was triggered by possible threats to the security of medical data. In addition to ensuring healthcare data security, the adoption of blockchain can make a significant contribution to generating accurate insights and increasing trust in healthcare-related transactions (payment of medical bills, for example).

Digital twins imply the use of technologies and real data to create virtual models of a system or process. In healthcare, this trend has its name: the virtual patient. In short, these are digital simulations of patients that are used to test drugs and new therapies. The simulation can be a single organ or an entire body. This approach to the discovery of drugs, treatments, and pathology studies is not only time-saving but also safe.&nbsp;

Thanks to this innovative technology, it is possible to significantly reduce the time lag between the drug development phase and its introduction to the public market. In addition, by using digital twins, companies can avoid expensive human or animal testing.

According to <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/330695/number-of-smartphone-users-worldwide/">Statista</a>, the estimated number of smartphone users at the end of 2022 will be about 6.6 billion. Given the growth in terms of mobile use, apps are already in high demand among patients. Whether it's a solution for educational purposes, monitoring a patient's condition, doctor-patient communication, or simply a fitness app to maintain an overall healthy lifestyle, this approach will help improve physician-patient interactions. What's more, it could make medicine more accessible for "everyday use".&nbsp;

The <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/insights/industry/health-care/future-health-care-spending.html">Deloitte report notes</a> that wellness will remain one of the most important trends in digital health over the next 20 years, especially through the use of various applications that offer many benefits to employees and employers alike. It is expected that the demand for apps will continue to grow, as it is one of the best options for efficient medical service delivery and workflow optimization.

Thus, medicine, which is currently undergoing a complicated and time-consuming process of digital transformation, provides a wide field for technological development. 

I am a student looking to build my career in the health tech industry. What would be the leading technologies and domains I should keep up with?

What are the latest trends in the health tech industry?