When it comes to IT and digital technology adoption, the healthcare industry has a long history of being one of the most averse. The COVID-19 pandemic, on the other hand, demonstrated the enormous potential and practical utility of telehealth technology in preventing the spread of viruses through tracking, testing, and treatment.
Ericsson, Telia, and Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Sweden collaborated on a research innovation project in September 2020 to use AI to help monitor and manage demand for healthcare resources, developing and refining advanced AI analysis and insight models for healthcare resource planning and prediction.
The 5G Connected Ambulance, developed by Ericsson, University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB), and King’s College London, is a ground-breaking new means to connect patients, ambulance workers, and distant medical specialists in real-time. This innovation allowed healthcare workers to perform the UK’s first remote diagnostic procedure over 5G, demonstrating the technology’s transformative potential to allow clinicians and paramedics to collaborate haptically, even when they are thousands of miles apart – and help patients even if they can’t get to a hospital. Through video conferencing, e-mail, telephone, or smartphone apps, telehealth introduced further game-changing approaches to solve the obstacles of providing health services from home. These advancements have been especially beneficial to the elderly. According to a recent Ericsson ConsumerLab study, smartphones and the internet aided 90 percent of the seniors polled during the epidemic. Technology’s advantages aren’t restricted to medical services; they can also improve general quality of life by increasing mobility, safety, and socialization.
According to a 2020 study, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted significant changes in the healthcare business, which may help telehealth gain traction in the years ahead. This will be a critical step in establishing trust and technical literacy in advance of the breakthrough medical innovations that are expected to revolutionize the future.