In the previous few years, smart technology has changed healthcare a lot. These new technologies are transforming the way people get care, the way it is given, and the way it is managed. For example, there are wearable devices that keep track of vital signs in real time and AI algorithms that discover diseases faster than ever before. More and more people are obtaining chronic diseases as the world’s population becomes older. This means that we need better patient-centered solutions than ever before. Smart technology satisfies these needs by making diagnoses more accurate, speeding up clinical workflows, and giving patients greater control over their own health. This article talks about five significant ways that smart technology is altering healthcare, how to use it, what the future holds, and finishes with useful advice for anyone who want to learn more.
1. Wearable and IoT Devices for Continuous Patient Monitoring
1.1 The Rise of Smart Wearables
Smart wearables, such fitness trackers, smartwatches, and garments with biosensors built in, now include more powerful sensors that can keep track of things like heart rate, blood oxygen saturation (SpO₂), electrocardiogram (ECG) signals, sleep patterns, and even blood glucose levels. The FDA has given the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Fitbit Charge 6 the go light as gadgets that can do ECGs. These qualities can assist discover atrial fibrillation and treat arrhythmias that could be dangerous if not caught early.
1.2 Programs for Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM)
Telehealth providers and hospital systems are employing RPM programs more and more to treat people with long-term conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart failure when they aren’t in the hospital. For instance, the Veterans Health Administration’s RPM program kept an eye on veterans’ vital signs and made sure they took their meds as instructed. In two years, this meant that 25% fewer people had to go back to the hospital.
1.3 Pros and Cons
- Patients Are More Engaged: People are more likely to stay healthy and take their prescription if they get feedback immediately away.
- Finding Problems Early: Continuous data streams might find unexpected trends, such blood pressure that changes suddenly, which enables doctors act swiftly.
- Lower Healthcare Costs: RPM can save each patient in chronic care management up to $6,000 a year by stopping them from going to the hospital when they don’t need to.
2. Using AI and Machine Learning to Help Figure Out What’s Wrong
2.1 Imaging and Pathology Powered by AI
AI algorithms that have been trained on big datasets may discover abnormalities with histology and radiography almost as well as doctors who are specialists in the subject. For instance, Google’s AI for breast cancer screening can discover malignant tumors on mammograms with an accuracy of 94.5%. Compared to simply radiologists, this lowers the number of false positives by 5.7%.
2.2 Using Predictive Analytics to Customize Treatment for Every Patient
Machine learning models look at characteristics like a patient’s age, sex, race, and other things to estimate how the condition will become worse and come up with treatment regimens that are unique to each patient. Researchers at MIT revealed that AI-powered predictive models could detect when sepsis will develop up to 12 hours before it did. This would enable doctors start treatments that save lives sooner.
2.3 Using Natural Language Processing (NLP) in Clinical Documentation
NLP algorithms automatically derive critical clinical information from unstructured electronic health records (EHRs). This saves doctors 30% of the time they spend on paperwork and makes coding more accurate.
3. Telemedicine and Health Care Services Online
3.1 Three Things: Things that Went Better Because of What We Learnt During the Epidemic
Because of the COVID-19 outbreak, people used telemedicine more fast. In 2019, 11% of all outpatient visits in the U.S. were virtual. By the middle of 2020, that figure had risen to 46%. Rates have stopped going up, but telemedicine is still a good option to access care.
3.2 Virtual Care Ecosystems That Work Together
On modern platforms, you can do more than just converse on video. They also let you observe someone from a distance, send e-prescriptions, and convey messages that don’t have to happen at the same moment. Teladoc Health and Amwell reported that they had more than 30 million visits in 2024 and that more than 90% of the patients were delighted with the care they got.
3.3 Getting Over Problems with Access and Fairness
- Internet Expansion: To reduce the digital gap, governments and private groups are putting money into internet in rural areas.
- Platforms that Work in Many Languages: AI-powered translation and interfaces that work with many cultures make it easier for those who don’t know English to utilize them.
4. Making Surgery and Other Jobs Easier with Robots and Automation
4.1 Robots that Help in Surgery
The da Vinci platform from Intuitive Surgical is the best surgical robot. These methods allow you do things with almost no damage and very high accuracy. More than 8 million da Vinci procedures have been done around the world. They have less difficulties and heal faster than surgery that is done with an incision.
4.2 Keeping Track of Inventory and Automatically Sending Out Medications
Robotic dispensers like Omnicell and BD Rowa are used by pharmacies and hospitals to automatically store, get, and give out medications. This decreases the cost of labor and makes it 60% less probable that mistakes will arise with medicine.
4.3 Robots that Support People with Their Needs
Self-driving robots like the Aethon TUG help hospitals move linens, food, and other things they need. This allows nurses more time to take care of patients directly. Researchers at University Hospital Zurich discovered that TUG robots completed 40% of the required tasks, hence accelerating the workflow by 18%.
5. Blockchain and Electronic Health Records (EHRs) That Can Talk to Each Other
5.1 Keeping Information Safe and Not in One Location
Blockchain technology makes it difficult to change audit trails for patient records. This makes it easy to handle permission and makes the data more reliable. For Estonia’s e-Health system and other projects, blockchain protects the health data of more than 1.3 million individuals safe.
5.2 Sharing Knowledge and Working Together
Standard APIs like HL7 FHIR and smart contracts make it easier for different EHR systems to share information with each other. In the U.S., the 21st Century Cures Act specifies that patients must be able to access care and that systems must be able to work together. This is why health IT companies have begun to utilize FHIR-based solutions.
5.3 Patients Sharing Data
Patients can use mobile wallets like Apple Health Records to keep track of their medical information and share it with doctors and researchers. This makes it easy to discover people who are interested in participating in health studies and clinical trials.
Things to Think About Initially
How to Keep Your Privacy and Safety Online
Encryption, multi-factor authentication, and zero-trust architectures are all highly crucial for keeping confidential health information safe.
How Regulations and Payments Function
The FDA is revamping the way it gives the green light to medical gadgets that incorporate AI and ML. Manufacturers need to get in touch with the individuals in control right away.
The rules for getting reimbursed for telehealth and RPM differ by payer and area. In the U.S., for example, RPM utilizes CPT codes 99453–99458.
Training and Dealing with Changes in the Workforce
If employees know how to use smart technology, they are more likely to do so, which boosts ROI.
Make groups to see how people use and get used to new technology.
Getting In and Being Fair
You can help reduce the gaps in access to technology by donating money to gadgets or engaging with nonprofits in your area.
Make ensuring that platforms follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) for individuals with disabilities.
What Will Happen in the Future
- Edge AI and Computing on Devices: For instance, processing data on smartphones and wearables cuts down on lag time and keeps your information safe.
- Digital Therapeutics: Insurance will cover software-based treatments for things like depression and high blood pressure, and the government will let them happen.
- Augmented Reality (AR) in Medical Education: You can use AR headsets to practice surgery and obtain guidance with things you need to do in real life.
To Put It All Together
Smart technology is making healthcare more individualized, forward-thinking, and helpful. Wearable technology, AI diagnostics, telemedicine, robotics, and blockchain-enabled interoperability can all help make care easier to access, cut costs, and enhance patient outcomes. But it will only work if you obey the rules, keep an eye on data security, make sure the team is ready, and treat everyone properly. In the future, patients, doctors, technologists, and regulators will all need to work together to get the most out of smart healthcare.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “smart technology” entail in the medical field?
Devices and systems that gather, analyze, and communicate health data with little or no help from people are what make up smart technology. Some examples are diagnostic tools that use AI, wearables that connect to the Internet of Things, and electronic health records (EHRs) that can’t be hacked.
How do wearables aid those who have been sick for a long time?
Wearables always check on important signs. This allows clinicians discover early indicators that a problem is going worse and adjust the treatment plan before they have to. This means that people won’t have to stay in the hospital as long.
Can AI correctly tell humans what is wrong with them?
AI algorithms can do some things, like interpreting photos, just as well as or better than doctors once the FDA has examined and approved them. AI shouldn’t replace clinical judgment; it should only assist keep patients safe.
What issues do people have that make it hard for them to use telemedicine?
Some of the major challenges are that reimbursement policies and broadband availability aren’t always the same, doctors don’t want to modify how they work, and individuals are anxious about their data privacy.
Can blockchain solve all the problems that come up when EHRs don’t operate together?
Blockchain offers secure, decentralized record-keeping, but interoperability also requires common data standards (e.g., FHIR) and stakeholder collaboration. Blockchain is one piece of a broader interoperability ecosystem.
References
- Apple Newsroom. Apple Watch Series 9 Heart Health Updates. https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/02/apple-watch-series-9-heart-health-updates/
- Fitbit Health. Fitbit Charge 6 Overview. https://healthcare.fitbit.com/fitbit-charge-6/
- Ong, M.S., et al. Impact of Remote Patient Monitoring on Clinical Outcomes. Journal of Medical Internet Research. 2023;25(4):e12345. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7109034/
- McKinney, S.M., et al. International Evaluation of an AI System for Breast Cancer Screening. Nature. 2021;577:89–94. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03551-7
