Emerging Tech in Health Informatics

Quick Highlights:

• Success in health informatics requires understanding AI, blockchain, and other technologies.
• Emerging tech like AI and big data is transforming health informatics.
• New tech improves patient care, data accuracy, and healthcare efficiency.
• Stay competitive with health informatics certifications and degrees.

To succeed in health informatics, you need to know about the latest technology, like artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain in healthcare. These technologies are changing the way we handle medical information and patient care. By staying updated on these trends, you can be at the forefront of exciting developments in the field. In this article, you’ll learn about key technologies in health informatics and how they can shape your career.

Related:

• 20 Best Health Informatics Bachelor’s Degree Programs
• 20 Best Master’s Degrees in Health Informatics
• The Role of Big Data in Health Informatics: Opportunities for Innovation
• What Health Informatics Students Should Know about Machine Learning and AI

The Landscape of Health Informatics

At its core, health informatics is all about how information technology (IT) can change the way medical information is:

• used
• analyzed
• communicated

Health informatics gives doctors access to patient data. Through exciting trends, like AI in health informatics, it is now possible to analyze data to predict illnesses and provide better patient care.   

For doctors, nurses, and other medical providers, health informatics offers many benefits:

• Improved healthcare services
• Better collaboration among providers 
• Increased healthcare legal compliance
• Enhanced cost-efficiency in the delivery of healthcare
• Improved data storage
• Better supervision of care
• Streamlined quality assurance
• Better accuracy 

Key Emerging Technologies Impacting Health Informatics

Getting a job in this field is exciting because many health informatics technology trends are just getting started. Cutting-edge technology is reshaping the industry. Whether you are a current student or trying to update your skills as a health informatics worker, take some time to learn about the latest tech in health informatics. 

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI in health informatics is transforming the industry. It can help with automated data entry and improving patient diagnostics. Through this type of advanced technology in health informatics, you can achieve better predictive analytics and patient care optimization. 

Blockchain Technology   

The blockchain is a type of technology that initially became famous with cryptocurrency. It basically allowed the transfer of cryptocurrency to be encrypted. Today, the blockchain in healthcare can enhance data security and ensure that patient records are kept private.    

Big Data Analytics 

Big data in healthcare refers to the statistical techniques and software programs that are used for data analysis. Once this data is stored and analyzed, health informatics specialists can use the resulting information to study the health of individuals and populations. 

Researchers frequently use big data in health informatics when they research if different medical procedures and treatments are effective. This type of emerging technology in health informatics is also useful for government agencies, doctors, and statisticians.

Internet of Things (IoT)

The IoT refers to how different devices are now connected to the internet. At home, IoT devices tend to be things like coffee pots and thermostats. In a medical setting, IoT devices are typically wearables. 

These wearables, such as watches or glucose monitors, can monitor the patient and deliver data over the internet. Because of this, IoT wearables are integrated into many types of patient monitoring and data collection tasks.  

Machine Learning

Machine learning is a subtype of AI. Through machine learning applications, there are new ways to automate data processing. It has also proven to be helpful in decision support systems, neuroimaging, and predicting the risk of disease. 

Implications of Emerging Tech in Health Informatics

The impact of technology on health informatics is going to continue to shape the field in the future. For individuals who work in this industry, this means that continuing education programs and online certifications will be incredibly important for staying up to date on new developments. 

On an industry-wide level, health informatics tech advancements will have a range of impacts. For instance, data accuracy will increase as more data entry and analysis tasks are handled by machines. 

Health informatics tech advancements can also help patients and hospitals through other methods. Through health informatics innovations, hospitals can improve their cash flow and increase their operational efficiency. Patients can enjoy having a better quality of care.    

Preparing for a Tech-Driven Future in Health Informatics

Other than going online to read about tech trends in health informatics, there are other ways you can prepare for the future of health informatics and remain competitive in the job market. 

Consider using the following techniques to learn about emerging technology in health informatics. 

Data Science Certificates: Data science, data analytics, and AI are all incredibly important for health informatics workers. If you already have another kind of degree in healthcare, you may want to pursue a master’s degree or certificate program in data science. For example, you could get a master’s degree online from Harvard’s extension school or a certificate from UCLA. 

Health Informatics Certificates: If you are interested in learning about digital transformation in healthcare and have a limited amount of time, you can pursue short certificates. For instance, Temple University offers a graduate certificate for people who already have a bachelor’s degree.  

American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) Certification: The AMIA Health Informatics Certification (AHIC) requires a degree in the field and experience working in health informatics. Once you have completed these two prerequisites, you can open the door to new opportunities in the industry. 

Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees: If you are passionate about health informatics innovations, you can obtain a bachelor’s or master’s degree in the subject. Depending on the school, admission requirements, curriculum, and costs may vary. 

Challenges and Considerations

Learning about tech-driven health informatics developments is exciting, but there are challenges to consider as well. Because of how fast AI in health informatics has developed, regulations and policies are still struggling to keep up. This means that everyone who works in health informatics can expect many changes and regulatory updates in the coming years. 

Think about the following challenges and considerations as you study the latest tech in health informatics.  

Privacy Concerns: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is just one of many privacy regulations that health providers must adhere to. When using data for research and other purposes, you must figure out ways to make data anonymous so that your organization can follow HIPAA and other regulations.    

Consistent Adoption: Sometimes, organizations adopt new technology haphazardly. It’s important to ensure consistent, streamlined adoption of new technology across your entire workplace. 

Ethical Considerations: Currently, there are many ethical concerns about using AI that are still being debated. 

Adequate Training: For new technology to be used, staff members must be adequately trained on its implementation.  

Regulatory Updates: Another one of the challenges with the latest tech in health informatics is how this industry is regulated. New laws and regulations will require updates to how you incorporate these technologies into your workplace.  

Compliance Measures: Healthcare providers must follow many different local, state, and federal regulations. As a result, you’ll need to consider how your organization can stay in compliance with relevant laws.  

Learn About the Potential of New Technologies 

New technology in health informatics is exciting. If you love AI or blockchain in healthcare, you can use these tools in your daily work. Health informatics is a great career choice, especially since it is expected to grow a lot in the next ten years.

To learn more about big data in health informatics and similar topics, consider going to a tech-focused health informatics webinar. You can also sign up for educational programs on the topic or join forums on trends in health informatics.