What is digital transformation in healthcare? The importance of Digital Transformation (DT) in healthcare. The standard of living is increasing, leading to the improvement and enhancement of essential services, with healthcare being the most crucial. Health is always the top concern for people. Traditional methods are gradually being replaced and modernized through technological applications. These are the initial steps of DT.
1. What is digital transformation in healthcare?
Digital transformation in healthcare involves the conversion of operational methods, management, and technology application in various stages. This enables medical activities such as examinations and treatments to be conducted quickly and timely while ensuring safety.
For a deeper understanding of digital transformation, please refer to the article: What is digital transformation? Key concepts you need to know.
Example of digital transformation in healthcare
The healthcare sector has gradually implemented DT in recent years, yielding remarkable results. Specifically:
The Ministry of Health inaugurated the Public Health Portal for citizens and businesses to look up information on drug prices, medical equipment prices, medical supplies prices, diagnostic product prices, and examination and treatment costs. 99.5% of healthcare facilities nationwide have interconnected with the assessment system of the Vietnam Social Security, considered a significant leap in healthcare.
Many hospitals are integrating technology into healthcare
On September 25, 2020, in Hanoi, the Ministry of Health organized the inauguration of 1,000 telehealth facilities, a significant step in the healthcare of the people. In the past two years, the healthcare sector has implemented various IT applications to support the prevention and control of the Covid-19 pandemic, such as voluntary health declaration software (NCOVI), mandatory health declaration for border entry (Vietnam Health Declaration), Bluezone, and Covid-19 safety measures...
Another example is the application of AI technology. Chatbots and virtual health assistants are becoming familiar to patients. Chatbots can play various roles, from customer service representatives to diagnostic tools and even therapists. Their flexibility is attracting significant investments. The global healthcare chatbot market is expected to reach $314.3 million in 2023, up from $122 million in 2018. Previously, cancer patients were treated with cookie-cutter methods with high failure rates. Now, thanks to AI's ability to recognize complex patterns, these patients have access to personalized therapies tailored to their genetic structure and lifestyle.
2. The significance of digital transformation in healthcare
Digital transformation in the healthcare sector plays a crucial and essential role, emerging as a common trend. This innovation brings numerous benefits to the public and the government.
Digital transformation in healthcare plays an essential role
The system storing the entire medical history of patients helps doctors have accurate and efficient information about the patient's condition, ensuring precise and effective healthcare. The entire healthcare industry asserts that digital transformation in healthcare is mandatory, a universal trend for all nations, aiming to enhance service quality in healthcare. Private clinics also follow this trend, needing to apply information technology (IT) in management, examination, and treatment to provide the highest satisfaction for patients.
The implementation of clinic management software will support private healthcare facilities in comprehensive operational management. Smart clinics do not require excessive costs and efforts to operate. Through the use of technology, they achieve the highest efficiency in healthcare operations, bringing satisfaction to patients.
In addition, this transformation turns the impossible into the possible.
Leadership and work management in the healthcare industry will become more precise, timely, and efficient in the future thanks to digital technology platforms. Moreover, the provision and access to healthcare services will shift from traditional methods to digital platform-based methods, contributing to the rapid and accessible delivery of healthcare services anytime, anywhere.
Digital transformation in the healthcare sector also impacts the working methods and communication of the workforce, doctors, and laborers, transitioning from a traditional environment to a digital one, giving rise to the digital doctor.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, thanks to online diagnosis and treatment, a foreign pilot initially thought to be beyond recovery returned to normal life. From this pandemic, we have learned to work online in various fields, especially in applying digital technology for remote diagnosis, consultation, and treatment. This system allows patients in remote islands to receive timely emergency care.
Above are some insights into the digital transformation in healthcare. Through this, we can recognize that the changes in the healthcare industry are essential and urgent, aiming to bring even more promising results in the treatment and care of people's health.