Accurate diagnostics is essential for effective treatment. Modern technology provides many options to improve the patients’ quality of life, especially for those with chronic conditions who frequent testing.
With the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, remote diagnostics started playing an even more important role and became an invaluable tool for home care providers and senior living facilities. In this article, we will discuss the current state and the trends in this evolving field.
Remote Diagnostics Today
There are a few factors contributing to the growth of remote diagnostics’ popularity:
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Convenience. Patients love having all the tests and screenings performed in the comfort of their homes.
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Safety. Less traveling to medical facilities and less contact with personnel means reduced risks.
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Less strain on healthcare personnel. Having diagnostic and test data presented remotely in real-time makes clinicians’ lives much easier.
Combined with remote patient monitoring and telemedicine, remote diagnostics create an all-encompassing home care experience both for patients and caregivers.
Remote Diagnostics Tools
There are a variety of remote diagnostics tools available today. Most are familiar with relatively simple point-of-care tests such as COVID-19 antigen and pregnancy tests. However, today’s tech advancements create complex diagnostic systems that offer a wide range of tests.
Aidar
For instance, Aidar allows patients to read their vitals from home using a non-invasive device that also sends the data to caregivers in real time. It’s as simple to use as a toothbrush yet comprehensive enough to enable early detection of disease progression and timely intervention.
TytoCare
TytoCare produces tools for telemedicine visits that allow patients to perform medical exams while connected with a doctor remotely. It uses an AI assistant to help patients perform these tests the right way.
Spect
Spect is the leading provider of end-to-end eye disease screening solution. Their telemedicine platform utilizes healthcare staff to transfer a diagnostic report in minutes, and fills a critical healthcare gap for patients and clinics while delivering best-in-class service and financial outcomes.
The Future of Remote Diagnostics
Some experts say that DIY (do it yourself) is the future of health care – and current trends seem to confirm that. The number of at-home tests is growing by the day, and their scope is increasing as well.
However, the rising popularity of home diagnostics raises some questions. When a patient collects samples by themselves, how can you ensure the accuracy of the result? How will you guarantee the safety and privacy of patients’ data? Will insurance companies embrace the new paradigm, and will they be willing to add at-home testing to their policies?
Since the value and comfort of remote diagnostics is obvious to customers as well as caregivers, all these issues will undoubtedly be addressed, as we watch further growth of this sector. In the nearest future, we can expect growth of at-home tests scope.
New smart devices and software mean this technology will be even easier to use and more accessible. Aidar, TytoCare, and Spect are just a few of the remote diagnostics presentations in the Innovation Showcase at HCT, taking place on September 7-8 at Gaylord National, MD. Click here to learn more!