Medical advancements develop gradually, but they do so quickly in the digital age we live in. Some are progressing more rapidly than you may imagine. Many physicians now use these technologies, and growth in these areas is expected in the next one to three years.

Technologies that will revolutionise your practice

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Medical Scribes

Medical scribes for physicians might play a whole new function thanks to artificial intelligence (AI) in a few ways:

1. Automated documentation: AI-powered systems copy doctor-patient conversations live. These systems accurately translate voice to text, relieving doctors of laborious paperwork.
2. Clinical decision support: AI can analyse patient data and medical literature to advise doctors during consultations. This may contain medication interaction warnings, preventative care reminders, or evidence-based therapy suggestions.
3. Voice recognition: Advanced AI algorithms can grasp medical language and voice patterns for more accurate and efficient documentation. Medical scribes may speed up paperwork using this.
4. Natural Language Processing (NLP): AI-powered NLP algorithms can extract crucial information from medical records and patient histories, helping scribes organise and summarise data for doctors. This saves time and improves patient care.
5. EHR integration: AI can smoothly interact with EHR systems to automatically fill patient records with encounter-related data. This minimises laborious data input and assures comprehensive, up-to-date patient records.
6. AI-powered virtual scribe aides: These aides may remotely listen in on patient sessions and help doctors in real time. This includes taking notes, accessing patient information, and making recommendations based on the interaction.
7. Quality assurance: AI algorithms may check medical paperwork for correctness, completeness, and regulatory compliance. It improves patient records and decreases mistakes and omissions.

2. Medical uses for 3D printing

Medical uses for 3D printing are promising. How it benefits doctors:

1. Surgical planning and training: 3D printing lets clinicians generate patient-specific anatomical models from CT scans or MRIs. Surgeons may better grasp complicated structures and plan procedures using these high-fidelity simulations of the patient's anatomy. Surgical trainees may practise operations on 3D-printed models before conducting surgery on people.
2. Customised implants and prosthetics: 3D printing allows for patient-specific implants and prosthetics. This technology lets surgeons customise implants and prostheses to each patient's needs, improving comfort, function, and results. Customised orthopaedic, dental, and prosthetic implants are examples.
3. Medical device prototyping: 3D printing lets doctors and researchers quickly prototype and iterate on novel medical equipment and instruments. This makes developing novel medical technology like surgical instruments, implants, and diagnostic gadgets faster and cheaper than conventional production. Medical practitioners, engineers, and designers may collaborate on innovative medical breakthroughs via rapid prototyping using 3D printing.
4. Patient education and communication: 3D-printed models may assist patients in comprehending their medical issues and treatment alternatives. To enhance patient knowledge and communication, clinicians may tactilely and interactively visualise anatomical structures or surgical processes, leading to better decision-making and higher patient satisfaction.
5. Anatomical research and simulation: 3D printing can build anatomically correct models for disease progression, therapy development, and medical device testing. In medical simulations and virtual reality training, 3D-printed anatomical models may help healthcare personnel learn clinical procedures.

3. Drones

Drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), have prospective medical uses:

1. Emergency medical response: Drones can carry defibrillators, pharmaceuticals, and blood products to distant places during crises or natural disasters. These "medical drones" can swiftly deliver life-saving equipment to patients, increasing response times and results.
2. Transfer of biological samples: Drones can transfer blood, tissue, and diagnostic samples between hospitals and labs. This may speed up diagnosis and treatment, particularly in rural or disadvantaged regions with inadequate transportation infrastructure.
3. Telemedicine: Drones with cameras and communication technologies can provide remote telemedicine consultations. Drones may be remotely controlled by healthcare personnel to examine, diagnose, and advise remote patients.
4. Disaster response and humanitarian aid: Drones can survey damage, find survivors, and transport medical supplies and equipment to disaster zones. Search and rescue drones with thermal imaging cameras and sensors may help, while medical drones can treat displaced people.
5. Aerial medical imaging: Drones with infrared or multispectral cameras or sensors may take aerial photos of terrain or vegetation important to public health, such as disease vectors or environmental elements affecting health. These photos aid disease monitoring, epidemiology, and catastrophe preparation.
6. Remote drug delivery: Drones can deliver vital drugs, vaccinations, and contraception to underserved areas. This strategy overcomes geographical and logistical limitations to provide timely treatment and promote public health.
7. Organ transplant transportation: Drones might speed up donor organ transfer between hospitals. This might minimise organ transplant wait times and boost organ viability by reducing transportation delays.

4. Portable ultrasound

Healthcare professionals are using portable ultrasound (pocket size) equipment more for many reasons:

1. Point-of-care imaging: Portable ultrasound technologies enable clinicians to do bedside ultrasounds to see anatomical structures and physiological processes in real time. This speeds diagnosis and treatment, especially in emergency and critical care situations when imaging is essential.
2. Versatility and accessibility: Portable ultrasound equipment is small, lightweight, and convenient to use in ambulances, outpatient clinics, rural healthcare institutions, and resource-limited locations. Their mobility helps patients without access to standard imaging modalities obtain diagnostic imaging.
3. Reduced cost and time: Portable ultrasound equipment is cheaper than stationary ultrasound scanners, making them a cost-effective imaging alternative for smaller clinics or practices with restricted finances. Point-of-care ultrasound speeds up imaging tests, enabling faster diagnosis and treatment.
4. Dynamic imaging guidance: Portable ultrasound devices guide central venous catheter insertion, nerve blocks, and joint injections. Ultrasound-guided operations improve accuracy, effectiveness, and patient safety by visualising anatomical landmarks and needle trajectories in real time.
5. Bedside assessment and monitoring: Portable ultrasound can assess cardiac function, pulmonary status, abdominal pathology, and vascular access in critically ill patients without transporting them to imaging departments. It allows continuous monitoring and early action for patient status changes.
6. Patient comfort and convenience: Portable ultrasounds are less intrusive and more pleasant than X-rays and CT scans. Patients are happier and more engaged in their treatment when they get rapid feedback from their doctor during an ultrasound.

5. Virtual Reality (VR)

Virtual reality (VR) has several beneficial applications in the medical field:

1. Medical training and education: VR simulations let medical students and professionals practise clinical skills, surgery, and situations in immersive surroundings. Doctors may develop their diagnostic, procedural, and decision-making skills in a safe environment by engaging with realistic virtual patients and medical equipment.
2. Patient anatomy: VR helps physicians to see patient anatomy in 3D and mimic surgical procedures before performing. Surgeons may design ideal surgical approaches, and practise methods, and predict problems using virtual models generated from patient imaging data, improving surgical results and patient safety.
3. Remote consultations & telemedicine: VR lets clinicians consult with patients, colleagues, and specialists remotely. VR headsets allow clinicians to connect with patients in immersive virtual worlds, analyse medical pictures, and debate treatment choices for real-time remote diagnosis, monitoring, and cooperation.
4. Pain management: Virtual reality may assist physicians reduce pain, anxiety, and suffering in patients undergoing medical procedures or recuperating from injuries or operations. Immersing patients in VR worlds that distract or engage their senses may relieve pain, calm them, and increase well-being, improving patient outcomes and satisfaction.
5. Patient rehabilitation and therapy: VR-based physical, motor, and cognitive rehabilitation programmes include interactive exercises and simulations. After an accident, sickness, or surgery, VR therapy may inspire patients to engage in rehabilitation, improve functional results, and improve quality of life by delivering immersive and engaging experiences.
6. Medical research and visualisation: VR lets clinicians see complicated medical data including anatomical structures, physiological processes, and illness development in three dimensions. Virtual models and datasets allow clinicians to study medical phenomena, perform virtual experiments, and create novel diagnostic and treatment methods, increasing medical research and innovation.

Disclaimer- The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of M3 India.

About the author of this article: Dr Monish Raut is a practising super specialist from New Delhi.