2023 Ecosystem Predictions — How the Telemedicine Revolution Will Spark the Beginnings of Proactive Care
Prediction by Michael Gorton
CEO, Recuro Health
With the pandemic, telemedicine became a mainstream tool for healthcare delivery, and while significantly more efficient than traditional doctor visits, it is still just “reactive care.” As we pave the road for the future, we will introduce a proactive engine that will catch issues BEFORE they become dangerous and expensive.
“Before the pandemic, almost no one was aware of telemedicine. Now, over 60% prefer telemedicine over a traditional doctor visit.”
One might wonder why cancer is typically not discovered until stage 4 or heart disease during the first heart attack. Utilizing and compiling all of the biochemistry, genomics, and remote patient monitoring tools in existence today, we can now collect data that will allow the modern healthcare system to accurately predict and catch maladies before they become dangerous. Simple and common tools like an Apple Watch collect megabytes of relevant data every day that is never analyzed.
Over the next year, we will begin seeing electronic medical records that dynamically collect data. With embedded AI, that data can be analyzed, simplified, and converted to trend lines that care providers can use for better understanding of the patients they see.
With genomics and new risk assessment tools, we will understand the individual proclivities of a patient. Because of these things, care will remove from “reactive” to “proactive.” In other words, our care will move from treating disease to prevention. Remember mom’s common phrase: “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure?” This coming year will be the beginning of delivery engines, employing telemedicine to catch early and prevent.
The ultimate goal is to catch things before they become expensive and dangerous.