Medical imaging is now considered the heart of modern healthcare. According to Infinium Global Research for Imaging Technology News, “the global market for medical imaging was worth $30.05 billion in 2015. [It is now] expected to reach $40.56 billion in 2021, expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.1 percent between 2016 and 2021.” With medical imaging increasing in value and becoming more and more advanced it has the power to provide deeper and more insightful information regarding conditions making it central to the healthcare industry’s mission.
Through new medical imaging technologies, a simple image can show the location of a tumor precisely, determine if it’s benign or cancerous and from there, help determine the course of action and treatment needed to get patients back to full health. Advanced technologies including blockchain as well as 3D visualization, virtual reality and image-guided intervention are recognized at the forefront of the healthcare industry for, not only detecting abnormalities and conditions but also, improving both the patient and provider experience.
BLOCKCHAIN
Blockchain technology provides secure and reliable methods of storing and sharing important and classified data. “Medical data should be possessed, operated, and allowed to be utilized by data subjects other than hospitals. This is a key concept of patient-centered interoperability that differs from conventional institution-driven interoperability,” explained author Hyung-Jin Yoon on the topic of Blockchain Technology and Healthcare. To simplify this, a recent eBook noted that blockchain technology gives “patients access to and control of their data via secure distributed storage outside of healthcare institutions.”
And, because of the secureness of blockchain technology, the healthcare industry – which has been recognized as a top industry for data breaches in the last year — can rest knowing that with blockchain, data is easily accessible to patients but not susceptible to ransomware attacks.
3D VISUALIZATION, VIRTUAL REALITY AND IMAGE-GUIDED INTERVENTION
3D visualization, virtual reality (VR) and image-guided intervention allow physicians to see, examine, diagnose, and treat patients with greater precision to improve clinical outcomes. With 3D visualization, radiologists not only see images in higher resolution but can experience the texture of anatomy. A similar concept applies to the use of VR and image-guided intervention where doctors are fully immersed in their environment (or in this case, the patient’s anatomy) which can improve radiology training as well as assistance with interventional radiology procedures according to an article by Radiology Business.
As industry experts watch for a continuous and steady incline in the use of medical imaging, blockchain and 3D visualization, VR and image-guided intervention serve as two of the industry’s most advanced technologies. Through the use of blockchain technology, doctors are able to share sensitive data to patients without compromising security and with 3D, VR and image-guided intervention, physicians are physically immersed in the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of patients. When combined or used separately, these technologies allow for accuracy and efficiency and lead to improved patient and provider outcomes.
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Ready to learn more about the next generation of medical imaging technologies? NetApp will be at HIMSS20 stop by Booth #7347 to carry on the conversation.
