Medical Design Briefs - February 2021 - 10

2021:
Technology Trends
and the Future of
Medical Devices

hile the far-reaching
effects of COVID-19
have introduced the
world to a " new normal, " the greatest
impact has been in healthcare. In the
long term, it has forever shaped the
future of healthcare delivery, while its
immediate effect has been on medical
technology - with a focus on digital
devices and a shift toward a more collaborative product development process.
" The health system of the future will
be consumer-centric, wellness-oriented,
care everywhere, and digitally connected, " says Reenita Das, senior vice president and partner at Frost & Sullivan.
" Healthcare stakeholders will need to
adopt more virtual, innovative health
management tools and techniques to
support patients at home. While we
acknowledge the adversities that the
pandemic has caused the world, we also
recognize that it has raised growth
opportunities to enhance companies'
performance in this new normal.

The Digital Revolution
COVID-19 ushered in a new era for
telehealth and remote monitoring. The
federal government made telehealth
services easier to implement and access
during the pandemic, spurring greater
use of the technology. The growing
trend toward digital technologies was
already well on its way before COVID-19,
but there have been dramatic changes
over the past nine months in the areas of
telehealth, teleradiology, telepathology,
and other remote workflows, notes Ryan
Warren, global lead for healthcare & life
sciences, Lenovo Workstations. From a
clinical perspective, he says Lenovo has
seen customers embracing technology
to deal with their changing environment
while maintaining the high quality of
standard of care expected of them.
" One example was when many in the
industry were experiencing a shortage of
PPE and other essential equipment, "
says Warren. " Lenovo partnered with
Microsoft to develop a virtual rounding
solution, whereby care providers would

call into each patient's room via a smart
display from their laptop and conference in their family as they performed
their rounds. "
Lenovo has worked to develop solutions to address the pain points of its customers. For instance, it provides a teleradiology solution with a diagnostic display that shifts the traditional work environment from a desktop to a completely
mobile workstation. This allows radiologists to move from multiple locations
while still having the right devices for a
complete diagnostic workspace. This
type of solution was essential as its customers needed to address moving nonfrontline workers out of the hospital at
the start of COVID while maintaining an
efficient work environment.
" The growth in digital medical devices
will only grow over the next five to ten
years as the world becomes more connected and the potential to analyze all
that data collected will provide better
patient outcomes and hopefully a
healthier society, " says Warren.

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Medical Design Briefs - February 2021

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