As healthcare workforce shortages and rising patient numbers continue to be major health challenges, healthcare organizations and healthcare providers around the world need to innovate and find better ways to deliver healthcare while also recognizing the importance of reducing their environmental impact. In this article, we will update you on 10 medical technology trends for 2025 that will help deliver better care to more people in a sustainable way.
1.Generative AI: Technology that helps to reduce work time
With a shortage of healthcare professionals and heavy workloads, healthcare leaders are turning to automation to ease the burden on healthcare professionals. According to the 2024 Philips Future Health Index report, 92 percent of healthcare leaders believe automation is key to solving the workforce shortage, with automation reducing redundant tasks and processes, while over 90 percent believe automation will reduce paperwork, giving healthcare professionals more time to care for patients.
Generative AI has been a powerful tool in supporting medical technology, helping improve the productivity of healthcare professionals over the past few years. As a result, 85% of healthcare executives globally have invested or plan to invest in Generative AI within the next three years, and this trend is expected to accelerate through 2025.
Generative AI can now act as a virtual assistant that can help reduce the time spent on medical personnel. With large language models that help organize clinical records and facilitate communication of patient information between teams, Generative AI can help manage large numbers of patient records so that medical teams and other caregivers can access patient insights more conveniently and quickly. It can also help organize reports and process complex medical data in an easy-to-understand manner, allowing patients to participate in their own care.
2. Simplify complex diagnosis with AI
While artificial intelligence (AI) has significantly improved administrative tasks and increased patient engagement, its role in healthcare goes beyond automation. It can also help upskill healthcare professionals. While experienced healthcare professionals are in short supply in many parts of the เล่น UFABET ผ่านมือถือ สะดวกทุกที่ ทุกเวลา world, AI technologies could simplify complex diagnoses and empower new professionals to confidently deliver effective care.
For example, advances in AI technology have made cardiac CT scans easier to perform, giving healthcare providers greater access to the tools and enabling them to better care for heart patients. Less experienced healthcare professionals can also consult with centralized specialists remotely or undergo online training to ensure more efficient patient care.
The introduction of AI into the cancer treatment process can also help improve the efficiency of patient care, especially in terms of reducing the risk of heart disease caused by cancer treatments such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Research has shown that adult cancer patients, regardless of the type of cancer, who have undergone cancer treatment have a 37% risk of heart disease [1]. The latest AI technology can detect signs of cardiotoxicity earlier during treatment through automatic detection of echocardiographic measurements, and improve the repeatability process and reduce the time it takes to study the results, making the treatment process more efficient and reducing the risk of delayed treatment, which is beneficial for cancer patients who have to deal with severe heart disease after treatment.
3. Modern surgery
A silent revolution in surgery is taking hold as minimally invasive surgery replaces traditional major surgery. Minimally invasive surgery is changing traditional approaches to treatment, particularly in the area of cardiovascular disease, to help patients recover faster, reduce pain, and improve the risk of complications.
With the advancement of medical technology, minimally invasive surgery has become more advanced, but also more complex. Physicians need to collect and analyze data from a variety of diagnostic tools, including live 2D X-rays, 3D ultrasounds, intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), and flow measurements (FFR or iFR), while closely assessing and monitoring the patient’s condition. Therefore, the connectivity of systems, software, and tools has become increasingly important. Integrating these systems will allow surgeons to plan surgical treatments with confidence.
Philips’ latest innovations in image-guided therapy are helping to improve stroke treatment. Every two seconds, a stroke occurs, the second leading cause of death worldwide and the leading cause of long-term disability. Yet less than 5% of the world’s population has timely access to highly effective treatment options such as mechanical thrombectomy or minimally invasive surgery [2]. Increasing access to stroke treatment, through the expansion of hospitals with capacity and the training of healthcare professionals in the latest minimally invasive treatment techniques, is a key commitment for Philips and the World Stroke Organization.
4. The importance of information in the care of critically ill patients
In critical care, time is of the essence, but it is often short. Healthcare professionals often waste time gathering patient information from multiple sources. Using a widely connected patient information system to track patients’ conditions can help address this issue by connecting data from different tools and technologies to create a new standard for patients to have access to information from anywhere in the hospital.
In 2025, we will see advances in vital signs monitoring that connect to information systems that collect data from a variety of medical devices and technologies. We will see the integration of medical devices and technology connectivity from multiple brands to support critical care for healthcare providers, by increasing clinical efficiency, data accuracy, and freeing up staff time to care for patients. Industry collaboration and development will help make it easier for systems and devices to “talk” to each other, allowing for easier transfer of patient information.
In addition, breaking down the barriers to data connectivity will allow us to develop algorithms that help medical teams assess and predict patient symptoms in advance, and prevent patient acuity.
We are just beginning to explore ways to use advanced data analytics in critical care to set alerts for abnormalities or emergencies. In the future, AI technology could provide personalized recommendations by comparing a patient’s entire data set with thousands of similar cases to find the best treatment for each individual patient.
5. Increased home care
Medical technology trends are not limited to hospitals. Another equally important trend that will gain more attention in 2025 is healthcare outside the hospital. “Hospital-at-home” programs are in increasing demand because they allow patients to receive hospital-like care from anywhere.
Remote patient monitoring technology plays a key role by providing real-time data to healthcare professionals to help them assess and care for patients remotely. It has also proven to be an effective way to reduce hospital readmission rates for patients with chronic conditions such as heart failure, and can track patients after surgery, allowing them to be discharged sooner and safer, allowing hospitals to more effectively manage limited hospital beds and care for more patients who need to be hospitalized.
In 2025, we will see advances in AI and predictive analytics that will help remotely monitor and assess patient risk using a combination of vital sign and other data. According to the Future Health Index 2024, remote patient monitoring will be the most widely adopted medical technology with AI over the next three years, and 41% of healthcare leaders plan to invest in it. Remote monitoring will not only help prevent complications and hospital readmissions, but it will also help patients improve their quality of life and provide peace of mind at home.