AI, wearables & telehealth to transform healthcare by 2025

The healthcare landscape in 2025 is expected to see significant advancements, driven by technological integration and a shift towards preventive care.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is anticipated to play a substantial role in healthcare by 2025, transforming patient treatment approaches.

The projection is that AI will help design personalised treatment plans aimed at prevention rather than cure, ultimately making healthcare more affordable. "Highly efficient therapeutics are expected to come into play. Treatment plans can be designed according to patients' choices, preventive measures can be taken instead of focusing on the cure, and overall healthcare can be made more affordable for society," said Sabyasachi Ghosh from Healthcare Research, FMI.

Wearable technology is also highlighted as a significant trend in the healthcare sector's future. By 2025, it is expected that more advanced wearables could arrive, enhancing the monitoring of overall health and well-being. These devices may offer an alternative to the continuous use required by current smartwatches, which can be uncomfortable for some users during sleep. "2025 might see launches of advanced wearable devices that can be worn like continuous glucose monitoring wearables," Ghosh added.

Furthermore, telehealth is predicted to enhance healthcare reach, particularly in remote or underserved regions. Telehealth facilitates remote consultations and monitoring, which can be crucial when patients cannot visit healthcare facilities. "Telehealth can go a step further in 2025, and launches of wearable devices that can report a patient's health directly to doctors can be seen," according to Ghosh. This will be particularly beneficial for elderly patients who require regular medical attention.

Emphasis on preventive healthcare is expected to grow, with early disease detection offering cost-effective management. By diagnosing illnesses at an early stage, treatment costs can be reduced and chronic diseases minimised. "Preventive care is much cost-effective, as it can prevent a person from catching a chronic disease beforehand," Ghosh elaborated.

The affordability of healthcare is another focal point for the year 2025. It is anticipated that both governments and private sectors will invest more to lower healthcare costs, making high-quality medical services accessible to lower economic classes. "In 2025, it is expected that healthcare will become more affordable, and people from lower economic status can get high-quality treatments without financial strain," Ghosh stated.

Mental health is recognised as a critical area and is expected to become more accessible and less expensive through technology and virtual care. Chatbots and AI tools are projected to offer mental health support, though they are not expected to replace human therapists entirely. "Therapy might get cheaper because of virtual care. Wearables are expected to show better features that can help patients in real-time, and track their mood," noted Ghosh.

Effective data management is likely to improve healthcare outcomes by enabling common treatment strategies for shared medical conditions. Automation in data handling could increase efficiency in various administrative tasks within healthcare facilities. "Data management can be made automatic. Due to this, administrative tasks of scheduling an appointment, making bills, and managing beds and equipment, can happen at a faster pace and with high efficiency," said Ghosh.

Finally, medical waste management is poised for significant improvements by 2025, potentially reducing environmental impacts. Improved categorisation and the use of AI for waste segregation could lead to better recycling and reuse practices. "This can be made even more efficient by using AI sensors that can do the work of segregation even faster," Ghosh concluded. The aim is to introduce methods that make waste management more sustainable, including the possibility of generating energy from medical waste.