Healthcare

The healthcare industry is going through significant changes. First, we must understand why this industry is one of the most valuable to the economy and the country. This sector alone generates nearly $4.9 trillion annually, accounting for 17.6% of the U.S. GDP. This is both a critical social service and a massive part of our economy (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2024). Although these changes have been occurring over the years, COVID-19 accelerated changes that were already underway, making it necessary for healthcare to adopt new technologies and practices much faster than anticipated. Artificial intelligence is now being utilized for diagnostic purposes, patient data, and the prediction of health services.

Additionally, these improvements have helped facilitate the easy sharing of information among doctors and hospitals. All of these technologies are changing how care gets delivered and what healthcare workers actually do on the job. These innovations could help address problems the industry has struggled with for years: high costs, a shortage of workers, and difficulty reaching underserved communities. But they also create new challenges. Healthcare workers need to acquire digital skills they didn't previously require. There are valid concerns about maintaining and securing patient privacy, as well as ensuring the quality of care remains unaffected. Hospitals and clinics must invest heavily in new systems and train their staff to use them properly. Anyone planning to work in healthcare, or already in the field, needs to understand how technology is reshaping the work itself.

Curated Resources:

Resource 1:

Abu-elezz, I., Hassan, A., Nazeemudeen, A., Househ, M., & Abd-alrazaq, A. (2020). The benefits and threats of blockchain technology in healthcare: A scoping review. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 142,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2020.104246

Type: Peer-reviewed article

Resource Explanation: The reason this article is valuable to the innovation of technology is its comprehensive examination of blockchain technology in today's workforce, particularly in the healthcare sector. The article explains its potential to transform healthcare through enhanced data security, patient-centered care, and increased transparency in the pharmaceutical supply chain. Through the study, a moderate approach is presented that explains eight main benefits in detail, while also addressing critical threats, including energy consumption, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and high installation costs. The article synthesizes 37 studies from multiple countries, published between 2017 and 2020, providing a broad international perspective and strong credibility through the peer-review process in the International Journal of Medical Informatics. This resource is also valuable because it demonstrates how healthcare innovation requires not only technical implementation but also the necessary extended work for personnel and the workforce to adapt. Healthcare organizations and workers must acquire new technical skills and adjust their workflows to support digital transformation. Understanding both the opportunities that can benefit us and the challenges staff may face with emerging technologies, such as blockchain, is crucial for anyone preparing to work in the rapidly evolving healthcare sector.

Resource 2:

Bajwa, J., Munir, U., Nori, A., & Williams, B. (2021). Artificial intelligence in healthcare: Transforming the practice of medicine. Future Healthcare Journal, 8(2), e188–e194. https://doi.org/10.7861/fhj.2021-0095

Type: Peer-reviewed journal article

Resource Explanation: The Royal College of Physicians presents the piece in a detailed manner to help us understand how artificial intelligence is transforming the day-to-day of a medical practice, particularly in diagnostic imaging and administrative processing. I selected this article because it addresses specific issues, such as the workforce shortage crisis that healthcare faces, and the author explains how AI can function without the idea of replacing human providers. The authors' stance demonstrates a balanced approach, considering both the benefits and social concerns surrounding the quality and privacy of patient care. It also provides a credible foundation for understanding the role of AI in the future of healthcare. Their prediction that we will have an advanced, AI-driven healthcare environment within 10 years provides a concrete timeline that helps frame the urgency of workforce preparation and training needs.

Resource 3:

Kalema, G., & Turhan, Ç. (2015). Mobile technology applications in the healthcare industry for disease management and wellness. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 195, 2014–2018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.06.216

Type: Conference proceedings article

Resource Value: This article highlights how mobile technology is democratizing healthcare access, enabling patients to take a very active role in managing and controlling their own health. The reason I believe this article is a good source is that it provides examples, such as the ITAREPS SMS-based telemonitoring program, that demonstrate how relatively simple technologies can improve health outcomes for conditions ranging from diabetes to mental health disorders. The main focus on disease control and wellness shifts from hospital-based care to continuous patient monitoring, while also incorporating comfort care. Overall, we can see how this is a fundamental shift in how healthcare work is structured and where it is taking place, requiring providers to integrate digital tools into their daily practice. This innovation enables patients to take a more active interest in and be more informed and engaged in their own care.

Summary Paragraph:

These three resources demonstrate that healthcare's future depends on the convergence of technological innovation, workforce adaptation, and patient empowerment. COVID-19 accelerated changes that would have taken years to occur normally. Blockchain technology has the potential to transform how we secure patient data and manage supply chains, however, the costs of implementing these systems, combined with their high energy consumption, create major obstacles. Artificial intelligence has moved beyond the experimental phase and is becoming increasingly necessary, especially for handling diagnostic support and administrative tasks when there are insufficient personnel to perform all tasks. Mobile technologies are changing where care occurs; patients can now monitor their health conditions at home, rather than always visiting hospitals or clinics.

Technology can not fix everything on its own, though. Bajwa and colleagues point out that AI will not replace healthcare providers. Instead, it changes how organizations operate and what tasks people focus on. Healthcare workers will need to learn new digital skills without losing the clinical knowledge and human judgment that machines can not provide. The industry faces significant challenges, including high installation costs, protecting patient data, training staff on new systems, and determining how to bring these innovations to underserved communities that are often overlooked. The financial pressure is intense. Healthcare accounts for nearly one-fifth of the U.S. GDP and continues to grow, driving investment in new technology while also prompting organizations to reduce costs without compromising quality. Future healthcare workers will need to be comfortable using AI diagnostic tools, reading data from mobile health apps, working with blockchain-secured records, and adjusting to new care models that do not fit the traditional hospital setting. The real question is not whether healthcare will change; it is how it will change. It's whether the people working in healthcare can adapt fast enough to make these new technologies actually work for patients across all communities.

What concerns you most about technology in healthcare?

• Cost of implementation
• Quality and accuracy of AI decisions
• Patient privacy and data security