Why Digital Healthcare Will Grow in 2022

In December 2021, the technology news outlet TechCrunch wrote, “The digital healthcare revolution has already begun, and it will gain further momentum in 2022 as providers and patients look for new and better ways to improve care.”

To give some context to TechCrunch’s praise, the global digital health market has steadily been on the rise—and there appears to be no end in sight. Some projections have the market skyrocketing from $275 billion in 2019 to $657 billion in 2025. There are many reasons why digital healthcare will continue to flourish, but today we want to focus on three specific drivers of growth for this year. 

Here’s are three reasons why we think digital healthcare will grow in 2022:

Digital healthcare creates efficiencies

Healthcare providers have too much to do with too few resources. The most scarce of these resources is time. There are only so many hours in a day—and with rising caseloads, many providers are feeling the pinch when it comes to managing their patients’ care at the level they deserve. Fortunately, digital healthcare is removing some of that burden.

In a 2020 national survey conducted by Deloitte, 73% of primary care and specialty U.S. physicians who responded said they believed that saving time and resources would be the top benefit for using emerging technology like artificial intelligence. Additionally, 77% said the biggest impact automation could make on their practices involved efficiency. 

Most physicians are hopeful that digital healthcare will remove the weight of menial or duplicative tasks from their shoulders (and help their office staff, too). For example, technology is now poised to help with data entry, coding, ordering routine tests, charting notes, and coordinating referrals, among many other tasks. Apps like PainScript help providers stay in touch with patients in between appointments, reducing time spent on emails and phone calls. And with that additional time now available, providers and staff can focus on the delivery of patient care.

Digital healthcare spurs new revenue streams

While providing compassionate and comprehensive patient care will always be top priority for providers, healthcare is a business. That means meeting financial goals must always be a consideration for providers and staff. Integrating digital healthcare strategies such as wearable technology, patient monitoring, and health evaluation apps are ideal ways for providers to better serve their patients and bolster their practice’s bottom line.

These tech tools continuously track a patient’s vitals and other condition-specific details, delivering real-time status updates to providers. From there, providers can study the data regularly, suggesting lifestyle or medication alterations to improve patient outcomes. These digital interventions are billable actions with codes designated specifically for remote patient monitoring (RPM) and digital evaluation and management (DE&M). 

Digital healthcare keeps patients and providers connected 

Patients have always wanted to feel more connected with their providers. The problem, historically, is that a meaningful connection has been hard to develop due to time and access. Luckily, digital healthcare is flipping that paradigm.

Telemedicine offers patients a convenient and safe way to connect with providers about those health issues that aren’t emergent or don’t require an in-person visit. Patient portals can also help patients track their health data from the comfort of home.

Apps like PainScript can provide a way for patients to connect between visits and serve as a touchpoint and opportunity for providers to further cement that patient-provider bond. A HIPAA-compliant platform like PainScript also give patients a chance to have their questions answered without calling or visiting a provider in person.

PainScript is a digital healthcare company that helps providers use technology to grow their practices. Our digital healthcare platform has been clinically proven to improve care plan and medication adherence for chronic pain and substance use disorder patients. 

Learning more about how we can help your practice grow is easy. Just request a demo today.