Health 2.0: How technology has transformed medicine

Santiago, Chile. 3 January 2023. In recent years, technological advancements have revolutionized all types of industries and changed the way we live every day. What once seemed unimaginable or far-fetched in the field of health is a reality today. For many people, the medicine of the future is already here.

In some areas of health, the incorporation of new and innovative technologies has led to favorable changes in the medical services provided, improving time and accuracy of diagnosis, achieving earlier diagnosis, achieving greater efficiency and As a result, the patient experience has improved. This is no small matter, especially if you consider that prompt and adequate attention can make a big difference. For example, according to research published in the British Medical Journal, each month of delay in cancer treatment can increase the risk of death by approximately 10% (1).

According to World Health Organization (WHO) data, one in six deaths recorded in the world is due to cancer. A sad reality, of which Chile is also a part. In the country, a study conducted by the Ministry of Health (MINSAL) (2) showed that cancer has reached its highest mortality rate in the last ten years, affecting mainly women and men between 60 and 65 years of age. Affects. Among the experts’ findings, some of the reasons are related to risky lifestyle and lack of education to improve it, which affects smoking habits, adequate nutrition, prompt consultation, early diagnosis and timely treatment, among others. Another issue that comes up is the lack of access to treatment in the regions, which is why decentralization is one of the biggest needs of the region.

The reality we live in regarding cancer diagnosis shows the need for more accurate preventive diagnosis, a situation that is of great importance in various fields of medicine. Another example is in cardiology. In this area, GE Healthcare has continuously brought innovations that help improve analytics. One of the solutions is an analysis program that provides accurate and valid measurements of heart rate, axis, interval and duration, and also provides ECG analysis, including atrial arrhythmias, rhythm detection and QT measurement.

The use of innovation and technologies allows us to optimize and integrate work areas to achieve better outcomes for patients (more accurate and faster). For example, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has allowed the development of very significant advances in health, changing the way clinical teams, doctors, technologists, and others engage. It is a tool that is supporting the various actors involved so that they can focus on patient care. More effective treatments, faster and more accurate testing, and greater monitoring and control are some of the benefits.

Democratizing technology, like GE Healthcare’s AIR Recon DL(3), helps empower local care centers with AI technology that enables faster scan times without compromising image quality. A reduction of up to 74% in peak test time – from 36 to 9 minutes – and by 61% for female abs – from 1 hour to 24 minutes – has been demonstrated, favoring less burdensome experiences for people ( 4).

Similarly, PET/CT, positron emission tomography and computed tomography technologies are essential for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, where GE Healthcare has developed the Precision DL. It is the latest addition to GE Healthcare’s portfolio of DL-based solutions to help improve image quality and improve patient outcomes across healthcare systems’ diagnostic imaging fleets.

future trends

And as we witness a new era in healthcare, innovation remains imminent. Among the innovations that have started gaining momentum is virtual reality. In some parts of the world it is being used through software to perform operations for surgeons and future professionals in the field, which has given promising results. A recent study by Harvard Business Review (5) showed that professionals trained in virtual reality increased their overall performance by 230% compared to those trained traditionally, and were also faster and more accurate in performing surgical procedures. Were.

On the other hand, remote patient monitoring and virtual care will continue to increase. Advances in new technologies have allowed clinics and health care centers to provide services remotely, for example, performing ultrasounds on pregnant women and exchanging data remotely thanks to virtual collaboration.

Another case that involves the use of technology in health and the option of better diagnosis is related to breast cancer. At GE Healthcare we have advanced and developed equipment with unique features such as the Pristina Dueta Mammography Machine, which allows patients to control the compression of the breast exam through a wireless remote control. In this case we have seen how the quality of the image improves and, therefore, its diagnosis, something that, although it may seem minor, when we talk about one of the main causes of death in the country. This is important (6).

Advances that are changing the world of medicine will continue to surprise us. When we use technology to our advantage, we give ourselves the opportunity to move into a new era of medicine. Chile is not untouched by this trend, as different health establishments seek to incorporate more technology every day that allows them to advance in obtaining better diagnoses and care for patients, even in their procedures. Artificial intelligence is also involved, making Chile a leading country in Latin America. Which is at the forefront of innovation. At GE Healthcare, we will continue to work and collaborate to provide solutions that deliver better experiences and guarantee a world where health has no borders.

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(1) British Medical Journal. (2020) Mortality due to delay in cancer treatment: systematic review and meta-analysis. https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m4087
(2) The results obtained by this center may not be applicable to all institutions and individual results may vary. It is provided for informational purposes only and its contents do not constitute a representation or warranty by GE Healthcare.
(3) Ministry of Health (MINSAL). (2020) Cancer Surveillance Report. https://www.minsal.cl/informe-de-vigilancia-de-cancer-denominado-analisis-de-mortalidad-prematura-y-anos-de-vida-potential-perdidos-avpp-que-abarca-la- decade-between-2009-2018/
(4) GE Healthcare, (SF) MR Image Reconstruction with AIR™ Recon DL. https://www.gehealthcare.es/products/magnetic-resonance-images/air-technology/air-recon-dl
(5) Harvard Business Review. (2019). Research: How virtual reality can help train surgeons. https://hbr.org/2019/10/research-how-virtual-reality-can-help-train-surgeons
(6) World Health Organization. (2020) Data visualization tools for exploring the global cancer burden in 2020. https://gco.iarc.fr/today/data/factshields/populations/152-chile-fact-Sheets.pdf