After Healthcare 4.0 transformed the medical sector with its technological integration, Healthcare 5.0 places the patient at the center of medical treatment and care. This prominent position does not refer to self-diagnosis, which has become commonplace due to the information available on the Internet, but to an even more humanized medical approach.
Although the current healthcare system is still focused on Healthcare 4.0, it is important to get to know Healthcare 5.0 to understand the benefits and technologies that are part of this evolution. We can say that this new approach takes into account the individual needs, preferences and values of the patient. It also emphasizes the importance of an open and transparent communication for an effective doctor-patient relationship. But what does this mean in practice?
Read on to find out!
Healthcare 5.0: What is it?
The goal of Healthcare 5.0 is to make healthcare more patient-centered, so that they’ll be the protagonists of their own care. This means that patients are actively involved in their treatment.
The approach aims to create an intelligent and secure system, from scheduling appointments - via telemedicine or at the doctor's office - to giving the doctor access to the patient's information in the office.
To ensure the fluidity of the process, Healthcare 5.0 combines technologies such as blockchain, virtual and augmented reality. In addition, artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT), which were used in Healthcare 4.0, also play an important role in the performance of smart healthcare.
Speaking of Healthcare 4.0, let's take a look at the differences between these approaches.
Healthcare 4.0 vs. Healthcare 5.0: the main differences
Although Healthcare 4.0 and Healthcare 5.0 integrate technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, and IoT, there are differences between these approaches. Here are some of them:
As you can see, Healthcare 5.0 puts the patient at the center of the medical approach and adopts the intelligent use of available technologies. In this way, it prioritizes the individuality of each person and seeks to improve the patient's quality of life, guaranteeing more effective results in medical treatments.
Main Technologies of Healthcare 5.0
We've already seen that Healthcare 5.0 not only adopts AI, IoT, and telemedicine, but also blockchain and virtual and augmented reality. Here's how these last two technologies are applied:
Blockchain
Patient data is stored in a decentralized and encrypted database, which prevents tampering or unauthorized access. It also allows healthcare professionals and patients to share information securely and transparently. As well as facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration and guarantees the privacy of sensitive data.
Virtual and Augmented Reality
These can be used in a variety of ways in healthcare. From training professionals, to providing immersive experiences to explain complex conditions to patients, to planning and performing medical interventions.
6 Benefits of Healthcare 5.0
Although Healthcare 5.0 has not yet been applied to medical care, it is important to understand its benefits. That way, you can prepare yourself to offer the public the holistic treatment that the approach offers.
Discover the 6 main benefits of applying Healthcare 5.0 to hospital management:
- Personalized care: takes into account the patient's medical data, lifestyle, preferences, and specific needs to provide customized care for each individual.
- Quality of care: provides more accurate diagnoses, effective treatments and continuous monitoring of patient health.
- Disease prevention: emphasizes prevention and early diagnosis of disease, enabling more proactive interventions and reducing the impact of chronic conditions on patients' quality of life.
- Cost reduction: reduces healthcare costs for patients and healthcare organizations by preventing disease, avoiding unnecessary hospitalizations, and optimizing processes.
- Remote access and telemedicine: enables patients to access medical care remotely, which is especially useful in remote and hard to reach areas.
- Interdisciplinary collaboration: encourages the integration of data from multiple sources to provide a comprehensive view of a patient's health. This facilitates collaboration between healthcare professionals from different specialties, ensuring a multidisciplinary and holistic approach to patient care.
Healthcare 5.0: Humanized Care
In this article, we saw that Healthcare 5.0 marks the next step in healthcare. The concept puts the patient at the center of medical care and uses innovative technologies to deliver a personalized, effective, and human experience.
The result is a more strategic approach to medicine that enables investment in disease prevention and treatment throughout the patient's health journey.
You also learned about the main differences between Healthcare 4.0 and Healthcare 5.0. While the first approach is focused on optimizing processes for the benefit of healthcare professionals, the last is focused on the individual needs of the patient.
Undoubtedly, the creation of new technologies helps doctors and healthcare professionals improve the level of patient care. Biometric technologies are strong allies in the management of healthcare resources and services. BioPass ID offers biometric APIs that are already documented and ready to use.