Blog
This Month in Healthcare IT: Remarkable News in December
Healthcare IT has a transformative impact on the efficiency, quality and outcomes of healthcare systems. This industry improves patient care and communication across all stakeholders by reducing errors, streamlining data exchange and supporting evidence-based decisions. Achieving and maintaining the benefits of this landscape requires staying updated on the latest technological advancements and regulatory changes.
At Tiga Healthcare Technologies, we keep pace with new developments in healthcare IT. As a leader in this industry, we rely on global trends, latest reports and regulations for addressing emerging challenges and fostering innovation effectively.
With our principle of following industry news and updates, we regularly leverage our sectoral knowledge and prepare this blog series to help healthcare professionals and authorities to get information about the vital developments and trends transforming healthcare IT.
Here are the top 11 news that have driven meaningful progress and promise continued innovation in healthcare IT from December 2024:
1. The World Health Organization (WHO) published a report, ‘Addressing Health Determinants in a Digital Age: Project Report.’
The World Health Organization (WHO) released a project report, titled as ‘Addressing Health Determinants in a Digital Age: Project Report,’ aiming to provide a common understanding of health determinants in light of the emergence of digital determinants of health. This report focuses on the impact of digital transformation on traditional social, political, commercial and economic determinants of health. By analyzing health determinants in a digital age, it underscores urgent areas such as digital literacy, equitable access, data governance and the mitigation of harmful online content.
This report develops a conceptual framework involving five categories of health determinants which are person-specific determinants, community determinants, technology-related determinants, policy determinants and political, economic, societal and cultural determinants. The interconnection of these determinants and their impact on health within a digital ecosystem is explained and the need for equitable digital transformations, robust digital public infrastructure and inclusive health and social care policies is highlighted. The report seeks to guide policy and decision-making in the healthcare industry in terms of the needed situations. According to the report, digital technologies should be designed in collaboration with end users to enhance patient empowerment and active participation of patients in health management. Furthermore, the organization of awareness campaigns on the capabilities and possibilities of emerging technologies is recommended for increasing public understanding and uptake. The report also highlights the urgent need for archetype- or discipline-specific artificial intelligence (AI) policies and the development of transparency and accountability mechanisms related to AI, guaranteeing responsible health innovation and improving public health outcomes.
2. The AI in NHS Communications Task Force and National Health Service (NHS) Confederation released an engagement paper about the use of AI in communications in the health service.
The National Health Service (NHS) established the AI in NHS Communications Taskforce in early 2024 for leveraging AI to increase the quality and efficiency of communication across the NHS. The taskforce published ‘An Engagement Paper on the Effective Use of Artificial Intelligence in NHS Communications’ in partnership with the NHS Confederation, focusing on the implementation of AI tools across all NHS communication channels.
This engagement paper explains the vision of the taskforce, benefits and opportunities of AI in communication and actions and initiatives. According to the paper, the NHS’ vision is strengthening all NHS communicators’ ability to develop impactful, efficient and personalized communication strategies with AI tools. To concentrate on this vision, the taskforce will develop a national operating framework for using AI in communications across the NHS, collaborating with key stakeholders such as staff, patients, communities, regulators and industry partners. Moreover, an NHS AI communication innovation hub, NHS Communication AI community of interest group, AI communication ethics framework and AI communication monitoring and evaluation system will be launched.
3. The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) shared a landmark report, ‘AI Adoption in Healthcare Report 2024,’ concentrating on the evolving role of AI in the healthcare industry.
The HIMSS published a report, titled ‘AI Adoption in Healthcare Report 2024,’ in collaboration with Medscape. This report focuses on the benefits of AI which are experienced by medical organizations and the next wave of this adoption. It emphasizes that AI enhances patient outcomes, reduces costs, eliminates workforce burnout and strengthens interoperability.
This report shares insights from a robust survey comprising 800 respondents like physicians, healthcare executives, clinicians, nurses and IT professionals. 86% of the respondents already use AI in their medical organizations and 60% of them recognize this technology’s ability to uncover health patterns and diagnoses beyond human detection. Furthermore, 57% of the respondents highlight that AI increases the productivity of work and performance. According to the survey results, AI is mainly used for administrative tasks like transcribing patient notes and business meetings, reviewing patients’ electronic health records (EHRs) and analyzing relevant medical literature and data.
Source: https://cdn.sanity.io/files/sqo8bpt9/production/68216fa5d161adebceb50b7add5b496138a78cdb.pdf
4. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) launched a new global strategy to advance innovation, cooperation and equity.
The HHS launched a new Global Strategy through the Office of Global Affairs (OGA), aiming to improve global health, promote equity and increase health security by leveraging partnerships, science, technology and diplomacy. This strategy focuses on the improvement of health outcomes worldwide while safeguarding the wellbeing of American citizens.
This strategy includes increasing equity, fostering partnerships, enhancing preparedness for international biological threats and improving health systems and services by driving innovation in critical and emerging technology and digital health under the global health and human services goal. According to the strategy, sustained investment in scientific research, human services and technology plays a vital role in improving global health, quality of life and health security. It emphasizes that cutting-edge research and technological developments like AI unveil new solutions to current and emerging health problems and increase the efficiency of healthcare systems. This strategy expresses that HHS will conduct research into new tools and platforms with a specific focus on the critical and emerging technologies like AI and interoperable digital technologies which change the diagnosis, treatment and care processes for different diseases. Furthermore, HHS will collaborate globally to understand the impact of emerging technologies and mitigate important issues such as health data security and AI safety.
5. The NHS identifies patients who are at elevated risk of becoming frequent users of emergency services by using AI.
The NHS is utilizing AI for detecting patients who are potential users of emergency services. This intervention aims to provide thousands of people with necessary support earlier and reduce demand and pressure on accident and emergency (A&E) departments.
This intervention, which addresses underlying issues like poverty and social isolation, is including High Intensity Use (HIU) services using the latest data to find the most regular attendees in their area and define and solve the reasons why patients frequently visit A&E. The NHS is supporting more than 125 emergency departments across England via the HIU services and one-to-one coaching support in patients’ houses which is deployed to perceive the root cause of why patients are visiting A&E within this intervention. The AI-powered prediction software is analyzing routinely collected hospital data for detecting patients who require immediate preventative support to eliminate future and unplanned visits to the hospital. This intervention allows healthcare professionals to offer personalized support and self-management techniques to patients with long-term conditions such as asthma and diabetes. This AI usage is in rapport with the NHS 10 Year Health Plan which emphasizes digital innovation, prevention and community care.
Source: https://www.england.nhs.uk/2024/12/nhs-ai-giving-patients-better-care-and-support/
6. Global population health management market is predicted to reach $634B by 2034.
Towards Healthcare, a global healthcare consulting firm, published a report focusing on the growth of the global population health management (PHM) market from 2023 to 2034. According to the report, this market, which was valued at $85.59 billion in 2024, will reach $663.75 billion by 2034.
This report highlights that the PHM market’s value will increase systematically at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.05% from 2024 to 2034. According to the report, advanced technologies like AI support the rise because they optimize the analyses and suggestions of treatments for patients. For example, AI is used for predictive analytics, data management, data analysis and distribution of tasks, leveraging patient care and reducing costs. Furthermore, the PHM market is supported by rapidly changing demographics in especially developing countries and the growing demand for personalized treatment which improves patient outcomes. The report explains that value-based care models, cloud-based data systems for scalability, collaborative platforms integrating advanced analytics and interoperability and innovations like generative AI (GenAI) solutions are among the future trends of the PHM market.
Source: https://www.towardshealthcare.com/insights/population-health-management-market-sizing
7. McKinsey & Company published an article, titled ‘How the Healthcare Industry Can Weather Ongoing Challenges,’ explaining healthcare issues opportunities to address them with technology and innovative care models.
McKinsey & Company underscores that the healthcare industry encounters challenges like cost inflation, workforce shortages and regulatory pressures in a recent article. This article, titled ‘How the Healthcare Industry Can Weather Ongoing Challenges,’ states that advanced technologies like AI and innovative care models such as home health services and ambulatory surgery centers can navigate these hurdles.
According to this article, new technologies can offer more flexible solutions tailored to healthcare providers’ particular needs. For example, AI can be used for predicting patient volume and creating schedules according to the predictions instead of traditional methods. New technologies can also reduce administrative burden, optimize clinical operations and improve patient access. The article expresses that current AI technologies could produce annual cost savings ranging from $24 billion to $48 billion for hospitals and $10 billion to $30 billion for physician groups by optimizing administrative processes over the next five years. Furthermore, innovative care models driven by technology such as ambulatory surgery centers and home health services can increase patient satisfaction and contribute to saving billions annually.
8. The Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) evaluates the implementation of five AI technologies as a part of a pilot program to transform its regulatory approach.
The MHRA launched the AI Airlock which is a pilot scheme testing and improving the rules for AI-powered medical devices to assure patients reach these devices safely, effectively and quickly in spring 2024. Five new innovative AI technologies that have the potential to considerably improve diagnoses and patient care have been selected for the program.
These selected AI technologies include medical devices for cancer, chronic respiratory disease and radiology. The first medical device focusing on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) uses AI to analyze health data and predict critical outcomes of COPD while the second device uses Large Language Models (LLMs) to improve the workflow of radiologists and make radiology reporting more efficient and accurate. The third device monitors and detects the performance issues of AI used in hospitals to enable early interventions for safe healthcare applications while the fourth one helps healthcare professionals to develop personalized management plans for cancer patients by utilizing AI. The last device uses a specially trained LLM to process clinicians’ questions and retrieve accurate information for these questions from a verified knowledge base like NICE guidelines.
9. The World Economic Forum (WEF) released a white paper, ‘Intelligent Clinical Trials: Using Generative AI to Fast-Track Therapeutic Innovations,’ concentrating on GenAI's potential to optimize clinical trials and overcome healthcare barriers.
The WEF published the ‘Intelligent Clinical Trials: Using Generative AI to Fast-Track Therapeutic Innovations’ white paper in collaboration with ZS, emphasizing the urgent need for collaboration between governments, pharmaceutical companies and technology leaders to unlock AI’s transformative potential in clinical trials.
According to this white paper, clinical trials encounter long timelines, high costs, low success rates and inequities in addressing underserved populations. For example, it takes eight years for non-oncology treatments while twelve years for oncology treatments to reach clinical development. Furthermore, the average cost of bringing a new treatment to market exceeds $2.5 billion and only 10-15% of drugs succeed in clinical trials. The white paper states that GenAI can eliminate these challenges, letting patients have therapeutic innovation quickly. It underscores that GenAI can optimize trial design by analyzing past data to reduce errors and costs while automating document preparation and eliminating human errors during regulatory submission. It can also predict the best trial sites using patient demographics, identify eligible patients quickly via electronic health records (EHRs) and automate data cleaning and integration from various sources like wearables and apps.
Source: https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Intelligent_Clinical_Trials_2024.pdf
10. The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) announced its top five state public health policy issues for 2025.
The ASTHO explained five public health policy issues which provide significant insight into the legislative public health priorities anticipated to be the focus of lawmakers in the upcoming year. For effective future public health responses, modernizing the data system’s vital role is emphasized by the ASTHO.
These five issues comprise infectious disease control through improved vaccine access and outbreak management, maternal and child health with expanded health services and healthcare workforce and combating workforce shortages by modernizing employment policies and leveraging AI. Furthermore, substance misuse and overdose prevention by expanding harm reduction measures and modernizing public health data and protecting privacy are highlighted. According to the ASTHO, extending the use of health information exchanges, optimizing health data privacy regulations, improving accessibility to public health data systems and balancing between cutting-edge technologies like AI and ethical considerations about data utilization can support the pivotal role of reliable data for advancing public health outcomes.
11. The Malaysian Ministry of Health (MOH) has launched a new AI-powered diagnostic tool increasing the accuracy and efficiency of diabetic retinopathy diagnosis.
The Malaysian Ministry of Health (MOH) launched an advanced AI-powered tool focusing on diabetic retinopathy which is a medical condition damaging the retina due to diabetes. This tool, known as the Diabetic Retinopathy Inference with Multi Artificial Neural Network Technology Automation (DR.MATA), is designed to address diabetic retinopathy which requires early detection to prevent critical outcomes.
DR.MATA uses artificial neural network technology to offer improved access to early detection and better health outcomes for patients. This initiative aims to increase the accuracy and efficiency of diabetic retinopathy, especially in underserved areas where access to specialized medical expertise is limited. It embodies the potential of machine learning algorithms which allow healthcare professionals to offer timely and accurate diagnoses. In addition to the DR.MATA, the MOH explores other AI-driven innovations for optimizing various aspects of healthcare delivery; for example, AI applications in the field of radiology are currently evaluated. The ministry demonstrates its vision of leveraging AI to improve healthcare services and outcomes and recognition of the transformative potential of AI and health technologies through innovative initiatives like DR.MATA.
Innovative technologies have driven transformation in the healthcare sector this December. With our cutting-edge products and comprehensive domain experience in the healthcare IT ecosystem, we support healthcare professionals, providers and authorities while shaping the future of the industry.
As the WHO’s ‘Addressing Health Determinants in a Digital Age: Project Report’ highlights the vital role of equitable access to healthcare services and inclusive health and social care policies, all our products which make health systems accessible for everyone stand out prominently. For example, patients access their personal health data from lab results to prescriptions easily with our Personal Health Record that is an electronic health record system offering 24/7 access.
Like equity in the healthcare ecosystem, population health management is another crucial part of the industry. According to Towards Healthcare’s report, global population health management market will reach $663.75 billion by 2034 and this significant market growth rate is supported by our Population Health Management product family involving the Health Analytics & Reporting, Chronic Disease Management and Predis. Our Health Analytics & Reporting analyzes healthcare delivery data and offers standardized and customizable data analytics and business intelligence capabilities while the Chronic Disease Management provides healthcare professionals with recommendations about diagnosis, monitoring and management of chronic diseases. On the other hand, Predis is an AI-powered early warning system which analyzes national healthcare data to predict risks and detect anomalies.
The third outstanding subject in the landscape is healthcare interoperability as the HHS’ new Global Strategy comprises the usage of interoperable digital technologies which can impact the diagnosis, treatment and care processes of various diseases positively. According to this strategy, digital health technologies, especially interoperable ones, have the potential to improve global health, life quality and health security. Our Healthcare Interoperability products such as Health Information Exchange (HIE) Viewer, Terminology Server, FHIR Stack and Enterprise Master Patient Index (EMPI) support the approach embraced by the HHS. HIE Viewer provides healthcare professionals with patients’ electronic health records (EHRs) to enable faster, more accurate and coordinated care decisions while Terminology Server creates structures in National and International Clinical Terminology standards, ensuring accurate coding and contributing to understanding and sharing health data. On the other hand, FHIR Stack is a centralized solution which facilitates real-time, secure data exchange between healthcare systems while EMPI centralizes and unifies patient identities across systems for precise data management.
As Tiga Healthcare Technologies, we maintain our leading position in the ever-evolving healthcare IT field thanks to our innovative products responding to healthcare challenges quickly. Our extensive solutions include Healthcare Interoperability, Patient Engagement, Prescription & Medicine Management, Drug Traceability, AI & Analytics, Population Health Management, Personalized Healthcare and Hospital Information System.
Motivated by our aspiration to revolutionize healthcare through innovative technologies, we are dedicated to cultivating a healthier and more promising future for all.
Let’s shape the future together with state-of-the-art digital health solutions together, as always!
