2018年值得观察的数字医疗三大趋势

数字医疗在2017年大放光彩。我们看到了对该领域史无前例的投资：超过47亿美元资金流入了数量创造新高的公司中。尽管这些打破纪录的投资凸显了人们对于新型的数字健康解决方案的热情，但在聚光灯之外，另一场革命也在悄然发生。

之前的几代创新产品，开始对患者和医生的体验产生真正的影响。供应商也普遍认为，医疗卫生在信息技术的采用方面，不能继续滞后于其他领域多年。这将是2018年成形并产生重要影响的一些巨大趋势的基础：

远距离医学正在蓬勃发展——这次是真的

通过远距离医学（使用远程通信和信息技术提供医疗卫生服务）来进行远程诊断和治疗患者的手段，将在2018年迅猛发展，影响医疗卫生的方方面面。更多的医生将会在更短的时间内诊断更多病人，无论他们身处何地。随着远距离医学的采用范围扩大，电子健康档案（EHR）更强有力的整合和急诊手术的发展将推动这一进程。

患者将会大大获益。远程治疗在方便程度和就诊门槛上都更加优秀。患者不需要请假去看医生，而那些身处农村地区、面临医生短缺这一现实问题的患者也能享受类似的高质量服务，无论他们住在哪里。

数据（共享）将在临床中成为标配

随着可穿戴设备和其他医疗设备的信息被直接整合进入电子健康档案，大数据将会改变监测和治疗。跟踪心率、睡眠活动和其他生命数据的可穿戴健康设备，将让内科医生更进一步地了解患者的日常健康状况和慢性疾病，并最终帮助他们更好地护理患者。

苹果（Apple）等科技巨头很早就在该领域押下重注，如今他们已经开始获得回报。例如，苹果手表（Apple Watch）最近获得了美国食品与药物管理局（Food and Drug Administration, FDA）的批准，得以进行移动心率监控。之后不久，苹果就宣布将与斯坦福医学院展开合作（Stanford Medicine），进行大规模的心房颤动研究。

消费科技品牌将继续在医疗卫生系统内推动这种技术的采用。电子健康档案供应商已经在该领域进行了大量投资，而加利福尼亚大学（University of California）等大型机构正在为各个校园的设备数据开发互用性标准。以此为基础，可以预见，该领域在2018年的进展将前所未有。

医疗卫生会缩小“人工智能鸿沟”

我们会看到人工智能在诊断疾病上扮演更重要的作用。无论是通过放射学软件改变放射科医师的医学成像诊断，还是在急诊室迅速诊断九种最常见的紧急医疗情况，人工智能的深度健康数据都能实时派上用场。明年，我们会看到人工智能比之前更少犯错，更多成功。

2018年有一件事不会变：数字医疗领域会继续发展。随着心率、血糖、睡眠趋势等可测量的指标可以被苹果、Fitbit和Dario等品牌的设备监测，我们会看到更多已经投入使用的消费者技术与医疗卫生结合起来。人工智能的长期发展，仍然任重道远。不过我们终究会看到医生与医疗技术之间更加紧密的联系，它将最终改善病患护理。（财富中文网）

作者阿密特·富尔是Doximity的医学总监。

译者：严匡正

Digital health broke out in 2017. We saw more investment than ever before: Over $4.7 billion flowed into a record number of companies. While these record-breaking investments underscore the enthusiasm for new digital health solutions, another revolution was quietly happening just outside the spotlight.

Earlier generations of innovation began to make a real impact in both the patient and physician experience. There was also widespread recognition in the provider community that health care simply can’t continue to lag years behind the rest of the world in the speed of IT adoption. This is the basis for some of the biggest trends we see taking shape and making a significant impact in 2018:

Telemedicine is taking off—for real this time

Remotely diagnosing and treating patients via telemedicine (the use of telecommunication and IT to provide health care) will grow fiercely in 2018 and impact nearly all facets of health care. More doctors will be able to see more patients in a much shorter timeframe, irrespective of their physical locations. As telemedicine adoption expands, it will be driven by stronger electronic health record (EHR) integration, and the growth of urgent care operations.

Patients will see big benefits. Telemedicine will provide greater convenience and better access. Patients won’t have to take time away from work to be seen by a doctor, and those located in rural areas—where physician shortages are very real—will enjoy similar access to high-quality care regardless of where they live.

Data (sharing) will become standard in clinical settings

Big Data will change monitoring and treatment, as information from wearables and other medical devices gets integrated directly into the EHR. Wearable fitness devices that track heart rate, sleep activity, and other vital statistics will now give physicians far more insight into their patients’ day-to-day health status and chronic conditions, and ultimately help them provide better care.

Tech giants like Apple made big, early bets in this area, and they are starting to pay off. For example, the Apple Watch recently received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for mobile heart rate monitoring, and shortly after, Apple announced a large-scale atrial fibrillation study to be conducted in partnership with Stanford Medicine.

Consumer tech brands will continue to drive this adoption within the health care system. EHR vendors have scientifically invested in this area, and large institutions such as the University of California are developing interoperability standards for device data across campuses. With this foundation, we’ll see more progress in this area than ever before in 2018.

Health care closes the “AI gap”

We will see AI play a more significant role in diagnosing conditions. Whether it’s used in radiology software to transform medical imaging diagnostics for radiologists or in the emergency room to quickly diagnose the nine most common emergency medical conditions, AI and algorithm-driven diagnostics will prove the power of processing in-depth health data in real time. Next year, we will see fewer AI fails and more AI wins than in years past.

In 2018, one thing will remain constant: The digital health field will continue to grow. We will see more of the consumer technology already in use merge with patient care, as measurables such as heart rate, blood sugar levels, and sleeping trends can be tracked with gadgets from brands like Apple, Fitbit, and Dario. The longer-term development of AI still needs work. But eventually we will see a more cohesive relationship form between doctors and health technology that ultimately improves patient care.

Amit Phull is the medical director at Doximity.