Healthcare trends and predictions for 2025

Table of contents

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI)

2. Blockchain technology

3. Digital therapies

4. Augmented and virtual reality

5. Telehealth

With innovative solutions like blockchain, artificial intelligence and digital therapies evolving at a rapid pace, the healthcare landscape is continuing to provide a more personalised and modern experience for patients.

Continue reading to discover our predictions for what trends are going to be prominent within healthcare in 2025.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial intelligence (AI) is having a great impact on healthcare, with the global AI market set to grow by 43.2% to reach a huge USD 490 billion by 2030 according to Fortune Business Insights.[1]

One of the ways AI is having an impact on healthcare is by improving the accuracy of diagnostics. This technology can analyse large datasets to find patterns and help diagnose rare diseases, while advanced AI medical imaging enables healthcare professionals to screen for diseases quicker.

Artificial intelligence is also proving useful in improving the productivity of the healthcare workforce. It can streamline workflows by automating routine tasks including patient billing, scheduling appointments and document generation.

Not only this, but AI is supporting the growing demands for personalised medical care. For example, it utilises data from a variety of sources to predict the likelihood of diseases, manage chronic diseases more efficiently, and offer tailored treatment recommendations to patients.

Blockchain technology

Blockchain technology is a type of shared digital system where records are securely stored in what are known as ‘blocks’. Any additional information related to a record is added to a new block, creating a ‘chain’.

Blockchain technology has the potential to vastly improve security for patients, and give them greater control over their personal data. This could support in tackling the prominent issue of cyber attacks within healthcare, which has seen a huge increase in recent years.

Blockchain’s growing use in healthcare may allow medical information to be more easily shared between different healthcare providers. This can speed up processes, as it provides one standardised way of exchanging secure data, which is encrypted and viewable only by authorised individuals.

This technology could also have an impact on drug supply chains, as it has the ability to track the supply at every stage. This real-time monitoring allows counterfeit medications to be spotted easier and for compliance requirements to be met.

Digital therapies

Digital therapies, or digital therapeutics (DTx), are another area of healthcare that is on the rise. They refer to the use of digital tools, such as mobile apps and wearable devices, which provide medical support for specific health conditions.

Personalisation is a growing trend within digital therapies, helping patients feel more engaged with their medical treatment. Technologies like AI can use real-time data to refine treatment based on customer feedback and predictive analytics to show how effective medical care is and if a condition has progressed.

Digital therapies could increasingly be used for a broader range of treatment alongside more traditional forms of medical treatment, such as for chronic pain and diabetes management. This has the additional benefit of helping to improve access to care for patients who live in remote areas.

Augmented and virtual reality

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are growing in popularity within healthcare in a variety of ways.

AR is when computer-generated images are integrated into a real-life environment to enhance a person’s surroundings, while virtual reality refers to a when an individual is fully immersed in a digital 3-D environment.

AR and VR are predicted to be more widely used in surgery in the future, creating the potential for a higher number of operations to be conducted remotely with robotic systems. This would allow healthcare to reach a wider number of patients around the world and reduce instances of human error.

One area of healthcare where AR and VR is becoming prominent is within medical training. For example, immersive environments can help replicate a real-life surgery situation in a safe manner, or assist students in learning about human anatomy in an interactive setting.

These technologies could also provide faster remote diagnostics, such as by allowing healthcare professionals to better visualise medical scans in an immersive setting, or by enhancing the existing medical images.

Telehealth

Telehealth is when digital technology is used to provide remote medical care to patients, which can include consultations with a doctor, health coaching and patient monitoring.

While this is not a new feature in healthcare, telehealth is increasingly delivering more specialist services, which incorporates diagnostics, chronic disease management, and mental health support.

This offering is also becoming more heavily integrated with electronic health records (EHR). This makes it quicker for healthcare professionals to access a patient’s medical information, and easier for their data to be shared between providers for continued care.

Innovative technologies, such as AI and virtual reality, are further enhancing telehealth services. For example, virtual reality can assist patients with physical therapy exercises and improve the experience of remote medical consultations.

Another aspect of telehealth that is becoming more prominent is remote patient monitoring. Digital devices are delivering a highly personalised patient experience by monitoring things like heart rate, blood pressure and glucose levels, sending important information back to providers in real-time and helping processes be more efficient.

Find out more about the changing landscape of telehealth services, click here.