Healthtech: what it is, what it is for and examples
In recent years, the digital revolution has shaped the healthcare landscape around the world. Technological progress has been playing a fundamental role in the transformation of the way we take care of our health, thanks to the growing presence of companies Healthtech.
These companies are at the forefront of innovation, using technology to improve access, quality, and efficiency of health services.
In this article, we'll explore what exactly is a Healthtech and how it's changing the way we look after our health and well-being.
What is a healthtech?
Healthtech, also known as Health Technology Startups, is what we call companies that apply technology to solve challenges in the health sector. They cover a wide range of solutions, from mobile health monitoring apps to advanced medical devices and telemedicine platforms.
What does healthtech mean?
We can summarize the meaning of healthtech if we separate the nomenclature into health (health) and tech (technology). We can relate this concept to the definition of a startup, since both deal with innovation. In other words: an enterprise whose group of people work in a scalable, repeatable way, in a unique situation and with ideas that go beyond the norm.
To this extent, healthtech came to optimize the processes carried out within the health sector, at every possible stage, taking advantage of social and technological development.
With this brief concept, we were able to get an overview of the importance of healthtechs for health, modernizing activities in order to take advantage of the technological advances developed over the past few years. When we talk about modern companies, we are mainly talking about businesses with great growth potential.
What is healthtech for?
The main purpose of a Healthtech is to improve the effectiveness of health systems, making them more accessible, efficient, and personalized.
As Healthtechs operate in a variety of areas, including medical diagnosis, treatment, disease prevention, health management, and more. They use technologies such as artificial intelligence, Big Data, sensors wearable, health data analysis, and telemedicine to create innovative solutions that empower both health professionals and patients to make more informed decisions and receive high-quality health care.
Why are healthtechs important for the healthcare field?
As Healthtechs have a significant impact on all areas of health and well-being. Their contributions are multifaceted and positively influence several aspects:
Access to health
Many people around the world face geographical or economic barriers to receiving quality medical care. As Healthtechs, through telemedicine services and health apps, are breaking these barriers, allowing people to consult doctors and health professionals remotely.
Diagnostics and monitoring
With advances in portable medical devices and health monitoring applications, Healthtechs are empowering individuals to monitor their own health closely. This allows for the early detection of diseases, improving treatment success rates.
Personalization of treatment
As Healthtechs are using data analysis and AI to personalize treatment plans, taking into account the genetics, medical history, and lifestyle of each patient. This leads to more effective treatments and fewer side effects.
Efficiency and cost reduction
Implementing technology helps improve the efficiency of health systems, reducing operational costs and administrative workload. In this way, administrative tasks can be automated and processes in health systems can be simplified, allowing professionals to focus more on patient care.
Advanced diagnosis and treatment
Uma Healthtech develops more accurate diagnostic tools and personalized treatments, based on data analysis and artificial intelligence. This leads to better outcomes for patients.
What are the main healthtech categories?
There are several categories of Healtech, each with its specific focus and objectives. Some of the key categories include:
telemedicine
Platforms and applications that allow remote medical appointments, remote patient monitoring, and the delivery of health care through digital communication.
Medical devices
Include devices wearable, such as smart watches and health sensors, as well as advanced medical equipment, such as magnetic resonance machines and CT scanners.
Health apps
Mobile apps that assist users in monitoring their health, tracking physical activities, managing medications, recording medical information, and more.
Artificial intelligence and data analysis
Companies that use AI and analysis of Big Data to improve medical diagnosis, clinical research, disease prediction, and the development of personalized treatments.
Health Management and EHR (Electronic Health Record)
Electronic medical record management systems that allow for the secure storage and sharing of health information between health professionals and patients.
Biotechs
Companies that focus on developing gene therapies, innovative drugs, and biotechnology to treat diseases.
Mental health and wellbeing
Platforms and apps that offer support for mental health, online therapy, guided meditation, and stress management.
The healthtech market in Brazil
The national health market has been impacted by a series of challenges, not only in the public sphere, but also in the private sector providing health services. The increase in difficulties faced by private actors in the health sector has motivated the search for innovative solutions.
In Brazil, the health market stands out as the sector with the highest volume of transactions in recent years, encompassing the largest acquisitions of companies in the Brazilian economy. In this context, the Healthtechs They already rank 2nd in terms of volume of startups among other segments, second only to Edtechs, according to studies conducted by the Brazilian Startups Association.
Despite the large volume, the distribution of Healthtechs across the national territory it ends up not being uniform. According to the same study, 5 out of 10 Healthtechs Brazilian women are in the state of São Paulo:
Among the issues addressed by startups in this market, the optimization of hospital processes and the improvement of follow-up throughout the patient journey stand out. The main objective of these innovations is to improve the quality of health services offered in the private sector.
Faced with this challenging scenario, there is a growing demand for alternative funding models and access to health services. As Healthtechs have played a fundamental role in offering innovative solutions that seek to face these challenges, making health services more accessible, efficient and personalized.
In general, in the market of Healthtechs Brazilian women:
These companies are working to revolutionize the way Brazilians access and receive health care, creating an environment that is more favorable to innovation and the improvement of the health system as a whole.
Let's get to know some of them.
Examples of healthtech companies in the domestic market
Among the examples of Healthtechs Brazilian women stand out Sami, a company created in 2018 and Brazil's pioneer in interoperability between operator and hospital systems established under international standards. Sami is a health plan operator focused on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and independent professionals.
Committed to bringing digital innovation to every stage of its operations, Sami also uses electronic signature by Clicksign to sign documents and facilitate the company's documentary processes.
“Sami works to always provide innovative and effective technological solutions that fill gaps in the health sector, of which there are many. It has an app where members talk to their health team whenever they need it, and it doesn't have a data center, it's 100% in the cloud.” — Guilherme Berardo, CEO and co-founder of Sami, in an interview with the Brazilian Startups Association.
Another active example in the Brazilian market is Carefy, Healthtech focused on the management and monitoring of hospitalizations, one of the highest costs for hospitals and health operators. The solution offered by Carefy seeks to provide greater assertiveness for Players of health and help the hospitalization team in the evolution format, in the signaling of non-compliance indicators, and more.
We also have the Lincon, Healthtech that captures health data in real time from the patient and applies artificial intelligence to predict risks. Today, Lincon focuses on chronic and pre-chronic diabetes, hypertension, and obesity patients through personalized digital therapy, offering a set of medical protocols.
Main trends of healthtechs
The field of Healthtechs is constantly evolving, driven by the rapid adoption of technology and the growing needs in the health area. Some of the key current and emerging trends include:
Telemedicine in expansion
Although telemedicine was already established in other parts of the world, its adoption in Brazil was initially slow. This type of care only experienced notable growth during the pandemic, driven by the overload of health systems and concern about contamination.
According to data from Digital Health Brazil, between 2020 and 2021, more than 7.5 million medical visits were provided through telemedicine in Brazil, involving more than 52.2 thousand doctors.
Thus, telemedicine continues to grow, with online medical appointments and remote patient monitoring becoming increasingly common.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data analysis
AI algorithms are being trained to interpret medical images, such as radiographs and imaging tests, in order to detect diseases more accurately and quickly than traditional methods, making it possible to predict diseases, personalize treatments, and analyze large sets of health data
Thus, AI helps create personalized treatment plans based on patients' individual characteristics, taking into account genetic factors, medical histories, and lifestyle.
In addition, the analysis of Big Data in the health area, it allows us to identify patterns and trends in large volumes of information, contributing to clinical research and the development of more effective treatments.
Mental health and wellbeing
The growing focus on mental health and wellbeing is a response to growing concerns about mental health issues, such as stress, anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders. Thus, mental health is being integrated with holistic care and Healthtechs are developing innovative solutions, including wellness monitoring platforms, apps that offer meditation exercises and breathing techniques, online therapy, and others.
Wearables and monitoring devices
Devices such as Smartwatches and fitness bracelets are evolving to include health monitoring features, such as ECG, fall detection, and measurement of blood oxygen levels.
Remote diagnostics and testing
The aging of the population drives the demand for technologies that assist the elderly in managing their health, offering virtual assistance, monitoring, and communication with caregivers.
This has also expanded the development of home diagnostic kits and portable devices that allow patients to perform tests and monitor chronic conditions without leaving home.
Regenerative medicine and gene therapy
Advances in biotechnology and regenerative medicine are allowing for more advanced and personalized treatments for medical conditions, including gene therapy, which involves introducing healthy genes into diseased cells to correct genetic dysfunctions. This has the potential to treat rare genetic disorders and other medical conditions.
Regenerative medicine, on the other hand, uses stem cells and tissues to repair damaged organs and tissues, offering solutions for serious injuries and chronic diseases.
Technological innovation in improving quality of life and services
As we have seen, the Healthtechs are playing a fundamental role in the transformation of the health industry, driving innovation in various aspects, from more accurate medical diagnoses to the efficient management of mental health and the development of personalized treatments.
This is all part of the growing modernization of processes and businesses, thanks to the digital revolution that permeates various sectors. The fact is that the integration of technologies has been improving not only business processes, but also expanding the view of issues of quality of life, health And a world with a lot less red tape.
Allied to Healthtechs, for example, electronic signatures have been playing a crucial role in modernizing health care processes, streamlining information collection, simplifying the sharing of medical records, and improving administrative efficiency, all while maintaining the highest standards of security and data privacy.
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