Software giant Microsoft has emerged as a major player in the medtech industry.
Improved health systems and health solutions can lead to better health outcomes and the difference between a full recovery and a difficult conversation with family. With such serious real-world consequences at stake, you’d think the health-care industry would be at the cutting edge of electronic communication technology.
Until now, healthcare organizations and the industry as a whole have kept their communications relatively low-tech. However, Microsoft 365 is transforming how our doctors communicate and provide personalized care. Continue reading to learn about Microsoft 365’s innovations in healthcare technology and how they could save your life.
Microsoft 365 is a software suite that includes Windows 10, Office 365, and Enterprise Mobility Security. It has 1.2 billion users worldwide and has been around since 2017. There are bundles for various groups, such as Enterprise, Business, and others.
Microsoft’s current operating system is Windows 10. It has a number of security and convenience features.
Windows 10 can unlock using facial or thumbprint recognition instead of a password. It also has the most recent digital pen technology and better security than ever before.
1. Improved Medical Data Security
Even if you don’t work in medicine, you’ve probably heard of HIPAA, or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. The law governs medical confidentiality and who has access to your medical records. If you work in the medical field, you understand the significance of these laws. One of the most significant barriers to healthcare communication has been security. You must make certain that you are communicating in a HIPAA-compliant forum. Fortunately, Microsoft 365 is up to the task.
2. Secure Messaging
More than just convenience is at stake with secure electronic messaging. Medical situations move quickly, and doctors must be able to obtain information about a patient as soon as possible. Doctors can now use secure, convenient systems thanks to Microsoft 365. For doctors, Microsoft Teams provides a secure hub with messaging capabilities. When a message is marked as urgent, the recipient receives an alert every two minutes until they respond. If the recipient is unable to answer the question, they can delegate it to another member of staff.
3. Secure Workflows
Working on any team necessitates a great deal of collaboration, and medical teams are no exception.
Doctors must be aware of any medications you have taken.
Specialists require information from your primary care physician.
Nurses must be aware of any changes to care plans.
Everyone should be aware of any specific care preferences you may have.
Workflows are excellent tools for managing these interactions, but there has previously been no secure method for doing so.
Healthcare professionals can create customizable workflows in Microsoft Teams. Administrators can create role-based permissions protocols to restrict file access. Each user can also customize the layout of their portal so that the apps they use the most are easily accessible.
4. An API for Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR)
The Azure API for FHIR is one of the most important features of Microsoft 365. An application programming interface makes it simple to tailor software to your specific requirements. You can create health data solutions using the Azure API for Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources.
Azure allows you to manage protected health data in a cloud environment. Electronic health record systems and other existing data sources can be quickly connected.
Clinical data can also be used to consolidate, normalize, and apply machine learning.
5. Medical Research with AI
Healthcare moves quickly; it is predicted that medical knowledge will double every 73 days by next year.
The best way for doctors to keep up is to use virtual assistants powered by artificial intelligence, or AI. AI may be able to detect patterns that doctors cannot and detect smaller abnormalities on scans than the human eye.
Microsoft Healthcare Bot is an example of a virtual assistant. This program includes a symptom checker, healthcare intelligence, and other features. It can assist doctors in making more accurate diagnoses by utilizing the most recent information.
Microsoft is also working to improve its capabilities in medical research. Secondary analysis and accelerated sequencing are available from Microsoft Genomics. They collaborate with organizations such as St. Jude’s, which houses the world’s largest repository of pediatric cancer genomics data.
They are not, however, limited to pediatric cancer. Microsoft has formed a partnership with Adaptive Biotechnologies. They’re fighting ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, celiac disease, and other diseases together.