A healthy worker is a happier worker, which is why all responsible and caring organisations are keen to prioritise the health of employees.
There is also, of course, a business motive for ensuring a healthy workforce. Absences have a financial impact. According to latest figures from the Office for National Statistics, an estimated 149.3 million working days were lost through sickness or injury in the UK in 2021.
Innovations in healthcare – both in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions – continue to advance, and it is important that organisations stay ahead of the curve, mindful of the opportunities they may offer in future healthcare benefits.
Here we look at six innovations, which could help transform the health of employees.
It may sound a little hard to swallow but ‘smart pills’ may one day replace traditional tablets. These edible electronics serve as medicinal drugs and can also provide physiological information about patients, including temperature readings from different areas of the body. Onboard PH and oxygen sensors even have the potential to detect issues within the bloodstream, lungs, heart or digestive system.
A further advantage of such tech-enabled pills is that they ensure users are taking them as instructed by their doctor. Adherence checks are made possible by onboard sensors on the pills that are activated by stomach acids and send a confirmation signal to a wearable patch or lanyard. This is particularly useful for patients with mental health conditions that may cause them to take their medication at the wrong time, at the wrong dosage or forget to take it at all.
3D bioprinting of corneas, bones and skin is already at clinical testing stage. If the practice develops successfully, it could one day revolutionise the world of transplants, which is currently dependent on donors and whether a patient’s body will accept a donated organ.
Bioprinting involves creating a digital model of the organ using living cells called bioink in the printing process. The organ’s functionality is then tested with stimulation. To help prevent rejection of an organ, the patient’s cells can be grown in a culture and then cultivated into the bioink for printing.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) audio processing can be used to detect early signs of dementia. It does this by analysing speech to identify the difference between that of a healthy person, and dementia sufferers.
Early diagnosis is one of the most effective ways of treating conditions such as Alzheimer’s, which can develop over decades without being noticed. AI audio processing can lead to diagnoses years before severe symptoms develop.
Mixed reality – the merging of real and digital worlds – can be utilised to benefit surgeons and patients.
Microsoft, for example, has created a headset that allows surgeons to receive clinical information while having both hands free to perform surgery.
In addition, the head-mounted camera view of the headset enables other doctors to observe and offer advice, while the holographic nature of the device can assist in training.
Training can also be enhanced through virtual reality. Virtual situations can help doctors improve their skills or prepare for operations. What’s more, VR can also be used in patient treatments, for phobias or PTSD for example. It can allow the sufferer to experience their phobia in a virtual – and therefore safer and less traumatic – way, to give helpful insights into particular triggers. It can also help patients grow more accustomed to what they perceive as a threatening environment, without having to physically step foot in it.
At the end of last year, it was revealed that scientists had created tiny organic robots that are able to self-replicate. This, in turn, is expected to have a huge impact on the world of nanomedicine – the use of microscopic objects and materials for medical purposes.
Nanorobots may one day be injected into blood vessels to hunt for cancer cells or viruses. Further expectations for this technology include combatting oncologic, genetic or auto-immune diseases on a cellular level.
Those old enough to remember Steve Austin and Jaime Sommers might assume bionics means superhuman strength and speed. In reality, bionic technology is every bit as impressive. For instance, researchers in Sweden have developed a mind-controlled prosthetic arm.
Implanted electrodes are able to react to brain signals, allowing people to use the limb in a natural and intuitive way. What’s more, the prosthesis is surgically attached to the bone, muscle and nerves in a process called osseointegration, making it more comfortable for the wearer.
Powered movement is another way in which prosthetics have evolved. Where traditional prosthetics simply replaced the basic structure of missing limbs, advancements mean lost muscle function can now be restored, which improves flexibility.
Technological developments look set to transform healthcare over the coming decades. Diagnoses and treatments that currently take months or even years, could be reduced to days or weeks.
Conditions that are currently untreatable could one day become easily managed, or even eradicated.
As positive and exciting such innovations are, however, employers should not lose sight of the importance of the human touch. Even if technology develops to incorporate emotional intelligence, empathy and understanding, medical staff and HR departments will remain an invaluable resource at the heart of employee health and wellbeing.
