How Biobanks and Technology are Helping to Improve Patient Care
Who can measure the rapid rate at which biobanking is improving? There are more biological samples being collected on a global scale. This allows biobanks around the world to create higher quality and quantity data sets. The natural response is a global biobanking market that is also rapidly expanding. Right now, as the Digital Age is in full bloom, biobanks are given a larger capacity for growth. With modern technologies like telehealth, data analytics, and automation more available, it just makes sense. Biobanks that choose to use the latest technological advancements can help create a domino effect that helps to improve patient care.
Automation to Reduce Costs
Biobanks have the capacity to store samples for decades. But as the biobank’s cache increases, it becomes harder to collect, process, store, preserve and distribute samples. Powered by AI, artificial intelligence, automated biobank storage systems can work independently of human input. These automated systems can ensure consistent attention to all the details, even the manual, repetitive tasks. Automation is also beneficial for helping to improve traceability, as well as retrieval and delivery speed of samples. This ensures researchers get them when they need them. This can also help prevent human error in the processes. This is one way automation can help lower the operational and delivery costs of biobanking.
Data Analytics that Improve Research Efforts
Traditional means of analyzing samples is more difficult partly due to the rapid growth of biobanks. Researchers need advanced tools so they can glean more valuable insights from biobanks. And that is precisely where data analytics comes into play. Similar to automated tools, data analytics can make use of AI to examine and analyze samples. The process is much quicker and more accurate than humans and their analytical tools. Machine learning can even help with conducting predictive analytics. Researchers who combine biobank samples with predictive analytics will be able to detect current patterns as well as predict future ones. For example, using thousands of available images, researchers may be able to predict the likelihood of an individual developing type 2 diabetes or coronary heart disease. This information can be used to implement effective preventative patient care.
Boosting Telehealth Access and Convenience
As biobanks institute the use of automation along with data analytics, the entire medical sector can reap the benefits of reduced costs and improved research outcomes. This will eventually cascade down to the end customer in the healthcare world: the patient. Patients are already experiencing the benefits of telehealth. It’s more affordable, convenient, and personalized than traditional care. These benefits can be amplified by healthcare companies that choose to use biobank-powered research in effective patient care.
Some of the benefits of telehealth include having access to a huge network of clinicians who cover more diverse treatment areas. It allows more opportunities for collaboration between healthcare providers and companies. This is important to patient care in an era when people are more desiring of healthcare that is both convenient and accessible.
Final Thoughts on Biobanking and Healthcare
Biobanking seems to be flourishing just as modern advancements are making epic progress. The combination of the two can help improve modern healthcare. Professional collaborations are working together to create new techniques and treatment strategies that may revolutionize universal health and healthcare. The domino effect of these collaborations is only going to work to improve patient care in the long term.
References
https://www.scidev.net/enterprise/data/
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.01.15.897066v1
https://www.ddw-online.com/automated-biobanking-the-next-big-step-for-biorespositories-1039-200708/