As industrial design technology marches forward, newer, faster ways are found to serve and heal the afflicted. But we aren’t necessarily talking about breakthrough cure-alls or miracle pills just yet. The most anticipated recent arrivals on the medical scene are innovations on existing technology.

For example, smart phones got a little bit smarter in 2013 with the rollout of a sizeable selection of medical apps. With them, patients can expedite, plan and track their own recoveries with much of the same precision found in a hospital. The perk of this development comes through the intrinsic convenience of mobile devices: tools that have graduated so far from their original definition that the word “telephone” now seems cute in comparison.

With the 40,000 medical apps now on the market, doing everything from enumerating calories to communicating wirelessly to devices inside the body are options literally at the patient’s fingertips. One of the most publicized medical apps is OnTrack Diabetes, a revolutionary and free application that allows diabetics to manage various data, including glucose levels, food intake, medication, blood pressure and weight, with unprecedented ease.

With better electronic record keeping, Big Data Services are also set to be a highly efficacious resource for medical companies. James S. Varelis, principal at PwC pharmaceuticals and life sciences, explains: “[Patients] are benefiting from the increasing focus on consumers from all stakeholders across the healthcare ecosystem, new relationships and business models that are forming across the heath space, and the emphasis on improved health outcomes and quality.”

This equates to improved communication and benchmarking from the top to the bottom of the medical industry with emphasis on improving the patient experience. “When we have medical device companies like pacemaker manufacturers extending their reach beyond just the device to include monitoring and patient outreach, the end result is better customer satisfaction and better patient outcomes,” says Varelis. “That’s a win-win all around.”

For more information on medical device design and manufacturing, contact Pivot International at 1-877-206-5001.