Trends and Challenges in Healthcare in Context of Industry 4.0 and New Emerging Technologies

Abstract

Industry 4.0, also known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, is currently represen- ting one of the main driving forces in environment. Industry 4.0 and new emerging technologies already affect many business areas, stimulate innovations and increase innovation activities. In many sectors, organizations are actively preparing for the chal- lenges and changes associated with this revolution and its dynamicity. It is also the case of healthcare sector. This technological revolution is expected to bring a num- ber of trends that will fundamentally change the way healthcare works, such as the use of communication tools for patients and medical teams to intensify the transfer of treatment from hospital to home without interrupting outpatient services. Many studies show that developments in healthcare are mainly influenced by the digital transformation. Innovations are primarily focusing on prevention, early diagnosis and on improvement of quality of life and health. Technologies, such as the use of artifi- cial intelligence, telemedicine, smart devices, and robotics, will simplify and speed up processes and services in healthcare. The aim of the paper is to examine the trends and innovations in healthcare in the context of Industry 4.0 and new emerging tech- nologies and to measure their level of application and satisfaction within healthcare providers. To collect the data, we used a questionnaire survey, that was performed on 100 healthcare providers from Slovak Republic.