Health trends 2022

 

Health trends 2022

The medical dictionary defines health trend as “the inclination to proceed in a certain direction or at a certain rate; used to describe the prognosis or course of a symptom, disease, or methods of disease management.”  

The “new normal” that has been necessitated by the pandemic has put the healthcare industry as the most important and essential recipient of new technology initiatives that have been increasing at a frenetic pace. The fact that working models have undergone massive changes and their effect on human health gave worried healthcare professionals and compelled them to innovate and provide solutions to practically every segment of humankind.

If we look at the future we experience a perception that healthcare around the world will blend and offer services beyond physical boundaries. This is a welcome situation that will integrate rather than fragment. 

The attention being given to, and the resources being deployed to, healthcare and health sustenance consist of efforts to counter common negative habits and addictions with the help of proper and attention – engaging campaigns. These campaigns should focus on the latest trends on healthcare, about which this note will elaborate a bit.

During the pandemic, life itself has undergone a massive transformation and people have realised that they need to change many of their approaches and impressions under which they had been living. Even though it was at a huge cost to people and lives, a refreshing realisation has set in as far as perceptions are concerned. 

Concern for the community

The fact that community well being is important has made people care for realities most of us ignored in the past like:

• Concern for community health 

• Awareness of environmental concerns 

• Importance of personal and collective well-being in the face of differences in societal priorities 

This change has come about due to various factors like social isolation, disruption in daily routines, and parental concerns on the pandemic’s effect on children, and much more.

Awareness on the type of food we eat and affinity for home cooked food

The pandemic has made us aware of the effects on the human body and health of various types of food. The uptake is the consumption of healthy foods is seen along with a reduction in preference for junk food that do not add any value. This is a welcome development since eating out and calling in food will not do any good to our system.

After the initial waves of the pandemic subsided and the restrictions removed many companies have left the choice of working model to the employee. They could choose remote working, working from the office or a hybrid model. This shows that companies have realised that employee health and well being is very important and central to their business plans.

Post covid we will see the following trends

Increased virtual healthcare

Virtual healthcare, which was resorted to as a necessity during the pandemic, is here to stay with more people relying on this option for ailments that are not life threatening. This preference is based on the positive 

Personal hygiene 

People have realised the hard way that personal hygiene helps in fighting disease and infections. This is a welcome development 

Environmental concerns

Though progress on this front could be better than what it is today, it must be said the realisation is creeping on on the necessity of sustainability and being ready to counteract effects of climate change. 

Technology for health

New initiatives based on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning have been found to be useful in extracting information on personal health and treatment to enable personalised health care

Other new initiatives 

• Using DNA

The use of DNA to uncover relations between hereditary trends and wellness and health are being used for preemptive treatments like those for cancer and other major ailments.

• Mental health

Ever since the pandemic started the necessity of attention to mental health and wellness has become very important. This is because of increasing cases of depression and anxiety arising out of loneliness, isolation and loss of employment.

• Sustainable diets

Eating healthy and tendencies to reduce alcohol consumption and meat-based diets in favour of vegetarian and vegan foods shows that sustainability and health have gained in popularity.

• Reconnecting with nature

Rejuvenation with methods like travel to destinations where one can unwind and relax can be very useful.

These are some of the trends on health that can make a difference. For all this to succeed one needs to have a positive mental makeup and willingness to try new methods. The future is bright because of the importance given to health by the community.