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    1. Surgical/Critical Care
    2. Med-Surg Equipment

    Integrated operating rooms to grow exponentially with virtual reality and artificial intelligence

    July 2, 2019

    The operating room (OR) is transforming from a seemingly simple box into a technology-powered, infection-free, and sleek surgical environment, says a new analysis from Frost & Sullivan. The firm says the new-age OR will be able to utilize intelligent and efficient delivery options to improve the precision and predictability of services offered. Robotic-assisted surgery devices (RASDs) is one example, according to the report, which it says will greatly help drive the $4.50 billion U.S. and EU5 hospital OR products and solutions market toward $7.04 billion by 2022.

    "By 2022, 35 percent to 45 percent of ORs across the world will become integrated ORs. After 2030, with the availability of multiple home care devices, ORs will shift toward a hub-and-spoke model, with the OR being the hub,” said Bejoy Daniel, Senior Industry Analyst, Transformational Health in the statement. "Approximately $30 billion worth of integration opportunities are likely to become available to healthcare and non-healthcare companies by this period when ORs make the transition from regular rooms to an integrated environment."

    The OR services segment is highly fragmented, said the report, adding that there is more potential in Europe than the United States. However, it says approximately 70 percent to 75 percent of the major hospitals have adopted OR management solutions across both countries. For more growth opportunities, market participants could:

    ·   Foster partnerships with medical device and technology companies to deliver products and services across a larger customer base.

    ·   Adopt virtual reality (VR) in medicine to increase volumes of well-planned and cost-effective precision surgeries.

    ·   Employ Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms. For instance, Google is investigating predictive analytics to reduce readmission and identify potential patient risks.

    ·   Provide patient-centric services that are not necessarily aligned to clinical outcomes.