A digital twin is a virtual representation of an object or system that spans its lifecycle. It is updated from real-time data and uses simulation, machine learning and reasoning to aid in decision-making.
Deeper dive
In health care, digital twins are able to provide a secure environment for testing the impact of changes on the performance of a system. For example, digital twin technology can be used to model an individual’s genomic makeup, physiological characteristics and lifestyle to create personalized medicine. It also can be used to create a replica of a hospital, to study operational strategies, capacities, staffing and care models to determine what actions to take. Virtual models could assist in bed shortages, for example, or spreading of germs or staff or operating room schedules. This can help optimize patient care, cost and performance.
For more information and a video example, see https://www.challenge.org/insights/digital-twin-in-healthcare/.