The technology has become an integral part of our daily lives. It has a positive impact on the medical and healthcare fields. It is a fact that the technology has saved many, many lives. The best thing about technology is how it continues to improve. It’s constantly improving with new and improved treatment, better tools for diagnosing, and painless and fast healing procedures.
The chances of a better outcome have increased with new treatments, resulting in an improvement of quality of life for patients. We have outlined some of the recent technological advances in this article.
Digitalized Health Records
Digitalized data recording replaces the dusty, old paper files. No more digging through the pile of old files to find the patient’s records.
All uploaded data is stored in the cloud, and can be accessed by all healthcare professionals and stakeholders. You won’t need to wait hours for your next regular checkup. Nurses and technicians enter all information into the digitalized systems.
Medical coders can use this system to update patient records and send the medical history of the patient to insurance companies. The patients can also access the information by clicking on the mouse or tapping the screen of their smartphones. They won’t need to read the unreadable handwriting. It’s a huge relief for the layman.
Robotics
You might need to reconsider your belief that robots will replace humans. You’re right! In the future you will see “robot nurses” and not just robots. They are not here to harm you, but rather help.
Robot nurses can assist doctors during surgeries, disinfect the room, give medications and more.
In the near future, these machine-operated nurses will have a major impact. These machines must pass all safety regulations, just like any other mechanical or electrical device used in hospitals.
China is still way ahead. China was asked to help a hospital in Thailand with the increasing number of patients. China responded by sending Nan, Nim and Nee – three robot nurses – to help with this task. They spent the day sorting documents, dealing patients and performing all administrative duties. What a cool idea!
Medical Mobile Applications
Patients can also access their medical records on their smartphones, in addition to the digitalized records. You can track all your data and get reminders for your next doctor’s visit, as well as reminders to take your medication on time.
These apps are not only useful, they can save lives. It sounds strange, doesn’t it? Siri, the iPhone’s popular assistant, saved a man by name Nate Felix last year. Nate Felix said that when his jeep crashed, he was stuck with his dog in the vehicle. He tried to call for help on his phone but was unable to do so. Siri answered the call. The rescue team arrived in no time. Yes, your mobile phone can save you.
Cloud Computing and Big Data
You may have heard the buzzword cloud in different industries. Healthcare is not an exception. The ability to store large and heavy data is now possible thanks to big data. Information is used to analyze, predict an outbreak and prevent deaths.
The data was vital and it needed to be scaled, secured and kept cost-effective. The cloud was introduced. Cloud stores and delivers services via the internet using both software and hardware. This allows healthcare professionals to access all information anywhere and anytime.
Improved Patient Care
RFID (radio frequency identification) can be used to track vital signs and body temperatures of patients.
In the same way, technology has completely improved many aspects of the healthcare industry. Virtual reality devices, for example, are used to help patients with mental illness recover from surgery and reduce their anxiety. Virtual reality can also help surgeons perform intensive operations.
Gene therapy and robotic knees have been introduced for cancer patients.
Telemedicine
Telemedicine, or “telehealth”, is the same as what is called a two-way consultation or video communication. It is used across many fields, including cardiovascular healthcare.
Telemedicine allows patients to consult their doctor virtually, no matter where they are on the planet. This method is ideal for traumatic situations, and it reduces the death rate. Telemedicine allows medical images, biosignals, and other vital data to be easily transmitted to a specialist. This allows the specialist to have synchronous consultations.
The process is fast and efficient and it saves patients, particularly the elderly, the trouble of running back to the doctor when they travel.
Information and Communication Technology
In recent years, this sector of healthcare also improved rapidly. The research studies, diverse populations, and surgeons’ and doctors’ access to these data are all readily available. This gives them a better understanding of diseases, genetics and treatment outcomes.
The doctors can compare the data of one patient with that of another. This allows them to identify the risk factors, and then come up with the appropriate treatment options to cure the illness.
Conclusion
The technology can transform lives. Unfortunately, not all countries can benefit from this blessing at the moment. The developed countries tend to be the ones who benefit, improving their healthcare system. Meanwhile, developing nations are catching-up. These facilities are desperately needed in countries like Africa. If this improvement continues in the healthcare industry, then humans will be able fight any disease.