Technology is considered to be the driving force that is behind the majority of improvements in medical science and healthcare, and when you take a look at the rate at which technology and healthcare is advancing, along with recent innovations and improvements, it’s difficult to disagree with this observation. Health informatics students and professionals will undoubtedly agree that technology is having a huge impact on many aspects of our lives as a range of breakthroughs in areas such as data collection, research and treatments allow medical professionals to find new tools and fresh, innovative methods for practicing medicine in the future.
Improvements in Care and Efficiency
A key area of healthcare which has grown and continues to grow thanks to technology is patient care. The use of information technology has made patient care safer, helps to keep patient data more secure, and is more reliable in most applications. Nurses, doctors and other healthcare professionals on the front line are now regularly using handheld computers and other mobile smart devices to record important real-time patient data which is then shared instantly within a patient’s medical history. This is an excellent example of how IT and technology has improved the efficiency of healthcare. The ability to accumulate lab results, records of a patient’s vital signs and other critical data into one central area has revolutionized the level of efficiency and care that a patient can expect to receive.
Improved Healthcare and Disease Control
Development of specific software systems has allowed organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) to be better able to classify illnesses, their causes and symptoms into a huge data base that contains more than 14,000 individual codes. This resource allows for medical researchers and healthcare professionals to track, retrieve and utilize data to assist with the fight to control disease and to provide better outcomes in healthcare. Software also plays a vital role in tracking procedures and using online home care Medicare billing such as Carecenta systems which not only reduce the levels of paperwork involved, but also allow practitioners to use data to improve care quality and efficiency.
Better Accessibility
Thanks to the Internet and new technologies, healthcare is now more accessible than ever before to both patients and professionals. Patients are able to use the Internet to research their conditions, find treatments and medication, and network with other people for support and advice. Technology has made it possible for doctors and other healthcare professionals to get advice from other colleagues all around the world at the tap of a smartphone or click of a button, and this practice, known as telemedicine, has helped during natural disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquakes by allowing doctors to treat patients on site rather than needing to move them to a more sophisticated hospital. This level of communication between doctors and other healthcare professionals is highly effective in saving lives and providing better treatment to patients.
Has technology improved the level of healthcare you receive? Let us know in the comments.