Over the years technology has had great advances especially in medical sciences. Among the areas of advancement is healthcare. The improvements in technology have made healthcare not only easy but more accessible for everyone. In some areas of how healthcare has improved are:
- Internet
- Access to patients is easier
- Better treatment
- Less suffering
- More efficiency in the workers
- Robotic Nurses Assistant
- Remote monitoring of patients
With the ease of access to the internet people can research medical conditions. While you should still see the doctor, the internet helps to make more empowered decisions. On the internet you can look up symptoms and check on various treatments. This helps you to know what questions to ask the doctor. Researching your diagnosis helps you to better understand what is going on with your body. Better understanding helps you to make better decisions on what to do next. Sometimes a doctor may not mention everything so being able to read about your condition helps you to understand it.
Social Media
Technology makes it easier to reach more patients. Doctors use social media to reach more people. Campaigns for better health can reach out further to more people. It has reached even the poorest of people. By reaching out to more people diseases are kept to a minimum. There are even sites where people can chat with both doctors and nurses. Reminders can be sent to remind people it is time for certain tests or vaccines. Advancements in the medical technology even helps people to have better treatment. There is electronic equipment that can help people to take their medications on time. By taking their medications on time their health improves and keeps them from having complications. Fewer complications means less suffering.
Databases
Doctors and nurses are more efficient. With online databases, all of a patient’s information can be accessed. Doctors can see the results of lab work and better know what the problem might be. They also access medications. Knowing what problems a patient has along with what medications they are taking helps doctors to make better informed opinions on what is wrong and what needs to be done. Patients can even access their own records or make an appointment with the doctor. Technology even helps with enterprise imaging. Imaging records such as those from radiology or x-ray are stored in an online database. Any doctor can pull up these images to look at when treating a patient. Saves both time and money.
The medical diagnosis is even more accurate. Before the advancement in technology doctors did not have all the patient?s information in one place. Patient records had to be transcribed before being placed into the chart. Delays in transcription often meant the doctors missed an important part of the record. This led to a wrong diagnosis. With the records being kept in an electronic database doctors now have all the information right at hand.
Robotics
Not only does technology help patients it also helps nurses in lifting patients. There are robotic nurse assistants that help keep nurses from getting injured. Most of the time there is no one around to help a nurse lift a patient. Lifting a heavy patient or not lifting correctly can cause nurses to get hurt. Robotic nurse assistants help keep nurses from injury. A full body robotic nurse’s assistant can lift the whole body of the patient. It can lift the patient to or from bed or even a wheelchair. Remote monitoring of patients include taking vital signs, blood pressure, heart rate and blood oxygen levels. This information is sent to health professionals. Doctors can act with the information received quickly. Not only does this help with faster treatment of the patient but also helps keep health care costs down. Patients who live too far to go to a doctor regularly can be monitored and treated.
Conclusion
Technology continues to advance. With this advancement it means better treatment for everyone. Better treatment means less suffering and fewer deaths because of complications that were missed.
