What is the Impact of Technology in Healthcare?

The application of technology has brought about several welcome changes in the field of healthcare in recent years. Once software companies truly understood this and incorporated physicians and clinical staff into product design, there was a sea change toward better technologies. The availability of intuitive mobile apps targeted treatments, and remote consultations with specialists have led to improved patient care. Moreover, the advent of the latest technology has also improved the outcome of several alternative healthcare practices.

Impact of Technology in Healthcare

 

Here are some key technology has made a significant impact in healthcare:


Health Record Digitization: Bulky and dusty paper files are now slowly making their way out to accommodate digital records. These digital records can be uploaded securely to the cloud and can be accessed remotely by healthcare professionals as well as patients. This makes it quick and easy to store, manage, and transmit data. More informed and better medical decisions can be taken because the professionals and patients have access to support for clinical decisions. Health record digitization also facilitates the delivery of efficient healthcare to remote areas that are inaccessible.

Mobile App Technology: Mobile apps are now a part of a common man's lifestyle. There are several medical apps that provide patients quick access to accurate medical information. These apps can also be used to receive reminders for taking medicines, keep track of doctor's appointments, etc. For people looking to get healthier, there are apps capable of offering customized solutions by tracking our activity levels and food intake. There are also apps for physicians that can reduce time spent on routine tasks such as filing and recording maintenance. Mobile apps are extensively used these days by physicians to improve diagnosis, solve problems, and access critical drug information. With the help of medical apps, the doctors can also interact with their patients directly, accurately record their vital signs, maintain patient consultation logs, and achieve greater procedural efficiency.

Better physician to physician communication: Used to be when a physician wanted to refer a patient, or get clinical input from a colleague, he or she called the physicians back line. Today, there are multiple secure messaging technologies that enable physicians to conduct an informal ('curbside') consultation with a colleague, use secure IM chat, and refer a patient from within the practice management or hospital system. These advances have eliminated the need for phone calls and phone tag, and have solved the problem of lost notes and phone messages; all communication is tracked and logged automatically.

Real-time visibility into patient status: Faxed and emailed patient census data, neither of which are sent to physicians in real-time, are fast being replaced with automated data tracking and alerting systems. These technologies alert physicians when a patient is admitted or discharged, or when they've been seen in the emergency department. Referred to as admission, discharge, and transfer (ADT) alerts, they have become a standard communication and quality of care standard in many health systems.

Telemedicine and Telehealth: Telemedicine is used now with great results to facilitate consultation between patients and specialists regardless of their location. This technological innovation helps overcome distance barriers and save lives by providing critical care in emergency situations. Telemedicine allows patients to receive home care and support by using telemedical devices. The store-and-forward feature in telemedicine helps transmit medical images, biosignals, and other information to a specialist for asynchronous consultations. Remote patient monitoring is another important benefit of telemedicine.

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