Dyana Macalino
September 15, 2018
In the world of technology, computers and machines play a crucial role in many fields. Healthcare is one of the industries where technology has made things easier and more efficient for doctors, patients, hospitals, and healthcare providers. Not so long ago, everything had to be done on paper - hospital records, transactions, and availing medical insurance benefits to name a few. As medical technology improves, countless lives are saved and quality of life improves. Let’s take a look at how technology has changed healthcare for the better.
Cloud computer technology allows companies to store data via cloud-based servers at reasonable costs. Encrypted data adds security to prevent theft, hacking and unauthorized access. Moving client records from storage cabinets and papers to servers saves companies space and money from buying more cabinets and drawers as clients increase. The way we share, analyze, and store data has improved and made things simpler.
As technology integrates its way into the healthcare system, new laws are created to protect the privacy of clients. The Data Privacy Act is an example. It aims to protect the confidential information of all parties involved and provide privacy in the digital world. Providers and healthcare administrators must comply with a set of standards when implementing mobile apps and collecting data of their clients. Emails, contact numbers, birthdays, and health records must stay private within the network involved.
New innovations in medicine helps enhance the quality of life of many patients. More comfortable scanning equipment and monitoring systems saves time and effort on both the patient and doctor. The patient can enjoy their life more while doctors have an easier way to check and observe their patients. The development of robotic surgery also aids doctors in doing their job. With robotic surgery, images are enhanced, magnified and can be viewed in 3D. Surgery with a machine can provide more precise and accurate operations and enter parts of the body that cannot be reached by a hand alone. Robotic surgery can also lead to a shorter recovery period for the patient. The integration of robotic surgery in medicine can maximize the skills of a doctor combined with the precision of a machine.
Medical scientists and researchers constantly study new ways to prevent, cure, and treat diseases as well as develop new drugs, pharmaceuticals and vaccines. New medicines are created to treat a number of existing illnesses while vaccines provide better protection and can prevent a sickness before it occurs. There is always some new, here is always some new, state-of-the-art machine being invented whose goal is to improve the way healthcare works. Some top innovations include 3D printing, upgraded bioprosthetics, leadless pacemakers, augmented reality for robotic surgery, and the increasing popularity of telehealth, a way for patients to communicate with their doctors from the comfort of their home.
There are still many areas of healthcare where technology can adapt and improve. From mobile health apps which can monitor exercise and health data, storage of medical records using a universal server, development of new machines to aid doctors and researchers, there is plenty of room for progress. Only time will tell what innovations will be created to enhance the healthcare industry.
