8 Ways by which Medical Technology is Reshaping Healthcare –
Medical records have benefited from faster communication networks as well. The number of hospitals and private practices using electronic medical records is increasing. As a result, switching providers for patients has become simpler and the filing process has been streamlined.
What is Medical Technology?
Medical technologies are items, treatments, or procedures intended to save and treat everyday life.
Medical technology, or “MedTech,” refers to a broad range of healthcare items that are used to treat human illnesses and disorders. With a faster diagnosis, less intrusive treatment choices, shorter hospital stays, and quicker therapy, these technologies are meant to improve the standard of healthcare provided. The focus of recent medical technology advancements has also been on cost-cutting.
Medical devices, information technology, biotechnology, and healthcare services are all types of medical technology. Ethical and social concerns are part of how medical technology is used. For instance, rather than reading subjective patient reports, physicians can use technology to find verifiable facts.
How medical technology is reshaping healthcare?
AI-using doctors have been proven to drastically reduce the number of incorrect diagnoses they make, resulting in their patients’ longer life expectancy, and better health. In this way, as it assists medical professionals in keeping people safe and enhancing patient outcomes, the importance of technology in healthcare will continue to expand.
8 Ways by which technology is reshaping healthcare
The use of technology in the medical field has always been significant, from nurses keeping clipboards of patient data to doctors utilizing stethoscopes to assess heart rates.
Yet, the use of technology in the healthcare industry has rapidly increased recently. Today’s technology improves care and safety while improving efficiency, effort, and expense for hospitals, healing treatments, and individuals.
Here is some technology that is reshaping healthcare are following:
- Augmented reality & Virtual Reality:
Augmented reality (AR) enhances a real-world scene, while Virtual Reality (VR) provides an interactive digital experience. While just 25% of AR is virtual, VR is 75% virtual. Unlike AR, VR requires a wearable device. While AR users interact with the real world, VR users navigate a wholly made-up reality.
This technology can also help with sophisticated surgeries like information processing and make it simpler for medical experts to get input on managing a specific ailment.
- Sensors and trackers for healthcare:
Consumers now have access to an increasing number of personal health gadgets, enabling them to take an active role in improving their awareness of their health.
These digital devices, which range from heart rate monitors and insulin monitors to motion trackers that track physical activity, can enhance general health and reduce the need for ER and doctor visits.
In the healthcare world, wearable technology refers to devices that individuals connect to their bodies in order to record health and fitness information that they may then share with their doctors, healthcare providers, insurers, and other pertinent parties. Fitness trackers, blood pressure monitors, and biosensors are a few examples.
- Wearables:
Another area where technology is transforming healthcare is wearables. Devices that can be taken to wear on the body are called wearables. They can track different types of health data in addition to the usual fitness data that they are used for.
Because they may be used to gather data on numerous health variables, wearables have a lot of potentials. The outcomes for patients can be improved by using this data.
Wearable technology, often known as “wearables,” refers to electronic devices that can be inserted into the body, worn as accessories, incorporated into clothing, or even tattooed on the skin.
- Medical tricorder:
A medical tricorder is a portable, movable diagnostic tool that allows users to examine their own medical issues and obtain simple vital signs. There are various stories of other researchers and innovators attempting to develop while also improving the technology, even if it is not yet widely available. The widespread consensus is that it will be a multipurpose device with Swiss Army Knife-like capability that can take non-invasive readings of pulse rate, humidity, and flow of blood. After processing the data, it would make a health assessment of the patient, either as a single sign device or as a connection to online medical databases.
- Artificial Intelligence:
AI can provide value in digitalizing or augmenting the job of employees and physicians. They can utilize AI as a tool to help health professionals perform better at their professions and enhance patient outcomes, and many repetitive operations will eventually become highly automated.
AI-using doctors have been proven to drastically reduce the number of incorrect diagnoses they make, resulting in their patients living longer, healthier lives.
In this way, as it assists medical professionals in saving lives and enhancing patient outcomes, the relevance of healthcare technology will continue to expand.
- Telehealth:
Doctors can provide patients with a convenient and pleasant means of receiving care through telehealth. They can video talk with a doctor anytime, anywhere, thanks to applications like iTriage and Doctor on Demand.
Telehealth not only saves time but also money by obviating office visits and facilitating quicker diagnoses. Additionally, it is more practical for those who limited transportation accessibility or cannot leave their own homes. For instance, iTriage provides online prescribed medications in more than 50 specialties.
- Advancing pharmaceutical development:
Industries can now create new pharmaceuticals more quickly than ever before by combining artificial intelligence, genetics, and other data.
Pharma firms are increasingly relying on technology to improve procedures because developing new pharmaceuticals can cost more than $1 billion.
AI assists researchers in identifying and focusing on possible treatment targets for genetic illnesses based on extensive phenotypic data, as opposed to traditional drug development, which has historically depended on trial-and-error approaches that can take decades or more.
- Robotics:
Another area where technology is transforming healthcare is robotics. Various jobs, such as surgery, rehabilitation, and diagnosis, are carried out by robots.
Because they can be utilized to execute delicate tasks with accuracy, robots have a lot of potentials. They can work for a long time without getting exhausted.
For both carers and patients, the healing process is becoming quicker, safer, and smarter thanks to medical robots. Due to the frequency and insufficient resources, medical robots benefit both nurses and healthcare teams. Robots provide patients with interaction, autonomy, and care planning.
