Healthcare technology is making progress by leaps and bounds in every field. Many healthcare professionals are now employing information technology in healthcare research and practical applications to provide better patient service and access to big medical information data.
However, the question is, what is healthcare technology? What are the types of technologies used in the field of healthcare research? Moreover, what are the impacts of these technologies on the healthcare profession? This article highlights these technologies and their influence on the medical field.
What is Healthcare Technology?
Healthcare technology is the draft, maintenance, development, applications and utilisation of information technology. This technology is highly utilised in healthcare because it is advanced and highly adaptable. It also provides enhanced efficiency, better healthcare quality, better patient satisfaction response, improved inpatients health professionals and outpatient treatment satisfaction, minimum errors and lower costs.
There are several components of healthcare technology, and they include:
- E-prescribing (electronic prescribing)
- Security and privacy
- PHRs (Personal health records)
- EHRs (electronic health records)
Many research students are now employing healthcare technologies in their research work to provide and prove their practical demonstration. If you are facing difficulty documenting this technology, its applications and findings in your healthcare dissertation research, you can always seek help from experts using the technology.
Types of Healthcare Technologies Used:
The medical field has employed several healthcare technologies to provide better patient care services. These technologies include:
- Telehealth is a recent medical technology that aims to provide an online platform to patients where they can receive diagnosis and healthcare services. You should have access to the right platforms like CRM and website builder.
- Virtual reality (VR): To get fundamental knowledge and experience of human anatomy and surgical procedures, healthcare students mainly use this technology in healthcare research.
- Health wearable (HW): This technology highlights healthcare potential by tracking heart pace, heart rate, and cardiovascular abnormalities to prevent life-threatening conditions.
- Robotic surgery: This technology has made operations and surgeries feasible. It provides flexibility, precision and control to a doctor’s hand to operate non-invasively.
- Artificial organs: It is also called bioprinting. It is employed in the medical field to replace organs without undergoing transplant rejection.
- 3-D printing: This technology creates joints and implants for operation. It is also common in prosthetics to develop perfect limbs that offer more mobility and comfort.
Impact of Healthcare Technologies In The Medical Field And Research:
The section below explains the influence of information and digital technologies in healthcare research.
On-hand availability to medical professionals:
One of the significant advantages of healthcare technologies is their access to medical services and professionals. Healthcare officers can now reach their patients digitally. Currently, patients can get diagnoses virtually and do not need to cover long distances to go to the hospital. This technology has made communication between patients and healthcare officers easy and feasible.
Enhanced patient care:
Through these technologies, healthcare professionals can check the patient’s condition anywhere at any time. There is no need for them to visit the hospital daily for a routine check-up. Doctors can now virtually assess their heartbeat and other conditions and advise them according to their condition. In case of severe conditions, urgent services are provided as per requirement.
Moreover, patients can now check their health through pacemakers, monitors, and other gadgets. In extreme cases, they can readily be admitted to the hospital if necessary.
Through the technologies like Capsule Endoscopy cameras, doctors can now easily monitor the inside functions or anomalies of the patients during surgeries and operations.
Storage and access to big data:
Big data refers to the large amount of information that is difficult to handle and manage with traditional data storage methods. Healthcare professionals are now able to access and store data in a short amount. Healthcare “big data” enables thorough research investigations that benefit the entire industry. They now have more and more varied access to population groups. They can also use current studies to conduct complete and accurate meta-analyses.
Easy access to information:
It has become easy and convenient for healthcare professionals and patients to seek information regarding medicine and health through these technologies. Since the data is stored digitally, it proves cheaper and more feasible than manual patient data and health profile storage.
Electronic patient record:
Before, it was tiring and tedious for healthcare to manage patient records. A patient record file is necessary to provide a base for future operations. Through this data, doctors record the patient’s health and manage his medication. However, it took a lot of work to keep and order a 10 or 20 years old record. Through healthcare technologies, data storage and access have become feasible. You can now store data automatically using healthcare servers and even access 50 years old data for your healthcare research purpose.
Telemedicine:
Through this technology, the patient can now access healthcare services from home. They can seek diagnosis and advice in their comfort zone. This technology has provided patients with a platform to diagnose their symptoms, manage their medication, and seek professional assistance.
Cheaper health costs
Previously, not all patients could easily access healthcare services due to their high costs. Moreover, adding fuel, transportation, and medicine costs were like fuel to the fire. However, with these technologies, everyone can receive healthcare services anytime, anywhere, without consultation costs. These technologies have made healthcare services accessible to everyone.
Easy workflow:
Some of the most adversely affected allied health workers include medical coders and billers. The Bureau of Labour Statistics projects a 13% growth in demand for this sector between 2016 and 2026. Medical coders and billers have never had it more accessible, thanks to the development of EHRs.
Compared to paper-based approaches, recording data in a digital system takes substantially less time and lowers the possibility of financial and patient data errors. Medical coding specialists may operate remotely thanks to computerised patient records, which boost production and efficiency.
Conclusion:
Healthcare information technology has generally altered the way of healthcare research and services. In addition, this transition will persist in the years to come. Advances in artificial intelligence, pattern recognition, cryptocurrency, mobile medical apps, wearable, and a host of other technologies will affect healthcare. If healthcare organisations and professionals have an open mind and develop the appropriate infrastructure and procedures, there is no bound to how far modern technology can advance healthcare.