More often than not, advances in technology take place out of necessity rather than organic evolution. However, current concerns about pandemic-related treatments have pointed the finger at the glaring need for reform and technological innovations when approaching healthcare in the world. Increases in aging populations, rise in healthcare costs, and uneven balances between supply and demand are just some of the obtrusive issues facing global society and the medical community today.
It’s a foregone conclusion that Covid-19 testing has revolutionized healthcare practices and made a considerable contribution to the advances in medical technology. While it’s regrettable it took a global pandemic to move medical procedures into more modern and efficient directions, there’s no mistaking that advancements have a multi-level impact on global healthcare and business.
Whether you are a business owner, entrepreneur, or consumer, these technological innovations in healthcare are noteworthy. Technology is the fundamental factor in supporting better health practices and providing solutions to major concerns that threaten the wellbeing of our global society. To illustrate, here are a few top medical technology trends that are revolutionizing how we work, play, and live in modern society.
Personal and Wearable Medical Devices
Wearable technology has surged in popularity with consumers concerned about their health due to its flexibility and ease of use. Millennials and Baby Boomers alike now take advantage of wearable medical devices to monitor vitals and keep a constant check on their overall health. Some of these devices are physician-prescribed heart monitors for cardiovascular patients who need 24/7 evaluation of cardio behavior. These monitors remotely send data electronically from the device to the patient’s medical e-file. This gives physicians a complete analysis of a condition without patients losing several days hooked up to monitoring machines in the hospital. Other forms of wearable medical devices are for issues if you’re hard of hearing or deaf, if you need more research on hearing aids cost, there are many online resources available to you.
Other technological advances are found in general consumer devices such as the FitBit or the Lumen. Both of these devices use sensors and technology to provide the individual with blood pressure levels, heart rate, calorie intake, and more. These personal wearable devices are helpful for prevention and self-diagnosis. In turn, these health monitoring tools are crucial to reducing health risks because they can alert the user about health levels so they may make adjustments to stay healthy. Furthermore, when individuals are more aware of their daily biological statistics such as BMI, metabolism readouts, and blood sugar levels, they are empowered to improve their health. Consequently, this results in fewer doctor visits, and a significant reduction in healthcare costs.
Medical Mobile Phone Apps
While wearable medical devices contribute to improved health in monitoring daily bodily functions, not everybody can afford them or even think they are necessary. However, a current census shows that over 5 billion people around the world own a mobile device. That means over half the world’s population owns a mobile phone which ups the technological game for proactive healthcare.
Today, anyone with a mobile phone can download a medical app and begin improving their health instantly. The benefits of medical phone apps include enhanced patient safety, accurate health monitoring, better communication between patient and provider, and proactive medication adherence in patients. Thanks to modern technology, these medical mobile phone apps contribute to people living fuller, healthier, longer lives.
Online Doctor Visits
Covid-19 restrictions revolutionized medical technology in terms of how people interact with their medical providers. The pandemic forced physicians and medical clinics to conduct diagnostic checks online through intake forms instead of in-person office visits. More and more, this has become a welcome ‘new norm’ in the medical industry. For example, visiting doctors online has significantly reduced the cost of co-pays and medical bills.
Furthermore, online sessions with doctors or nursing staff have lowered carbon footprints as fewer people drive to the doctor’s office, thus improving the environment with fewer vehicular green gas emissions. The convenience of online diagnosis has grown into prescription services, emotional and behavioral therapy, and even ‘house call’ virtual visits for minor diagnoses of colds or allergies. Medical technological advancement has helped millions worldwide who cannot leave their homes for economic or health reasons.
Mobile Healthcare Units
Technology is playing a massive role in improving the health of citizens in third-world countries or areas of severe poverty. For example, there is, on average, only one physician for every 6,000 people in certain regions of India. Mobile technology allows health practitioners to electronically diagnose these people in their villages using laptops and cutting-edge diagnostic equipment. The data gathered is then sent to major medical centers, where treatments are distributed to these impoverished people in need.
These revolutionary medical advancements reduce the spread of infectious diseases as well as decrease the event of premature deaths. Furthermore, were it not for improvements in medical technology, organizations such as Doctors Without Borders would be severely limited in their practices in remote destinations. Technology provides medical professionals and diagnostic testing facilities the ability to exchange health information at the press of a button, which means better healthcare on a global scale.
Cloud-Based Medical Data Exchange
In the not-too-distant past, medical records were exclusively paper-based. Paper patient files were the only record of vital information, and these were often locked up in dusty cabinets in doctor or hospital file rooms. Today, thanks to increased databases, improved cloud storage, and better electronic data exchange platforms, patient medical data can be obtained easily and within an instant.
The old paper file paradigm was incredibly fallible, causing a myriad of confusion in the paper shuffle for answers about a patient’s unique medical needs. Alternatively, cloud-based storage for patient files is a tremendous improvement, as it has proven effective in eliminating confusion about diagnosis, medications, and prognosis. Consequently, there are fewer reports of complications or misdiagnosis since the inception of cloud-based patient data, which means fewer medical challenges and even fewer deaths due to clerical errors.
About the Global Impact of Medical Innovations in Technology
While living in the digital age has its complications, the reality is that technology has made a massively positive impact on healthcare worldwide. From reducing gas house emissions to home health monitoring, prevention, and early detection, the future of healthcare shows extraordinary promise for improved global wellness.
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