Technology, the internet and computers have transformed almost all aspects of modern life, in everything from how we shop to how we communicate and watch media. However, while computers have enhanced most areas of life, it could easily be argued that the most startling and, ultimately, most advantageous benefits of today’s advanced tech have been seen in the healthcare industry.
Technology is now making huge advances in the way doctors and nurses can diagnose, manage and heal patient ailments and diseases - many of which were considered untreatable just a few years ago. From treatments for HIV and AIDS through to the recent development of the Coronavirus vaccines, tech is having a massive impact on today’s medical procedures and processes.
Ways tech is changing and refining healthcare
Computers and tech are revolutionizing healthcare, giving insights and understanding on levels previously unimaginable. Below are just a few areas that are seeing the greatest benefits:
Better, more accessible consultation, diagnosis and treatment: The web is slowly changing the way we interact with doctors with video conferencing consultations now becoming commonplace. Diagnosing clients over the web frees up valuable time and resources - on both the part of the medical practitioner and also the patient.
The use of smart apps and devices: Wearables and smart apps are giving us a better understanding of our bodies in everything from heart monitoring apps to glucose monitoring for sufferers of diabetes. Furthermore, this tracked information can be invaluable to healthcare professionals to give an accurate track history of complications as they develop.
A more unified industry makes for better therapies and drugs: Through sharing data over the web, medical practitioners and development companies can gain a better understanding of conditions, thereby producing improved treatments. For example, shared stem cell research has allowed the development of spinal cord and disc treatments, like those produced by bioxcellerator.com.
Improved care and efficiency: Where once doctors and nurses used to log records on paper, it’s now common for health professionals to use handhelds when recording patient data. This real-time information can then be compared with previous patient data to determine the most efficient and effective course of treatment. Also, having a centralized record of patient information allows other professionals to add their input, again improving care and vastly increasing efficiency.
Data used by scientists to produce new treatments: With such a huge library of patient data now available, scientists can design and develop better treatments based on the many rather than the few. Also, specialist software programs have helped scientists increase their understanding of diseases by studying huge swathes of data. For example, the World Health Organization (WHO) now has a database covering the causes and symptoms of diseases featuring over 14,000 individual codes. And there are many medical conferences that take place each year to further study different medicines.
Artificial Intelligence: Many experts predict that we’re merely seeing the tip of the iceberg in terms of how health professionals will treat common problems and diseases in the future. Modern Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning are already revolutionizing our understanding of the human body and problem conditions helping improve the range of available medication and treatments. As the use of AI in healthcare becomes more common, so the efficacy of these drugs will increase.
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