With the relentless growth of technology, new and improved products appear daily. Many things have changed due to innovation, and their effects can be felt everywhere.
The healthcare industry is one of many that has advanced due to technology. These instruments have altered how clinics and hospitals operate. Access to health care, an enhanced customer experience, and far more effective procedures are now available to us.
The utilization of technology and innovations created to enhance any facets of the medical system is referred to as “health tech,” which is the compressed form of healthcare technology. Our guide will demonstrate what it is and how it can be utilized, from telemedicine to robotic-assisted surgery.
Let’s take an overview of Healthtech
Medicine is as old a practice as it gets. Humans have been taking care of each other for centuries. Many milestones have been achieved since then. First, the invention of anesthetic elements made most surgery painless. But a revolution of a massive level happened when technology entered the scenario. Most of the manual work got taken over by technology.
Telecommunications and computer technology have significantly changed how practitioners practice medicine and extended available treatments.
Despite discussions about the potential use of technology in healthcare dating back to the early 1960s, the technology was originally too costly and majorly unreliable for health providers to rely on. Regulations and standard protocols were developed as technology advanced and costs decreased to incentivize healthcare institutions to adopt new equipment for daily record keeping and surgical supplies, such as radiology machines.
How has technology revolutionized the healthcare system?
Earlier, keeping records on paper was the only way to keep track of patients, bills, and supplies. Things have changed dramatically now. Everything has shifted to a digital platform now. We now have EHRs, or electronic health records, that are several times better than manual record keeping. It has not only decreased the workload but also improved efficiency and productivity.
It is increasingly common to interact with patients and develop a step-by-step approach using systems such as the EHR or other cutting-edge technology. In healthcare settings, smartphones and tablets are as common as using a stethoscope or a surgical knife. It is the perfect marriage of technology and medicine.
But one significant issue digital records have brought about is gathering many unassimilable and unorganized data. Most healthcare organizations presently have access to many statistics that might be used to enhance their procedures and operational practices. Still, they may need the means or knowledge to do so. Healthcare firms can use innovative techniques like AI, Blockchain, and cloud computing that employ machine learning to identify patterns in massive amounts of data.
Technologies used in the healthcare sector:
The applications of technology in healthcare are countless. Health tech is used in everything from formal hospital procedures to medical research and surgery to increase industrial productivity while making patient satisfaction as comfortable as possible.
AI or Artificial Intelligence
AI has made the healthcare sector a peaceful one. A lot of the burden on healthcare practitioners has been reduced, so now they can work hand in hand with technology to create a better future for humans. Healthcare is a ginormous industry with even more ginormous data. The population is rising every moment, and so does their health issues. If we were to collect, store and retrieve the data manually, it would take us years. Thanks to AI, it is taken care of. Additionally, engineers have been working on AI and robots that can perform surgery along with surgeons. Most of this technology is still in the beginning stage, but it has yet to create a butterfly effect.
EHR or Electronic Health Records
As we mentioned, times have changed, and everything has gone digital now. Gone are the days when people would write down everything on paper and maintain records manually. While some records are kept manually, EHR has taken over most record keeping work. EHR has not only improved healthcare practice tremendously but has also eliminated the chances of errors that were prevalent when records were maintained manually. The various activities in medical practice now incorporate EHR technologies. Specifically prescriptions, medication, and paperwork, to name a few. With the help of these systems, data handling, operational efficiencies, and clinical services have all experienced considerable improvements.
Blockchain
Many money and data transactions happen within the internal network of the healthcare industry. By using world-class technology such as Blockchain, it is easier to track where and with whom the data and resources are being shared. In the healthcare industry, any information, no matter how small, contains significant weightage. It is therefore essential to save and retain every information about the patients, money, and medical equipment.
Using Blockchain also decreases the risk of data breaches or sensitive information landing in the wrong hands.
Blockchain is a groundbreaking healthcare technology that offers a consumer-centered method for securely collecting, verifying, and sharing health information. Most blockchain platforms provide a shared ledger of data that can not be altered without creating a new document copy. In addition to offering total visibility and compatibility across various, distributed, and widely dispersed healthcare systems, the technology can protect the privacy and preserve patient data.
Virtual or Augmented Reality
Previously, virtual reality or augmented reality was mostly employed in the entertainment sector to improve the user experience. After that, it was used in the fields of design and healthcare. Both healthcare professionals and patients have benefited from the multi-sensory encounter.
The schooling of physicians is one of the other fields of medicine where this technology is employed, as it produces a realistic atmosphere that makes learning and education more engaging. Both the treatment of patients and the teaching of medical professionals benefit from VR technology.
Final Thoughts
Technology in the healthcare world has revolutionized the entire industry. The functions performed manually after dedicating multiple hours can now be done with a button click. Health practitioners can now focus more on patients as technology can easily handle many tasks.
