Healthcare And Technology: Do These Two Go Hand In Hand?
There is evidence of humans using suture techniques as early as the paleolithic age. They made needles out of bone, animal horn, and ivory. Archeologists discovered prosthetic devices that dated back to 950 BC in Egypt. The Romans and Syrians built hospitals in the 3rd century AD. Thus, the role of technology in the field of medicine is not new.
And the healthcare industry’s tryst with technology is continuing to date. From microscopes to X-rays, people in the medical field harness technological advances. The transistors that brought a sea of change to the electronic world have contributed to the invention of life-saving pacemakers. Below we discuss how technology makes healthcare more accessible, affordable, and reliable.
Health Informatics:
In a post-corona world, we are going to rely on Artificial Intelligence and Big Data to detect, track, and contain disease outbreaks. Information like hereditary factors, fitness levels, eating habits, detailed travel history, etc., are available readily, and the AI-based systems can process them quickly. In the case of an outbreak, the concerned authorities can check the places that you visited and the mode of transport that you used to pinpoint the spreader.
Now, there are digital wearables that could detect pulse rates, blood pressure, oxygen levels, and sleep patterns. These facilities come embedded in devices like watches and mobile phones. One need not go to a health clinic to know the glucose level; you can do it at home easily. It is also possible to monitor the functioning of the brain, and it helps treat conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
Big Data has a huge role to play in drug discovery and healthcare efficiency. In hospitals, maintaining records is an uphill task. This is where digital data handling comes to the rescue. The employees can feed the details in one application, and the central monitoring of data is feasible. It is also helpful in drug discovery. Medical experiments are of large scale and undergo scrutinization to check whether the drug is safe and effective. With data analytics, researchers can speed up the process of vaccine discovery.
Remote patient monitoring and telemedicine:
Telemedicine and digital therapy are among the fastest-growing fields in the healthcare industry. People living in remote areas may not have access to medical expertise, and at times, the patients may not be able to travel. Even in cities, remote consultations are picking up, as people prefer to avoid traffic and pollution. In such situations, it is useful when doctors can examine the patients remotely via video calls and live streaming. These facilities reduce hospitalization rates, and patients can avoid ICU treatments. It also saves cost when the patients have chronic illnesses and require long term monitoring.
Medical experts can remotely guide sports persons on fitness and diet. It is also convenient for people following special supplement programs like dianabol canada. With the emergence of 4G and 5G communication technologies, mobile and internet connectivity has become faster, making telemedicine more reliable. In the pandemic time with the movement restrictions that we are facing, virtual guidance and treatment from doctors have saved the lives of many people.
3D Printing:
From creating low-cost prosthetics to manufacturing synthetic skin, 3D printing has a variety of applications in the medical field. Custom-designed low-cost prosthetics made with this technology are highly successful. Scientists have successfully created blood vessels, heart tissues, and valves, ear cartilage, etc. They use 3D models of cancer cells to understand their growth and behavior. Doctors are successful in implanting polymer-based 3D printed implants for the skull bones and spinal cord discs. The industry has also manufactured a range of 3D printed medical equipment like umbilical cord clamps, surgical guides.
Advanced surgical equipment and ultra-fast scans:
Surgical procedures are becoming minimally invasive due to robotic control and on spot scan results. The process involves sending a micro-instrument through a tiny incision, and the doctors operate by viewing the surgical site on a high-resolution 3D console. It now applies to cardiac, ENT, neuro, and thoracic surgeries. These methods intend to decrease the pain and hospitalization time for patients. It is also possible to live stream the operation via the internet for learning purposes. Doctors have also succeeded in placing stem cells for driving regeneration.
In cases of heart ailments, cancers, or neural problems, one may not show any symptoms in the early stages. Often the external symptoms vary. In such cases, medical imaging techniques help doctors to pinpoint the root cause. With the latest advancements, doctors can detect minute tumors, take multiple images of the heart during a single heartbeat, etc.
Final Thoughts:
Technology plays a crucial role in modern health care systems and procedures. Today in the operation room, the nurses need to have digital skills as data recording and patient monitoring are being automated. People believe that a computerized process is more transparent and direct. One can claim bills online, and it minimizes cost variance problems.
From the health perspective, treatment procedures are being simplified while enhancing early detection of ailments.
