What was once unimaginable and a mere fantasy that we saw in movies has now become our reality thanks to advancements in technology. Whether it is the business world, the educational industry, our homes, the medical field, or any other aspect of our lives, the impact is phenomenal.
Today, we will discuss how this advancement in technology has affected the healthcare sector specifically. Has it made it better or has created some more problems?
Let’s take a deeper dive into whether technology is a boon or a bane for the healthcare sector.
Easier Access to Information
One of the biggest benefits technology has to offer in the healthcare sector is easier and faster access to information required for both healthcare professionals and patients.
No longer do hospitals and doctors need to completely rely on the need to keep physical records for patients with the introduction of EHRs. All the information can be easily stored digitally, saving up significant cost and space for hospitals. While physical storage is still necessary, a major portion is digitized, making it very convenient for doctors to access any information easily.
Moreover, if information needs to be communicated to another party, it can be done simply within seconds with the help of a good internet connection. This way, crucial time is saved and it helps doctors make critical decisions in time.
Better Patient Care
Taking care of patients has become significantly easier thanks to technology. Devices such as pacemakers, health trackers, and many others make it very easy for users to track their personal health.
In the case of any problems arising, the data monitored through these devices can easily be communicated to doctors who can diagnose what is wrong with a patient even remotely. Moreover, modern equipment available in hospitals has helped increase life expectancy.
Major surgeries that were previously impossible are now manageable with the help of equipment such as Capsule Endoscopy cameras, which can be easily swallowed by a patient. The camera can then be monitored by doctors to identify any issues inside the body.
Telehealth and Telemedicine
Telehealth and Telemedicine are the next evolution in the world of healthcare. Now patients can easily get in touch with their doctors from anywhere in the world. There are a number of great Telehealth platforms that can help patients get the help they need at just the right time from the comfort of their homes.
With the help of these platforms, patients can check for symptoms, track their medicine, contact specific doctors and do much more. They can also check to see if they are in need of certain medicine and order it there and then and get it delivered to their doorstep.
Personal Health Devices are Hack-able
While technology may have helped improve the healthcare sector overall, it also has some adverse impacts. For instance, personal health devices that are designed to maintain the health of patients can be damaging as well.
The modern medical devices mostly rely on the concept of IoT to function. These devices can be sometimes accessed by unauthorized parties to cause harm to a patient. While these devices are meant for good, they can be accessed and hacked, if not secured, for harmful purposes.
While technology may have helped the healthcare sector, it has also brought a set of new problems for healthcare professionals and society in general as well
Unfamiliarity with Technology
Not everyone is tech savvy. In fact, some patients may be adverse to using any technology in any form. Some patients are not properly equipped to understand the high-tech interfaces and functionalities of many of medical devices. Hence, it becomes difficult for them to operate these machineries on their own.
Consequently, they may end up misinterpreting the features of these technologies or run into difficulties figuring out how best to operate them, thus limiting the benefits. Seamless usage of such technologies depends on a patient’s own abilities, something which needs to be considered.
Conclusion
Having discussed all this, we would just like to say that everything in life has two sides to it. While technology may have helped the healthcare sector, it has also brought a set of new problems for healthcare professionals and society in general as well. If we want to take advantage of technology, we have to balance both the pros and cons.
