Top 7 Ways Technology Is Improving Healthcare
Technological development is now becoming “the new drive” for every sector. Many industries have already changed their functions to great extent with technologies. Why? Because technology is the key to success.
For surviving and winning in this technology-driven world, one industry must be well versed with the usage and updating of related technologies and gadgets. The Healthcare industry has been always slow when it comes to the adoption of technologies when compared to other industries.
This is because it deals with lots of crucial data and pieces of information which cannot be dealt with without cautiousness. No mistakes are afforded in the healthcare domain. That is why it is hesitant to some stretch.
Even though there are many restrictions and constraints in adopting newer technologies, the industry has made noteworthy steps, which helped the physicians to change the ways of practicing medicine and the services delivered to the patients.
The Role Of Electronic Health Records (EHR) Softwares And Telehealth In The Improvement
Not long ago, there have been a significant increase in the hospitals that started implementing electronic health record (EHR) systems, telehealth, etc.
The pandemic changed the lives of people around the world in a glimpse. As it impacted negatively for many, it definitely paved way for betterments in the healthcare industry.
This first raised concerns regarding access to medical services. And the technologies showed their way to the solution - “remote care” through telehealth.
People preferred remote healthcare services rather than traditional in-patient care as it protects them from the spread of diseases and saves their money and time from traveling.
On the other hand, electronic health records (EHR) software played a significant role in delivering better patient care. It provided services that helped to bridge the gap between the patients and their physicians.
There are more digital technologies and ways that lead to improvements in the healthcare sector. We present you the top 7 of the improvements here.
1. Increase in remote care
The pandemic made us rethink our ways to access healthcare services. Many preferred and still prefer door-to-door services. Remote care enabled by telehealth allows physicians to reach patients remotely using various amenities.
This involves simply recording the vitals of patients on a daily basis and sharing them with their physicians. This enables the patients to get regular check-ups and follow-ups without leaving the comforts of their homes.
The technology will become more streaming as developers are constantly trying to find new ways to make everything cost-effective and efficient.
RELATED: A Beginner’s Guide To Remote Patient Monitoring
2. Inter physician connectivity got enhanced
Interoperability is made easy by evolving digital platforms. Traditionally connecting and sharing medical information among physicians was done by paper mode and calls. Now everything is available just a click away.
Digital technologies allow easier and better communications. Findings show that new devices have reached the market for physicians to start off conversations and to share recent findings on their smartphones.
This perfectly helps in reducing the time taken to get in touch with colleagues.
3. Internet - has become the warehouse
According to a source, “One of the main uses of the internet is as an encyclopedic information resource. Surveys consistently show that 60-80% of world-wide-web users have used it to obtain health information. The internet has the potential to educate and empower the health consumer, by providing information on health and health services and supporting self-help and patient choice”.
More and more people are depending on or prefer to use the internet for everything. Especially when it comes to the healthcare domain, both the patients and doctors are assisted with the help of the internet. Internet is the foundation of work going on with everyone.
4. Increase in the usage of wearables, smartphones technologies for good
Wearables and smartphone-based devices play an important role in taking the healthcare industry to the rising ladder. Many smartphones allow applications that can track heart rates, hypertension, etc, which can be transmitted to the physician at any time.
Wearables like smartwatches and insulin trackers can track blood sugar levels, heart rates, oxygen levels, etc. These devices functions to help people in tracking their health on a daily basis and to avoid difficult emergency situations.
5. Helping pharmaceuticals in the improvement of their products
Electronic Health Records (EHR) enables pharmacies to connect with patients and physicians in order to perfect the prescribing process.
As EHRs are widely spreading and their access to vital patient data increases, access to more resources are being open to the pharmaceutical companies for making their product development decisions.
Some companies have already started to validate their products based on the effectiveness of the drugs rather than their usage of them. This paves way for the positive growth from the side of drug companies.
RELATED: E-Prescription- A Developer’s Guide
6. Better treatments and decision making
The clinical decision support system (CDSS) provided by EHRs helps physicians in making better judgments and perfect decisions when it comes to medical treatments, drug selections, and procedures.
Some studies show that computers can now offer input on X-rays and similar diagnostics to help physicians make more timely and informed decisions.
More polished medical practices help patients directly in healing and recovering. New technologies have helped in improving research, thus allowing the experts to make decisions in healthcare more efficiently than ever.
Check out our latest article "THE ULTIMATE GUIDE: CLINICAL DECISION SUPPORT & PATIENT OUTCOMES" to know how EHR plays a role in achieving better patient outcomes.
7. Accessing medical information - made easy
Telehealth, EHR, and many more platforms made access to information easy for both the providers and the patients. Everything’s available online now. It has become a common thing to search on the internet for details regarding symptoms one has.
Internet with the help of all these evolving technologies has answers for everything. But everything isn’t true. One must understand and keep that in mind doing such searches. Only a thorough investigation by the physician can confirm anything.
Anyways, the vast information availability made possible by the technologies has made and will tirelessly make the healthcare industry’s standard grow on a regular basis.
So, Let’s Conclude - What Should Practices Do?
Many studies and experts say that we are probably going to see a hike in the number of healthcare applications with this rate of advancement in technologies.
So particularly for the healthcare industry which deals with vital data and information, and has the ability to save lives, you as a practice must get used to the advancements and should update all your functions digitally.
Vozo is here to support you with this task. We deal with products that can make your practice more efficient than ever for your clients. Our EHR is the best cloud-based software for your practice. Let us tell you why.
Our EHR software has features like easy patient scheduling, patient medical record, telemedicine, patient portal, e-prescribing, customized templates, smart charting, patient messaging, and clinical decision support which are very much essential for better patient care delivery.
We also provide telehealth solutions for delivering care remotely. Visit our website to learn about more products provided by us.
“Let’s improve your practice’s efficiency with better technology, together”
