How Is Technology Improving Healthcare?

Technology doesn’t always get the respect it deserves. All too often, we’re talking about things like how kids are getting addicted to their smartphones, or the perils of social media, or the rise of cyber crime. Yet, while all of those things are, of course, unwelcome, it’s important to remember that technology has, overall, had a positive impact on the world. And this is felt especially keenly in certain key areas, such as healthcare.

In this blog, we’ll take a look at some of the key ways that technology has improved, and continues to improve, healthcare.

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Remote Health Checks

We think that everyone lives in cities these days, and thus nearby to a hospital, but that’s not the case. There are still plenty of people that live in rural areas, and many of these people, due to their age, are more likely to have health problems. Technology has provided an outstanding benefit to these people in that it allows them to speak to a doctor remotely, via video. Even in the city, this has advantages. For example, it means that potentially infectious people don’t have to visit a health facility directly.

Improved Infrastructure

Humans are pretty good at healthcare, it’s true, but it shouldn’t be forgotten that it’s still highly complicated business. If you were to say you were going for an x-ray, you’d assume that the doctor would just instantly know what they’re looking at. But this isn’t the case. X-rays have historically been hard to analyze, but in recent years, technology has helped improve things considerably. Treatments have also been aided by technology. For example, thanks to things like medical refrigerators with a wifi temperature sensor, medicines are able to be stored much longer than in days gone by. This ultimately leads to greater access to medicines for people in all corners of the globe.

Greater Data

Technology has meant that medical experts are much better at preventing potentially costly conditions from materializing by intervening before they become problems -- or even pronounced enough to be diagnosed. While it's still in its infancy, the practice of analyzing data to predict which health conditions a person may develop has shown great promise. Data also allows the patient the opportunity to take control of their health. For instance, with wearable tech, they can monitor things like their heart rate and blood pressure, things that they would usually need to see a professional for.

Faster Results, Less Anxiety

It’s one thing to go into a hospital for testing; it’s another having to wait and wait for the results. Hospitals are busy places, and even if the results are through quickly, there’s no guarantee that the patient will get the results just as quickly. With technology, reports can be securely uploaded to a portal that the customer can access.

Improved Training

Surgeons have also benefited greatly from technology, especially virtual reality technology. This allows them to practice a procedure again and again, before they need to perform the surgery on a real patient.