Technology continues to evolve at high speed, no one and nothing can stop it. From the look of things, the coming years will see every area of our lives transformed through the power of digital inventions.
This implies that we should be ready to embrace the possibilities of technical know-how revolutionizing the world further.
The healthcare industry is one central area in which technology continues to impact significantly. Based on Mckinsey, technology-based innovations improve medical practitioners’ understanding of patients.
The innovations also have the capacity to deliver more convenient and individualized healthcare. Thus, technical knowledge is predicted to create value between $350 billion and $410 billion annually by 2025.
The enhanced and digitized healthcare sector has helped save many lives. Patients can now access some of the best treatments, including advanced diagnostic tools and minimally-invasive procedures. Such has resulted in reduced pain and faster recoveries.
There’s also relief amongst the workforce in the medical sector. Various aspects of technology have eased the workload for the staff who were initially overworked and stressed.
Indeed, technology has brought massive changes to this significant industry. There are different ways that technical know-how continues to transform the healthcare system. Let’s find out more below.
How is Technology Transforming the Healthcare Sector?
- Patients Can Take Charge of Their Health From Home
Patients can now take charge of their health, courtesy of advanced technical knowledge. Nowadays, whenever you feel something is amiss with your health, you don’t have to rush to the hospital immediately. Instead, you can take the first steps of checking your vitals right in the comfort of your residence.
You can check your blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen levels, and temperature to see what might be wrong. With simple devices, you get to understand your health better.
- Advanced Sensors Make Diagnostics Easier
Sensor technology is now here to improve the healthcare sector through diagnostics in medical applications. They contribute to enhanced health and safety of the people.
The varieties of advanced sensors used to measure health can be integrated in the bathroom, toilet, mirror, or anywhere else found suitable.
These sensors then connect to a digital platform, which works by:
- Interpreting the data,
- Identifying particular trends,
- Predicting health issues, and then
- Offering personalized advice.
For example, the advanced sensor is integrated into a smart bathroom. It then measures blood pressure, temperature, or hydration status non-invasively and regularly. Most people may have the device incorporated into their bathtubs.
Imagine getting information on your blood pressure or hydration status while in your modern copper soaking tubs. It’s incredible. Indeed, integrating the advanced sensors in your tub can offer means to measure such crucial health indicators. Integrating the sensors in your copper tubs is also ideal as you are most relaxed, as such, the sensors will generate near ideal data as well.
It doesn’t matter the type of tub you have. In this case, any form of a bathroom with copper tubs is suitable, whether you have:
- Hammered copper tub
- Antique copper tub
- Clawfoot copper tub
- Vintage copper tubs
- Large copper tubs
So, the sensor helps measure different health biomarkers to give personalized feedback. Many people stand amazed at what technology can do. In fact, this is one goal of the smart bathroom for health.
The technology serves as a research platform. It helps in:
- Collecting objective health data from home
- Early detection of diseases
- New dietary interventions
Connecting to digital platforms then enables data analysis and interpretation. The results allow the identification of a trend that helps predict possible health issues.
- Smart Home Technology Enhances Patient Healthcare Management
Smart home technology is also making a huge difference in patient healthcare management. Doctors can now use remote monitoring to track your health. This gives patients more accessible care that they need without much effort.
Physicians can use home technologies to check the status of chronic conditions like heart ailments and diabetes. These devices include:
- Heart rate monitors
- Blood pressure monitors
- Blood sugar monitors
- Electrocardiography (electrocardiogram, or EKG)
With such incredible technologies, patients may receive full treatments from home. This is beneficial, especially to seniors who find it challenging to take trips to the doctor.
How else is smart home technology working out for patients?
- Emergency response. This is one of the significant elements for seniors and those with adverse medical conditions. Smart home technology in the form of emergency response makes it easier to call for urgent help. Sensors help alert caregivers, for example, in case of unusual movement patterns amongst the elderly, which may trigger their falling.
- Communication technology. Communication between patients and healthcare providers is very crucial. Smart home technology makes it much easier for seniors to converse with their care providers, family, and friends. You can use video conferences for check-ins. Alexa and Google Assistant also allow patients to make calls and receive answers to their questions right from home.
- Big Data Enhances the Future of the Overall Healthcare Industry
Data now proves to be one of the most crucial components of technology. The healthcare sector manages to create and store tons of valuable data every day. Without technology, this wouldn’t be possible.
MedicMedical practitioners like medical technicians use the information to produce invaluable insights. It’s also easier now to manage the data generated. Big data allows the entire healthcare industry to benefit from in-depth research studies.
Practitioners can access broader and more diverse population groups. They can also draw conclusions from the existing studies. This allows for comprehensive meta-analyses.
Patient information is usually sensitive. One significant challenge for the healthcare sector has been keeping the info safe. Maintaining client data in physical folders and hard drives no longer seems to work. It’s now easier for hackers to access the files, leading to data breaches.
However, the adoption of cloud technology has brought in a perfect solution. With this invention, the administrators can give access only to those who should see the data. This technology also allows the easy sharing of info. More so, the health providers can share the data from anywhere.
Remote access means having permission and the correct password to key into the shared data. So, patients benefit from quick handling of their health care matters. Other innovations like blockchain technology and encryption enable safe data storage from third-party eyes. This is crucial, especially when exchanging information among various parties.
Such data insights are also significant for drug dispensation. Pharmacists can follow up on patient history and look for the medication trends. As a result, it becomes easier to advise patients on appropriate dosages. Data usage eliminates guesswork from the entire process.
Key Takeaways
Technology is evolving at an astounding rate and transforming important sectors like healthcare. The transformation has enhanced patient and medical practitioners’ experience from improved operational efficiency to patient care standards.
Innovations like big data enable healthcare professionals to stay on top of medical trends and techniques. This allows for the automatic identification of risk factors and recommendations of appropriate preventative treatments.
It also allows the comparison of patient details with data from millions of other patients. The practitioners do this while also reducing costs and improving the quality of patients’ lives.
Indeed, it’s incredible to look back and see how far we have come technologically. With cutting-edge technology, what else can we ask for in the healthcare industry? We can only smile and wait for what the future has in store.
