The technology boom has disrupted almost every industry in the globe. Health care and the medical fraternity has not been left behind either.
Technology in healthcare has played a massive role in various successes of modern times. Different medical bodies around the world have played their part excellently. They have made sure new technologies are incorporated into their practice for better service delivery. A lot of industries are usually skeptical about new technologies, but the health care system has handled this well enough.
Health technology has not only assisted in treatment. It has also helped researchers to a large extent. It has now become easier to view and get to know new components better courtesy of technology.
Ever since technology was integrated into the healthcare system, massive strides have been made regarding new products. Some tech products like x-ray machines were viewed as life-changing products. It is true, but with modernity, we’re able to see more sophisticated tools performing procedures we would only have as imaginations.
We will take a look at ways by which technology has grown over time to come in handy for patients, especially at home.
Consumer Technology in Healthcare
Technology has also facilitated faster and more accurate methods of testing and diagnosis. The period between screening and getting results was long and often made patients succumb to the ailment. In some cases, the disease did more damage before it was known.
Tech has but come to the aid of such issues by cutting down the time you had to wait before getting your results. Many lives have been saved by knowing the disease earlier and also getting accurate results.
Below are some of the ways technology has taken service delivery to the next level.
1. Telehealth
A lot of people tend to use their smartphones to monitor and take charge of their health. A lot of mobile applications are being created to cater to the needs of such people. Telehealth is the most widely used consumer technology in healthcare.
It has come in handy as one of the primary excuses for not visiting the doctor and taking early tests has been a lack of enough time to do so.
Many health apps have the capability of giving you feedback. Feedback about the activities you indulge in. There are a variety of mobile health applications around. Some remind you to exercise and drink enough water while others measure your weight and give you your BMI to maintain a healthy living.
Some apps have the capability of testing your heart rate and blood pressure. You can do that from the comfort of your home.
Consultation has also been made easier. This is due to the various mobile platforms that can link you to professionals. You can either call in or request teleconferencing to get the required medical advice without visiting the hospital. It provides room for closure and privacy.
Services like these have immensely cut down on cost by saving you the hustle of booking appointments and going to the hospital.
2. Artificial intelligence
Like many other fields, artificial intelligence is also calling shots in the medical world. AI is helping save a lot of lives from home through different methods. Its primary role, however, is how it aids communication between a respondent and a database in mobile apps.
Many apps have virtual doctors that you’re not able to see. Artificial intelligence has made this possible, making the ‘doctors’ stay in contact with you and monitor your health regularly. They even remind people about scheduled appointments in some instances.
It’s, but, the capability of AI to analyze data that makes it unique from other digital health functions. Once data has been fed on the database, programs are made to evaluate various disease probabilities to help in diagnosis.
As you’re using your health app, you can key in your symptoms, and AI robots will search the database and offer you your diagnosis. The robots are also in charge of the online storage of your medical history. It can only be retrieved once you answer some questions to prove your identity for security reasons.
3. Virtual Reality
Virtual reality has been able to help patients at home by providing a complete set of a new and unique environment. Patients with chronic pain highly received it. VR provides a patient with something different to focus on hence driving a lot of attention from the pain.
VR enhances the effectiveness of another drug by offering a patient with the right environment to meditate. Its use has also been implemented to assist in reducing the impact of mental ailments.
This reduces the need for someone to leave home for rehab because VR gadgets are wearables. It’s used in therapy sessions for people suffering from anxiety or depression. It dramatically reduces the cost of paying for a rehabilitation center. It also offers a loved one the opportunity of recovering amid the people they love.
Virtual reality has offered patients a suitable virtual environment to recover. It’s not solely an entertainment device.
4. Internet Of Things For Home Health Care
Technology has enabled appliances to become even smarter at home. A lot of families tend to use a lot of money to ensure the safety and wellbeing of vulnerable patients or people of old age when left alone at home.
More homes have been fitted with devices that allow ample monitoring of patients and the provision of reliable feedback. The devices range from motion sensors that monitor your movements to smartwatches that check your depression and sugar levels. Whenever something is not right, you will receive that warns of the same and get the necessary treatment.
A good example would be the production and installation of allergen sensors in your house. This helps in preventing asthmatic attacks by feeding you with data of the percentage present in your home. A signal when the rate is alarming will enable you to come up with appropriate measures.
Way Forward
From the various points discussed above, it’s evident what technology in healthcare has been able to achieve. New technologies are also coming up every day to help in solving more complicated issues.
The cost of getting Medicare from home is significantly low due to the emergence of innovative ways through technology.
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