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Today the healthcare sector is evolving tremendously and for the better. The healthcare industry is moving quickly towards adopting modern technology to improve the quality of care delivered, enhance patient outcomes, and reduce healthcare costs.

Amidst this, health information technology (HIT) has emerged in recent years to become a substantial part of healthcare. It is estimated that HIT will save US$400 billion from 2021 to 2031 alone and create 17% more jobs than average.

The era of transformative computing and cloud technology has unfolded novel approaches toward population health management with the help of rigorous data availability. The future of healthcare looks bright, with advances in telemedicine and HIT boosting innovation and helping people live healthier lives.

Here are some ways advanced technology has benefited healthcare:

1. Advanced Precision Diagnostics and Therapeutics

A major part of the change in the healthcare sector is due to innovation in methods of collecting and managing healthcare data. Today, innovative technological solutions have been introduced to automate the entire healthcare process, improving quality and efficiency while reducing unnecessary spending. For instance, precision diagnostics manages a patient’s healthcare model and diagnoses specific diseases based on the patient’s personalized omics data.

The laboratory information system (LIS) is an astounding tech marvel in healthcare. It’s a set of software tools that helps healthcare facilities manage lab data, collaborate on cases, and enable precision medicine. Acquiring the best laboratory information system can effectively reduce turnaround times while providing accurate, prompt results.

LISs are designed to meet the varying needs of healthcare providers, including physicians, nurses, pathologists, and technicians. These solutions offer features such as:

  • Electronic charting – allows viewing patient records electronically on computers or mobile devices.
  • Patient billing – Ability to generate bills for medical services rendered by clinicians – this feature can also become part of an integrated financial system, so patients do not have any more paperwork than necessary when receiving treatment.
  • Data management – allows easy access via web browsers; allows users at remote locations to connect through VPNs (virtual private networks).

2. Remote Patient Monitoring

Telemedicine, also known as telemedical consultation, is a form of e-health that allows patients to receive healthcare services remotely. It can be used to deliver the following:

  • Telepsychiatry – providing mental healthcare services over the phone or via video conference
  • Telesurgery – robotics surgical system that allows surgeons to perform surgery on people who are not able to visit a doctor in person

Telemedicine benefits the following:

  • Patients who have been diagnosed with an illness/injury and are being treated by a doctor via video conference
  • Health professionals who perform remote health screenings and procedures for patients who are not able to travel
  • A patient being monitored remotely after an accident or surgery

3. Increased Patient Care

In addition to the health benefits of improved patient care, there are many other ways advanced technology can be used in healthcare facilities. For example, a doctor might use advanced imaging to scan a patient’s shoulder for a broken bone or injury while giving patients more information about their condition.

Fitness bands, ECG devices, and other wearable technology enable patients to track their progress independently. Wearables are not just for fitness and health but can also be used to monitor patients, especially those with chronic conditions such as diabetes or hypertension. Some examples of wearables that can be used in healthcare include:

  • Patients who want to lose weight often use fitness bands with apps that provide calorie counts based on their activity level.
  • ECG (electrocardiogram) helps patients to monitor their blood pressure without having any tests done at hospitals.
  • Armbands, worn on the upper arms, measure blood pressure, heart rate variability (HRV), skin temperature, and hydration levels. These devices help doctors detect early signs of disease progression before it becomes severe.
  • Smartwatches allow users to track their daily steps and how much sleep they get each night (which is key because lackadaisical sleeping habits may lead directly to adverse health outcomes).

4. Improved Population Health Management

Every care facility needs a well-managed IT system to collect and analyze enormous amounts of data to drive improvements in population health outcomes. That’s where advanced technology comes into play.

IHS

Integrated Health Solutions (IHS) are technological platforms that enhance healthcare solutions and help save costs. To improve patient care and staff communication, you need an integrated system allowing data sharing across departments. They also enable your organization to improve its efficiency by saving everyone’s time searching documents or databases manually. This system allows up-to-date information about a patient’s condition to be shared with doctors and clinical teams in real time.

Cloud Technology

Cloud technology is another terrific way to store and share data with others. It also makes it easy for users to access the information they need, analyze it, and secure it. There are several advantages of cloud computing:

  • Storing your data in the cloud allows you to easily access it from any device or location without hardware or software running on your computer. It reduces turnaround time and saves money by allowing you to buy fewer servers than if all your data was stored locally on one server.
  • Cloud services are usually cheaper than other types of hosting because there are no upfront costs associated with setting up an infrastructure.

5. Easy Access to Patient Medical Records

Accessing medical records from anywhere and at any time is a huge benefit. Access to a patient’s entire history makes it easier for you and your team to provide the best care possible.

Streamlined Training and Communication: Advanced technology in healthcare extends to training and communication, leveraging video editing tools to create customized instructional content for medical professionals, enhancing learning experiences and ensuring clear communication of complex procedures and protocols.

Patient Portal

A patient portal is an online service that allows patients, caregivers, and other healthcare professionals to access patients’ medical records. They can be used for various purposes:

  • Storage of medical records and personal information (patient’s name, address, phone number)
  • Storage of health information (medical history)

EMRs/EHRs

EMRs (Electronic Medical Records) and EHRs (Electronic Health Records) allow you to share patient information with other doctors via an electronic messaging system.

Final Thoughts

Healthcare is highly dependent on technology. Advanced technology improves healthcare services and patient care by increasing efficiency, reducing costs, and improving outcomes. As more hospitals adopt these technologies, an increase in patient satisfaction, fewer medical errors, and more efficient work from workers are expected.

With so many hospitals, clinics, and even small independent facilities leveraging high tech, it is only a matter of time before they all become fully efficient.