Importance of technology in the healthcare sector
The healthcare industry is one of the most important and fastest-growing industries around the globe. It has also been a pioneer in adopting new technology. For example, previously, all referrals were recorded on paper; now, healthcare facilities use electronic health records (EHRs), which have improved healthcare quality and coordination. You went to your local doctor at the hospital for everything, and getting healthcare information was difficult and time-consuming. On the other hand, the use of mobile apps and wearable technology has led to better care for patients and easier access to health services.
In the last two decades, monumental advances have been made that have improved and innovated the way the healthcare industry provides patient care and the way the public expects to be treated. Not only is the healthcare industry becoming more reliant on technology, but patients are also becoming more tech-savvy and expect to be treated accordingly. The adoption of technology in healthcare is being driven by rising demand and a number of primary factors that are propelling technology into the mainstream.
What are the factors influencing healthcare technology?
Several factors influence healthcare technology. They include:
Patient care experience
One of the main drivers of healthcare innovation is the patient experience and quality of care. Healthcare providers are constantly looking for new ways to improve the care patients receive. They use mobile apps and wearable technology, for example, to assist with remote patient care. The industry as a whole has seen an increase in demand for better healthcare experiences in recent years.
The ability to store, share, and analyse health information is directly tied to improved technology, which in turn increases provider capabilities and patient access while improving the quality of life for some and saving the lives of others.
Patient Engagement
Patient engagement is another critical driver of healthcare innovation. Healthcare providers are always looking for new ways to engage patients in self-care, such as the use of social media and patient portals, which are helping to improve patient engagement. A recent study also found that mobile apps can help patients take their medicines as prescribed by reminding them when to take them and giving them feedback on how well they are doing.
Cost-effectiveness
Recently, healthcare providers have been looking at different ways to improve efficiency and reduce waste to compete in the global market. By automating tasks and making it easier to keep track of and manage patients, new technologies have helped reach this goal.
Age population
The number of people over the age of 65 is expected to double by 2050, presenting a challenge for the healthcare industry to devise ways to provide care for this population. Technology can assist in addressing this issue by making it more accessible.
Importance of technology in healthcare innovation
Technology is essential in healthcare as it allows providers to improve the quality and coordination of healthcare. Technology can assist in addressing this issue by making it more accessible. Additionally, technology can help reduce costs and make care for the ageing population more efficient.
Here are some reasons why healthcare technology is important.
Let's now see some of the reasons why healthcare technology is important in the sector.
1. Improved communication and connectivity
Healthcare technology helps with communication and connectivity, which is an essential factor, allowing healthcare providers to collaborate and share information more easily. In a nutshell, technological progress is a key part of how healthcare innovation moves forward. Maintaining seamless coordination between healthcare providers and staff is critical because it allows for a more effective and coordinated care experience for patients. This goal can be reached with the help of new technologies that make it easier to connect and communicate. For example, using a secure messaging system can help reduce communication time and get a faster reply from healthcare providers.
Healthcare technology can also help to improve communication between patients and their healthcare providers. For example, a patient portal can allow patients to access their health information online, making it easy to track test results and request appointments.
2. Real-time recording, accessible to everyone, all the time
In addition, using electronic healthcare records (EHRs) can help improve communication between healthcare providers. Apart from allowing healthcare providers to share information quickly and easily, they also aid in the safe storage of large amounts of data.
3. Improved medication safety
Healthcare technology has advanced in the digital checks and balances that alert clinicians when they are about to prescribe medicines that may interact or that patients are allergic to. From computerised physician order entry (CPOE) systems to alerting features in EHRs, technological features have replaced books and human memory with automated safeguards that save lives.
4. Better medication reconciliation
EHRs were one of the first automated electronic reconciliation tools, but they didn't include medicines from outside the system or network, and their accuracy depends primarily on patient memory or the patients bringing in a bag of pills. New technology tools have helped to overcome this issue. Adverse drug events are reduced, and adherence is improved, when technology provides a transparent, accurate picture of patient medication regimens.
5. Significant clinical data for analysis and treatment
Technology generates a large amount of data that can be used in patient care management. Pacemakers and stents communicate automatically via the Internet. Patients can use these devices to transmit their weight and blood glucose levels. Wearables transmit data on exercise and sleep patterns.
Furthermore, much of this data, as well as data from EHR and other platforms, is being synced with Big Data to generate reports and analytics that identify population trends and care management gaps. Technology combined with analytics has enabled the identification of best practises for optimising clinical and economic outcomes. Although some of this data deluge can be a double-edged sword for clinicians—at least until reimbursement, liability, and capacity issues are resolved—there is no doubt that it is enabling the ability to deliver better, more individualised care.
How is technology changing the way we treat patients?
Technology is changing the way we treat patients in many ways, for example, through telehealth. Telehealth allows healthcare providers to provide care to patients remotely. This can be helpful in treating patients with chronic diseases or providing mental health services. Technology is also changing the way we perform surgery, with robots assisting in performing operations with greater precision and accuracy. This is mostly helpful in removing cancerous tumours.
The future of healthcare technology is exciting and filled with potential. Many new technologies are being developed that can improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare. The advent of healthcare technology will further bring innovation to the sector to make patient care more efficient and easy.
Nurses Group's healthcare and nursing staffs are well-equipped to deal with both simple and complex technology. We provide training to our agency's nursing staff to handle all the latest healthcare technology, thus making them more competent in the nursing industry.
