The era of technology has long been upon us. Some say it started when human beings discovered fire, some say it started with the wheel. The gift of technology is one that just keeps on giving, and for the last few decades, human civilization has been advancing at alarming rates.
The use of modern technology in medicine didn’t just improve our life expectancy and find cures for previously incurable diseases–it continues to find ways to provide better, more affordable, and accessible care to people who need it.
In today’s article, let’s talk about how the latest innovations in the healthcare industry are shaping the future.
1. EHRs
EHRs stands for Electronic Health Records. It basically means that for the doctors of today, pulling out a patient’s medical history is as simple as clicking away at their computers a few times.
Gone are the days when nurses used to jot everything down on a notepad. Now, everything’s uploaded to a centralized system that really saves doctors the storage space for their patient files.
Even medical students are required to take patient notes on the computer during their USMLE part two exams now, according to Lecturio. You can learn more about USMLE prep on their website.
2. Remote Care
For people all over the world, 2020 spelled disaster. Everyone had to adapt to a whole new way of life, and many businesses ended up shifting part of–if not all, their operations online.
Doctors didn’t stay far behind, and it’s no surprise that they came up with a simple and effective solution for this problem.
Remote Care is consultation and therapy that’s provided to a patient via video conference. It minimizes the risk of exposure for both parties, and has long been used to provide care to people in hard-to-reach areas and people with disabilities.
It’s the immunocompromised and the old and sick who’ve benefited from this new way of providing care the most, and even though the vaccines are being rolled out as we speak, we don’t believe this new way of life is going anywhere.
See Also: New Technological Advantages in the Healthcare Industry, Improving Surgery With 3D
3. 3D Printing
3D printers are a must-have tool to have in every young inventor and engineer’s shed these days, but even doctors have recognized the usefulness of such a machine.
Doctors and healthcare companies have taken full advantage of this technology to create cheap and precise prosthetics for the disabled, and even eyes, ears, and noses for anyone who lost theirs in an accident.
4. Augmented Reality
Not only has augmented reality been shaping the future generation of doctors for the surgical room, but it’s also been pivotal in helping practicing surgeons better understand what kind of surgery a patient might need and what approach would be best for them to take.
The peace of mind it gives patients to know that the doctor operating on them has done it countless times, even if this is their first “real” surgery, is invaluable in itself, and that’s not taking into consideration how helpful these new training methods are in increasing a doctor’s efficiency and their precision through practice.
5. AI Technology
Robotics and AI technology is starting to take over careers all over the world, and the medical field is no exception.
Scientists all over the world are working on technology that continues to aid doctors in diagnoses, treatments, and even surgeries. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have come up with a new robot called HeartLander that can perform heart surgeries, and there are countless other projects like this underway.
Technology brought with it its own set of challenges and problems to overcome, but it also helps doctors all over the world do their job better, learn what they need to learn quicker, and save lives more efficiently!
