The Top 5 Technologies Being Used in Hospitals and Clinics Today

By Special Guest
Suzanne T. Hicks
August 24, 2018



The reach of technology never ceases to amaze me and it is creating a major impact on all industries across the world. The healthcare industry is no exception to this trend and involves hospitals, clinics and dispensaries.  They too are experiencing a heavy impact from the advancement of medical technology.

In the healthcare industry, technology is playing a major role in almost all processes, starting from self-care tools and patient diagnostics to lab tests, monitoring and registrations.  Traditional and conventional monitoring systems are constantly being replaced by tablets and smartphones and patients often have the privilege of undergoing a complete check-up from the comfort of their couch. The latest technology has enabled medical institutions are now making doctor visits less of a necessity and giving them the ability to take the treatment to the patient.

In this article we will discuss about the top 5 techs currently being used in hospitals across the world today:

Electronically recording your health report

As of 2009, only 16 percent of hospitals across the United States were using Electronic Health Record or HER for short. As of 2013, the number has increased exponentially, and currently, about 80 per cent of the hospitals across the United States employ this technology on a regular basis. EHR has created big strides in the medical industry by centralizing all the patient information and thereby increasing its efficiency. This has a long term effect as well, because the data that is being collected today can be used even 1,000 years from now for any number of scientific and statistical uses.

Mobile Health

This technology is freeing traditional healthcare devices from all the wires and cords. By using this technology, a doctor or physician can check a patient’s health report while on the go. And for the patient, it has become much easier since he or she no longer needs to visit a medical centre for a basic medical check-up. All the information can be gathered using the sensors available on their smartphones and conveniently uploaded to the hospital app.  By utilising this data, doctors can give medical advice via a video chat or a normal phone call.

Telehealth

In rural areas, where people don’t have access to the same technology and benefits as there are in cities, telehealth and telemedicine are creating a big impact. A recent study showed that Intensive Care Units equipped with Telehealth features enabled patients to get better at a 20 per cent faster rate than those without. Not only is this telehealth technology more efficient, but it is also more economical as well. It saves a lot of time both for the employer and the employee since they don’t have to go out of their office to a primary care centre, thus eliminating the need for transportation and loss of productive man-hours.

Smarter Partnerships

Not only are hospitals growing in the technology area but they also making strides in treating psychological issues that people have by partnering with clinics like Compass Health Center.  Partnerships like this include the Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) which gives amazing short-term stability and personalized treatment for all ages who have difficulty with the stress of daily life.

Self-service kiosks

This is almost similar to portal technology and enables patients to get a lot more done in less time. For example with a self-service kiosk, a patient can effectively complete their entire registration without ever interacting with hospital staff. This technology not only makes tasks much faster and efficient, it is also helping the hospitals to save on staff costs. A self-service kiosk is a one time investment which definitely helps save a lot of time and money in the long run.

Communicating wirelessly

Instant messaging and the use of walkie-talkies are not new technology as such, but they have only been introduced to hospitals recently. They have replaced the use of traditional methods like overhead speakers and pagers thereby increasing the efficiency and the rate of communication. All important information is communicated at lightning speed, which is key to saving a lot of precious lives, time and money. Apps like Vocera Messaging enable the hospital to send lab tests and reports to a patient in a fast and secure manner thus enabling faster treatments in the long run.

In conclusion, hospitals and medical institutions now regularly use many advanced technologies to help you get better soon while also significantly reducing the associated costs. With the help of technology, you can get your diagnostic done from the comfort of your own home and only come to the centre for urgent needs, reducing the time needed for diagnosis and speeding up the ability of medical personnel to respond to emergencies.


 
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