The Evolution of Healthcare Technology and Its Benefits
Healthcare technology is defined as any type of technological innovation that assists the operating abilities of healthcare organizations. With the adoption of new healthcare technologies, healthcare organizations have realized numerous benefits including lowering the overall cost of their care and services offered by improving efficiency in data management, clinical testing, and assisting clinicians with making diagnoses more promptly and accurately. Healthcare technology has in turn enhanced the overall patient experience and improved access to medical services and treatments.
The initial concept of using computer technology in healthcare was first discussed in the 1960s. However, the expense and unreliability of computers at the time did not make this technology feasible for a number of years. Since the implementation of computer technology in healthcare, there have been numerous advances in the way medicine is practiced and how patients are cared for. Multiple types of technologies have resulted in a significant impact on the delivery of healthcare.
One of the earliest modifications to the traditional format of information management in healthcare was the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs), a digital technology. EHRs have largely replaced the use of paper medical records and facilitate the reliable and secure access to large volumes of health data, including tests results and patient diagnoses. In addition, EHRs enable the convenient and rapid exchange of health data among medical practitioners and between patients and their physicians.
More recent healthcare technologies including cloud, blockchain, and artificial intelligence (AI) tools are assisting with the integration, standardization, protection, and evaluation of the large amount of data available within EHRs. For example, cloud computing technology is not only used for online data storage, but also offers strategies for healthcare organizations to automate the transfer of their data through their information technology systems securely. The use of blockchain technology protects the integrity of EHR data by providing a means for tracking all changes made to it. Relatively new, AI technology allows large amounts of EHR data to be analyzed rapidly, and is critical for gaining insight into data trends that could lead to improved patient care and healthcare delivery.
AI has numerous applications in healthcare organizations, and is perhaps most widely used in the field of medical imaging. Radiologists and other clinicians have come to rely on AI to assess the large volume of images their profession evaluates. AI assists with detecting trends in image analysis and identifying significant findings in images that aid in the diagnosis of patient illnesses. The technology is also used for building disease models to gain an enhanced understanding of how a patient’s condition is evolving. For example, AI is used to assess brain activity patterns to monitor the development and advancement of neurodegenerative illnesses. As AI technology continues to evolve, new uses for the technology are being employed to improve healthcare delivery and patients’ lives.
As with AI, telehealth is also a powerful and emerging healthcare technology. Telehealth has experienced rapid growth in response to the healthcare delivery challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the pandemic, many healthcare providers have changed the way they interact with patients by offering medical appointments from a distance by relying on telecommunication and information technology strategies such as video software and mobile applications. Telehealth offers a flexible and convenient format for physicians and patients to interact, regardless of the distance between them.
