Over the course of the last few months, the world has been thrown into a state of disarray. Never before seen disruptions have caused millions around the world to be displaced, all while a deadly virus has swept across the globe. Fortunately, new technologies have bolstered the healthcare industry in remarkable ways that have helped healthcare workers combat this deadly virus.
Advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning are mainly responsible for the rise in new technologies that we have seen and, without these advancements, the healthcare industry wouldn’t look anything close to where it is today. Without further ado, here are a few of the most prominent new technologies:
Ease of Diagnosing
A proper diagnosis should always come from a trusted medical professional. With that said, technology has made the ability to watch out for one’s own health far easier than ever before. Using mobile phones and the Internet, people are able to visit healthcare professionals’ websites and see if symptoms they are feeling correspond with a particular illness.
Depending on the severity of symptoms, this self-diagnosis can also lead to a doctor’s visit in and of itself. With access to medical information, such as the effects and symptoms of sicknesses, populations can become more knowledgeable and healthier as a whole.
Additionally, having electronic records available for patient history has made a doctor’s life far easier when it comes to visits. Some of this information, at a glance, can tell professionals information such as whether or not someone is predisposed to a certain illness. This, in turn, can help doctors catch potentially life-threatening sicknesses at the early stages. During this pandemic, it has helped doctors identify who may be at risk of Covid-19.
Video Communications
When it comes to an unknown virus, it’s a given that people will want to receive medical care and be diagnosed. However, with such a tumultuous and uncharted sickness, it was important for doctors to stay safe as well and reduce the spread of this virus. Video communication platforms, such as Zoom or Skype, have allowed doctors to connect with their patients during these chaotic times.
Before the pandemic, it was reported that only a third of hospitals had a telehealth option, but this has changed in light of the pandemic. More and more hospitals now offer telehealth appointments in lieu of in-person appointments, and this has helped to reduce the potential spread of the virus in places where at-risk people may be, such as a hospital.
Technology has enabled this change through the development of those video communication platforms, created and developed by talented software engineers. Without the emergence of telehealth, healthcare professionals would have potentially been more at risk of getting the virus, as would at-risk patients already being treated for other problems.
Streamlined Patient Care
As a whole, technology has streamlined the process of receiving care in the medical system. As covered, doctors have access to entire databases of patient information that can help them make key medical decisions in a short amount of time. This has undoubtedly saved many lives but is just the tip of the iceberg.
With this data being protected by cybersecurity professionals, doctors have been able to make informed decisions and protect sensitive data. On top of this, technologies such as virtual reality have been able to help some people combat depression or even help surgeons practice before entering a real-world situation. It’s clear that without advancing technology, the healthcare industry would be nothing similar to what it is today.
Conclusion
During a global pandemic, health is paramount above all. Staying healthy can be difficult, but new technologies have helped to enable this change. Fortunately, these technologies are becoming widespread throughout the healthcare industry and are directly responsible for how healthcare workers have been able to tackle this virus. As the pandemic continues to settle, it’s important to remind ourselves of the talented people and tools who combated this virus.
