The healthcare industry today is not what it was just five years ago. This is largely due to technology and a large number of innovative digital solutions that are introduced every day. Many technological solutions have been proposed for several problems that the world of medicine was facing, and these have greatly changed and improved the medicine industry.
There have been many breakthroughs in data collection, treatments, research, and medical devices such as hearing aids which have had a huge impact on the World of Medicine. Today, thanks to technology, there is better and more accessible treatment for a wide variety of diseases, better and more efficient care for the sick, and better health care and disease control. This article will elaborate on some of the various specific ways that technology has changed the world of medicine.
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3D Printing
Today, it is possible to reproduce bones and some internal organs using 3D printing technology. These artificial organs and bones can then be introduced into the body of the patient to replace diseased or problematic areas.
Surgeons are also using 3D printing technology to have a better understanding of what is happening inside their patients’ bodies. With a 3D model, it is significantly easier for a surgeon to have a closer look at the problem and simulate a variety of solutions or possible operations that can be undertaken before performing the actual surgery on the patient.
Similarly, 3D printing has revolutionized prosthetics. With a 3D printer, getting a customized prosthetic hand or leg is significantly cheaper. It is now possible to custom print prosthetic hands, for example, for a child that needs different models as they grow, instead of having to go out and get a new prosthetic hand fitted every year. Plus, with the massive developments that are being made in the 3D printing industry, the costs associated with this technology are reducing every day.
Big Data
Big data is a huge deal right now. In the medical and healthcare industry, data is everything. There is a huge amount of data available that when analyzed, can offer significant insights into the state of the healthcare industry as a whole. For example, by studying patient treatment histories, doctors can make more accurate diagnoses and propose better treatments.
Improved Care and Efficiency
Today, doctors and nurses use handheld devices to record patients’ real-time data and instantly update their medical history. This makes more accurate and more efficient diagnoses and treatments. Centralization of critical patient data and lab results has really improved the quality of healthcare.
Remote Monitoring
For some patients, moving around is a huge hassle. Recurring hospital visits can also take a toll on their finances. With remote monitoring technology, patients can easily access and consult a doctor in the comfort of their homes. This saves a lot of time and money. The doctor can remotely monitor a particular issue, for example by getting blood pressure levels, and thus do away with the need for a hospital visit. This technology has particularly been very useful to pacemaker patients.
Medical Experimentation
Technology has drastically changed how medical experiments are conducted. Instead of taking years, experiments now take months or weeks. This is because it is now possible to simulate human reactions to a particular drug, instead of having to rely entirely on human volunteers. Innovations like the chimp adenovirus, which is closely related to a human version, has revolutionized the rate of experimentation. The Ebola outbreak proved that experiments could be greatly accelerated. Because of fears of a world outbreak and the need for rapid containment, researchers thought out of the box and came up with innovative solutions that led to the Ebola vaccine in record time.
Mobile Apps
The old Apple saying, ‘There is an app for everything’, is truer today than it ever was. Today, it is possible to monitor personal health using nowadays innovative apps. You can count your calories, track your sleep patterns, monitor your heart rate or even remotely consult a physician. There are social media apps for doctors to interact, and apps that link patients to physicians. To say that apps are rapidly changing the healthcare industry is an understatement.
There are better and more accessible treatments today than at any other moment in history. This is largely due to technological innovations. These same innovations have made it possible to explore and research other even better avenues of treatment, so the healthcare industry is making strides towards even better effectiveness every day.
