Have you ever stopped to think about all the ways in which advancements in technology are impacting patient care and healthcare in general? There seems to be two camps in this regard. Some people say that technology has taken the human aspect out of it while others believe that technology can be thanked for so many improvements in the quality of care. No matter which way of thinking you subscribe to, you will probably agree that there are at least three ways in which technology is impacting healthcare, and for the better!
1. The Pharmaceutical Industry
When it comes to the development and manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, technology has been a real boon. Not only does it speed up the process significantly, but technology also provides a way to ensure that all products comply with FDA rules and regulations. Sometimes consumers have doubts as to whether or not an OTC medication, for example, has been approved for human consumption. It only takes a quick online search to find the information you need to make that determination. Bear in mind that the pharmaceutical industry is held to strict regulations and every level within drug manufacturing, device certification, and distributing can get the training they need to be assured they comply. In fact, many people within the industry have taken a Compliance Certification training course and those certifications can usually be tracked online as well.
2. Telehealth Virtual Appointments & Disease Control
Can you imagine what life would be like without the Internet? This amazing bit of technology now enables patients to set up virtual appointments rather quickly instead of waiting months to get in to see their healthcare provider. However, there is another aspect of telehealth virtual appointments that we all learned about during this past year. The pandemic showed us how to have that doctor visit without being exposed to any contagions. Virtual health literally exploded over the past year and many people believe that more than half of all doctor appointments will be via telehealth in the coming years.
3. Patient Portals – Online Medical Records and Resources
Do you remember the days when you’d walk into a doctor’s office literally packed to the ceiling with patient files? While there are still a few holdouts in every state, most doctors now take advantage of digital (electronic) patient records, which reduces waste and are so much easier to maintain. Also, digital medical records are often stored on a Cloud server where patients with access permission can browse test results, keep up with appointments, and even message their providers through special in-app messaging in their mobile devices.
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So then, perhaps technology has taken some of that ‘human element’ out of healthcare but what it’s given in its place makes modern medicine so much more accessible. From the speed at which information and medical histories can be accessed to how a consumer can access FDA databases, there is much which can be done today that was never possible in the past. Whether you want to schedule a virtual visit with your provider or check a company’s Compliance Certification, technology gives you the means to do just that.