This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by DEV Community
At this time humans are in an era of technology that is so fast. This can also positively impact survival and productivity in various sectors. However, in this article, the sector that will be discussed is technology in healthcare.
What Is Technology In Healthcare?
Technology in healthcare is a tool to assist doctors and medical personnel in solving disease problems experienced by patients so that patient care and healing can be resolved with the help of these tools. In addition, this tool is used as a prevention before the patient actually gets sick. This tool is supported by IT systems, algorithms, artificial intelligence (AI), Virtual Reality, blockchain, and the cloud.
When Did Technology In Healthcare Appear?
There have been many new breakthroughs technology in healthcare that have been around and made over the years. But few have had the broad influence or impact of digital technology. The dramatic improvements made in networks and computers have increased options for medical care and are also changing the way doctors do their work.
Although experts began the possible use of computers in medicine in the 1960s. Computers were initially too expensive and unreliable as a medical practice tool. But as technology improves, the cost of computers falls, and policies and standards are set to encourage health care organizations to adopt new technologies.
Not only for medical equipment but it is also used for daily recording. Medical records that were initially written on paper are now mainly in electronic medical records (EHR). This EHR can help make it easier for Health data such as test results or diagnoses to be accessed efficiently and safely.
Laptops and tablets today have become as common technology in Healthcare settings as stethoscopes. There is increasing evidence that EHR has a positive impact on the world of health.
But behind the sophistication of EHR, there is a big challenge. The challenge is the accumulation of large amounts of non-integrated and non-standard data. Most Healthcare organizations have a lot of data to improve their business procedures and practices, but they may not have the tools or expertise with data.
Newer technologies, such as the cloud, blockchain, and AI tools based on machine learning, can help healthcare organizations identify patterns in large quantities while making the data more secure and easier to manage.
Required tasks in an organization's healthcare technology can streamline processes, automate, and improve workflows at scales impossible for humans to do. Because providers in hospitals and healthcare systems adhere to a value-based healthcare reimbursement model, these solutions enhance patient care, create a better experience, and reduce fatigue.
What Types of Technology in Healthcare?
1. Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) takes many forms of technology in healthcare. A key trend of AI in healthcare 2022 is to leverage machine learning to evaluate large amounts of patient data and other information. By creating customized algorithms, programmers can imitate human thinking and write programs that appear to think, learn, make decisions, and take action.
This does not mean that living robots will suddenly provide medical care. However, it does mean that the doctor can be given a diagnosis, treatment, and a suggested treatment plan with a patient-specific medical record, history, and current symptoms. The doctors will always have the final say, but the information will be available to them.
Overall by analyzing health care data in this robust and comprehensive way, healthcare leaders will use the findings to improve patient outcomes, reduce costs, and increase staff job satisfaction.
2. Digital Therapy
Patients who have chronic illnesses often need ongoing care from their doctors. This treatment may include patient education, symptom monitoring, medication adjustments, and behavioral changes. Now, there is a new digital therapy that can fill this role.
Digital therapy is prescribed by doctors to patients for their specific medical conditions. This advanced software program can be accessed as an application on the patient's smartphone or via a personal computer. They undergo the same rigorous testing as all drugs, including randomized clinical trials. Medical conditions suitable for digital therapy include type I and type II diabetes, cancer, anxiety, musculoskeletal pain, ADHD, asthma, migraines, insomnia, and substance abuse.
When patients use the app, information about their well-being is reported back to their doctor. This allows doctors to monitor patients without having to see them regularly and to spot problems much earlier than when patients have to wait for an appointment.
3. Technology in Mental Health
Several new technologies have emerged over the past year that can help meet the ongoing mental health needs of patients. While most of the initial assessment and treatment may still need to be completed by a doctor, there are now additional tools that patients can use to improve their mental health between appointments.
The digital therapies mentioned above uniquely provide high-quality, ongoing mental health care. More applications can complete a patient's intake and provide an initial diagnosis before the patient meets the provider. A traditional therapeutic method called cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has been widely adopted and used in digital therapy with significant success when used in conjunction with virtual or face-to-face therapy in helping patients change their behavior.
Another emerging technology for mental health is the use of video games. Recently, the FDA authorized EndeavorRX, the first-ever prescription video game designed to treat ADHD in children ages eight to 12. In a clinical study, 73 percent of participants reported improved ability to pay attention after just one month of treatment with no side effects.
4. Internet of Medical Things
Internet of things refers to the invisible network formed by physical objects connected to the internet. This includes new technologies such as remote patient monitoring, 5g-enabled devices, and wearable sensors for healthcare. More than 500,000 web-enabled medical devices are increasingly interconnected to provide the most accurate and up-to-date patient data.
As technology and software improve, intelligent medical devices will connect with other nearby smart devices to help improve patient outcomes. This will ultimately enable doctors to monitor the patient's status holistically and systematically. For example, one study found that Fitbit was more reliable at measuring physical activity and better assessing the five-year risk of death than more traditional methods. All patients need to do is make the data they already have accessible.
5. Nanomedicine
Nanomedicine is the medical application of nanotechnology, which operates at the atomic or molecular. BlueWillow Biologics, a biopharmaceutical company, has developed nanotechnology against viruses and bacteria. Nanomedicine has applications in imaging, sensing, diagnosis, and delivery through medical devices.
Researchers found a new way to use nanomedicine to target individual cells, and by 2021, that research will be applied. CytImmune Sciences, a leader in cancer nanomedicine, recently completed a Phase I trial using gold nanoparticles to target drug delivery to tumors.
6. 5G-Enabled Devices
If the biggest drivers of cutting-edge technologies—AI, IoT, and Big Data—reach their full potential in healthcare, they need a reliable, lightning-fast internet connection. Enter 5G. With a reliable real-time connection, the most immediate benefits will be seen in telemedicine, expanding access to care for millions of people. But that's only the beginning. More connected devices, with more authentic data streams, open up the possibility of a revolutionizing healthcare system.
With near-zero latency, 5G-connected sensors and medical devices can instantly capture and transmit data. That will improve patient monitoring, which in turn will improve patient outcomes. Futurists are already weighing the benefits of the marriage between 5G, healthcare, and robotics.
But patients don't have to wait long to see changes: experts say 5G-enabled devices will quickly bring about a new healthcare paradigm, dubbed 4P, predictive, preventive, personalized, and participatory.
Examples Of Companies Using Technology In Healthcare
Breast Cancer Detection Tool by Google Health
Google Health and DeepMind have created an AI tool capable of detecting breast cancer with the same accuracy as human radiologists, according to a new paper published in Nature on Wednesday.
The researchers used two sets of breast scan data from the UK and the US to train the models. The UK dataset included scans of 25,856 women, while the US set contained mammograms of 3,097 women.
Implementing AI resulted in a 9.4% reduction in false negatives for the US dataset and 2.7% for the UK. There was a slightly smaller reduction for false positives, 5.7% for the US dataset and 1.2% for the UK. The new model was then pitted against six human radiologists and outperformed them all by an average of 11.5%.
Virtual Reality for Surgery by Osso
VR is used to train future surgeons and real surgeons to practice surgery. These software programs are developed and provided by companies such as Osso VR and ImmersiveTouch and are actively used with promising results. A recent Harvard Business Review study showed that VR-trained surgeons had a 230% improvement in their overall performance compared to their traditionally trained counterparts. The former is also faster and more accurate in performing surgical procedures.
This technology also benefits patients and is effective in pain management. Women are being equipped with VR headsets to visualize soothing scenes to help them get through the pain of labor. Patients suffering from gastrointestinal, cardiac, neurological, and postoperative pain have reduced pain levels when using VR to distract them from painful stimuli. A 2019 pilot study even showed that patients undergoing surgery reduced their pain and anxiety and improved their overall hospital experience.
Health Care Digital Assistant by Google Home
Digital assistants like Alexa and Google Home have changed the way people interact with technology; in 2021, those digital assistants are taking on a similar role in healthcare. Natural language processing and ambient listening have biological applications in capturing, analyzing, and leveraging health data.
In 2020, Epic and Cerner, designers of the two most extensive electronic health record (EHR) systems, began integrating voice-activated virtual assistants in their software. AI startup Saykara has launched a voice assistant that can listen to and understand doctor-patient conversations without being prompted via voice commands.
Fitbit Ionic Health Tracker and Sensors
Fitbit Ionic is used to monitor sleep and track exercise. It can be complemented with Polar H10 to enhance training routines. Besides that, it can also be used for meditation. The Muse headband helps find the essential things needed for a successful meditation session.
Summary
Technology will develop over time. One can create a simple idea and grow it into a big one. We will always be ready to wait for a simple idea that comes to your mind in building software for health. What's more, its use will definitely be helpful and create an excellent continuity for the cycle of software. Interested? Get in touch with us via contact us and grab your Telemedicine apps!
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by DEV Community
DEV Community | Sciencx (2022-02-24T06:37:43+00:00) Technology in Healthcare Still Exist with Big Companies. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2022/02/24/technology-in-healthcare-still-exist-with-big-companies/
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