If you have ever waited weeks to get an appointment with your doctor, you will understand on a personal level that healthcare is in crisis. While much is being done to address the most common concerns, there is still far to go. Perhaps the answer lies in technology, which is advancing literally at the speed of light.
Today more patients are getting the services they need because of these advances, and although we have not adequately addressed all of our concerns, technology is chipping away at them one chip at a time (pardon the pun). Here are just three amazing ways in which technology is improving healthcare around the world. If you look, you’ll find many, many more.
1. Improved Diagnostics
It may sound a bit preposterous, but we now have Google Earth for brains. Although it isn’t actually Google Earth, the technology is akin to what millions around the world use every day to view satellite imagery right down to a street level. Now a group of research scientists are developing 3-D mapping of the brain using the same type of technology used by Google.
Imagine being able to watch, in real time, people walking down your street at any time of the day or night. That’s pretty much what this 3-D mapping of the brain can do when diagnosing neural problems. Doctors can now see those pathways more clearly, which can improve not only diagnostics but better outcomes in surgery or pharmacology.
2. Greater Access to Education
There was a time when anyone studying for an advanced level degree had to either leave their jobs or work part-time because of the time spent on campus. Now it is even possible to get a DNP online degree from high-ranking schools like Duquesne University. Although you can optionally complete a residency abroad in Rome or Dublin, that is not a requirement for graduation because all coursework is completed online.
This option of locations for residency is unique to Duquesne University online, but the point is, you can advance your career in nursing completely online. This is proving to dramatically reduce the shortage of providers in the United States because nearly half the country recognizes autonomous DNPs.
3. Giving Patients the Tools to Be Proactive in Their Care
There are actually two major advances in technology which allow for patients to become proactive in their own care plans. One is the availability of electronic health records, EHRs, which give access to patients through a cloud-based portal. Here they can keep up with all their appointments, read messages to and from providers, lab results, medications and so much more.
Also, wearables are becoming an industry standard because they can measure several bodily functions. If something measures outside acceptable limits, a doctor can give an immediate response because the wearable transmits information in real time. Not only can doctor/patient response times improve but patients can monitor their own health as well.
From advances in diagnostics to improved response times, technology is playing a huge roll in improving the state of healthcare in the environment both here, and abroad. Use this technology to become a healthcare provider and you have now entered the technological world of modern medicine.
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