Posted on March 6, 2018
Technology has played a significant role in improving the quality of care for those in hospitals, nursing homes, or even the patient’s own home. Still, much of the public is unaware or skeptical of technology’s role in nursing and patient care. Here we’ll discuss some of the great strides made in technology regarding the medical field.
Gauges
Companies such as WESTport lead the way in the design and manufacturing of variable and fixed limit gauges for the use throughout the medical industry. Some of the common applications of these gauges are for bone support plates, bone screws, conical threads, etc. They are meant to help doctors with orthopedic and prosthetic devices.
Restoring Vision
Nano-Retina has created a duel-system treatment for the blind, with a chip being implanted to the eyeball coupled with sophisticated eyeglasses to restore several vision qualities using electromagnetic cells that work like photoreceptors. For disinfection efforts, new technologies like UV light bulbs and portable UV robots can be held in hospital rooms to create chemical reactions using oxygen in bacterial cells, causing them to die, the same way bleach would kill them.
Emergency Treatment
Electronic cameras placed in ambulances can now allow doctors to communicate with paramedics before even arriving to the hospital. Paramedics can administer medicine and physical treatment to patients in emergencies where time is often the essence of life or death. These are just a few of the physical devices that are in use today.
Services & Remote Patient Care
The revolution of technology and healthcare hasn’t stopped at the hospital, as the digital age has helped patients become more independent and safer within their own homes, along with services that help reduce the confusion regarding their next step. Need a second opinion? Online services like Grand Rounds and 2nd MD allow you to talk to doctors and get advice easy and quick for those instances where you’re just not sure. Analytic specialists like Metalogix and Lumiata help record patient information to help nurses monitor patients remotely through technology that allows them to track patterns in patients and their habits without having to be physically present. Other services like ZocDoc and Rightcare can help you schedule appointments and guide you through readmission processes.
Even with everything discussed, there are still thousands of advancements available to help patients that much of the public isn’t aware of. It is important to be in the loop of technology, because not only has it provided us many luxuries, but it has also saved thousands of lives.
by Lizzie Weakley
