The advent of medical innovations in the 20th century has led to a number of significant advances in medical procedures. Today, the world of medicine has become highly sophisticated, with a variety of diagnostic tools that can aid doctors in different ways. Modern medical technology has also provided patients with more advanced therapies for illnesses that would have otherwise been very difficult to treat, which are also beneficial for those who are unable to afford traditional treatments. As a result, more people are using medical innovations to improve their lives, and medical professionals are realizing that they must use newer methods of treatment to keep up with the rapid advancements that have taken place in the field of medicine over recent years.
That said, here are just some of the ways medical practices have benefited from the numerous technological advancements in the medical industry:
Less Risk, Better Treatments
As a result of medical breakthroughs, medical practices can provide better treatment procedures with less risks compared to using traditional methods. Thanks to technology, complications and mortality rates have been significantly reduced as illnesses can be diagnosed in their early stages, thereby allowing patients to have a greater chance of overcoming their conditions.
Moreover, efficiency in providing treatment and going through procedures have also increased thanks to modern innovations. One such example is the use of prostate AI, an advanced type of treatment being used for different types of prostate cancer. This type of technology helps in automating what are commonly manual tasks such as measuring the volume of the prostate glands, the size of the lesions, or segmenting the lesion or gland. This greatly increases the efficiency of radiologists as it cuts down the time they need to spend on these tasks, allowing them to focus on more crucial aspects of the treatment. Alternative treatment methods like these tend to provide better results overall, and can also be done at a lower cost than traditional practices.
Surgeries Are More Efficient and Less Invasive
Laser surgery, in particular, has made it possible to perform many surgeries and treatments that were once done with the use of traditional instruments and equipment. With lasers, surgeries can be performed more accurately and are less invasive, which ultimately result in less pain and faster recovery times for the patient. Lasers have also greatly aided doctors by allowing them to treat various medical conditions in a quicker and more efficient manner. Examples of surgeries that can be treated through the use of lasers include:
- Refractive eye surgery
- Sealing of small blood vessels to prevent blood loss
- Dental procedures
- Shrinking or destroying tumors
- Treating skin conditions
Instead of having to use many instruments to perform different procedures, doctors now can simply insert a device called a laser scalpel, which can treat many different conditions with less invasive results.
Digitalization Of Medical Records
Before a patient gets treated, medical practitioners have to check the patient’s record to learn more about their medical history. And while paper records were used by many practitioners in the past, this process wasn’t always the best as paper records can easily get lost, especially when the patient has to see different medical practitioners for different health problems. Paper records can also deteriorate in storage and are very susceptible to water and fire damage.
With the advent of technology, medical professionals no longer have to manually record their patient’s medical history and keep bulk of their paper records because Electronic Health Records (EHRs) have become commonplace. This technology has significantly impacted the life of many medical practitioners, namely medical assistants and even registered nurses.
With the presence of the EHRs, technicians and nurses will simply input patients’ data into a digitized system to update their medical records. Medical billers are also expected to update patients’ records in the system by using diagnostic codes, and then submit the medical claims to insurance companies.
The use of EHRs can provide the following benefits:
- Better patient care: EHRs automatically send alerts to the attending physician to notify them about any potential issues (allergies, intolerances to certain medicines, etc.) concerning their patient. This tech can be accessed from any medical facility, something that is extremely useful for doctors who are assessing and treating non-local patients.
- Ease of workflow: A lot of people are involved even when treating one patient. Aside from the attending physician, the patient also has to work with insurance companies and medical billers. EHRs makes it easy for all these individuals to help a patient without consuming too much time and committing lesser errors.
- Lower healthcare costs: Embracing EHRs can mean lower healthcare costs because medical facilities no longer have to pay for paper and other printing-related expenses. According to studies, the use of electronic health records can reduce the cost of outpatient care by up to 3%.
Information Communication and Medicine
One of the most used techs by people around the world today are smartphones. People from all walks of life own at least one smartphone and use it every single day. Some people even rely too much on their smartphones that they can’t remain productive without it.
Aside from boosting everyone’s productivity during the day, smartphones have also made it easier for people today to share and gather medical-related information. Patients from different parts of the world can even contact their physicians using their smartphones in order to diagnose or counsel any of their health concerns.
Telemedicine has become more common today because patients would choose to consult their physicians through online video conferences rather than visiting them at their clinics. Telemedicine has been practiced in different medical fields such as cardiovascular healthcare.
Telemedicine technology also allows physicians to monitor their patients’ symptoms, vital signs, and blood levels from a remote location. The accessibility of telemedicine will make it easier for patients to remain healthy and for physicians to provide services.
Conclusion
The medical industry has significantly changed because of the advances of modern technology. Processes that seem daunting or even impossible to accomplish in the past have become more achievable because of technology. And since technology continues to evolve, you can expect to see more and better advances that can benefit medical practices for years!