It is undeniable that technological advancements in healthcare have saved countless lives and are improving our quality of life every single day. Technology in the medical field has had an immense impact on almost all the practices and processes of healthcare professionals.
In this article, you’ll learn about the impact of technology in healthcare and how it has transformed medicine and the healthcare industry.

Telemedicine

Telemedicine and Telehealth refer to two-way video consultations for the transmission of healthcare data. Telemedicine can be used in many fields of healthcare and has diverse applications. Today, doctors can monitor vital signs, symptoms, and even blood levels from a remote location using telemonitoring technology.

Digitalization of Health Records

Electronic Health Records (EHRs) are quickly replacing outdated paper records. This has been a massive turning point for the medical field in general. Medical assistants, medical programmers, registered nurses, and a lot of other medical professionals have been positively impacted by the industry-wide implementation of EHR.
Using EHR, a physician can automatically be alerted to any potential issues that a patient may face, such as intolerances to certain medicines or allergies. Since EHRs can be accessed from nearly any medical facility, they make it extremely easy for doctors assessing non-local patients. EHRs become a lot more crucial if such a non-local patient is also unresponsive.
Moreover, EHRs also provide highly valuable data to clinical researchers, thus assisting in the advancement of medical knowledge and in the development of cures for diseases.

Improved Communication between Physicians

Back in the day, a phone call was the only option for physicians to refer a patient or clinical input from a colleague. But today, there are numerous secure (encrypted) messaging applications that enable physicians to conduct an informal consultation with colleagues. They can digitally refer a patient from within the hospital system. These technological advancements have eliminated the need for phone calls. No phone calls mean no more issues with lost phone messages. With today’s technology, all communication is tracked and logged automatically.

Improvement in Efficiency

Prescriptions, reference tools, and medication reconciliation have all been digitalized now. No shred of paper involved! Physicians can use mobile applications to quickly access reference tools such as medication reference guides, treatment protocols, medical calculators, etc.
In older days, such information could only be found in thick reference books scattered throughout the medical office.
Prescribing medicines digital is faster for clinicians, more convenient for patients, and a lot safer amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients can submit a prescription to the pharmacy directly from their mobile or desktop devices. The medication is ready to be picked up when the patient arrives at the pharmacy.