Computers and Medicine
Technology is vital to society in today’s age and it affects almost every single thing that goes on in a person’s daily life. I believe technology has spread to nearly every field, even if it is a minor use of it.
Transportation, conversation, banking, and even working places have some sort of technology with it now. But what is going to be discussed in this Wiki is the impact that technology and computers have made with medicine and healthcare.
The creation of technology changed the way healthcare is being received, and even organized. The introduction of electronic medical records, to finding cures that humans thought would not be possible, healthcare has changed right in front of everyone’s eyes. Let’s discuss what exactly a computer is and how technology is changing in the field of healthcare and medicine.
What is a computer?
According to dictionary.com, a computer is a programmable device that reads data, performs calculations, and outputs the results of the data.
How are computers used by doctors to deal with medical efforts?
In today’s age, computers help patients and the hospital communicate together for reasons, such as booking appointments at home or in office, sending medical prescriptions to pharmacy, or just in house communication between doctors and nurses. The introduction of electronic medical records has allowed doctors and nurses to get rid of paper work and have all electronic documents for easier access and storage. Many
Over the past decade, virtually every major industry invested heavily in computerization. The heath care industry was no exception to the rise in the use of technology. These technologies are starting to allow health care practitioners to offer faster, and more efficient patient care than ever before. No doubt this is the right direction we expect health care to follow.
Computer- A computer the process-recieves in, thinks about, changes, stores, sends out, displays, and prints data in the form of bits.
We live in a digital age where everything from photos to important documents is saved or stored online. This includes the use of electronic medical records. The electronic medical record (EMR) is useful in assisting physicians to have a complete and thorough health history of the patient. The EMR serves as a continuity of care from one hospital to another within the same organization (Hsieh, 2014). Consulting physicians also have quick access to recent diagnostic imaging, progress notes, and lab results. EMRs can help manage patients with chronic disease states, aid in data collection for use in research, and prevent adverse drug events (Hsieh, 2014).
Advancements in technology have made it possible for people to access medical information, communicate with their doctor, manage and track diseases, seek help, and maintain anonymity. Technology has facilitated the tracking of medical information, for example, Kaiser Permanente uses a computerized system to store and track patient information. Any doctor in a
Advancements in technology, especially in computers, have caused a major impact on today’s healthcare. “More specifically, profound effect on modern day medicine.” [instruct.lanagara.ba.ca 1.] [1] It has changed almost every aspect of the medical field, from the instruments used to the medicines prescribed to the operations preformed.
The use of the electronic medical record and patient portals are just a few ways that technology has been applied in health care and with more technological advances we are creating many ways to access health care that were not possible before. One technological advancement that
Many health care facilities are already starting to use an electronic health record in some of their departments. An electronic health record is a system that allows health care employees to input patient information into a computer system and saves that information into a database for the facility. The information that is being stored directly into the computer system is patients’ personal information (name, date of birth, address, emergency contact information, insurance information, and primary care physician and/or admitting physician), medical history, allergies, current medications, nurses and doctors’ notes, and other information that may pertain to the reason for the visit. Radiology and lab results are also saved into the electronic health record. Even though some health care facilities use a computer system to save some information, there may also be paper work that is also being used. This paper work is scanned into the facilities database so that it can also be saved and viewed if necessary.
Going back hundreds of years, we can trace the history of health care. Although it has evolved over the years, it all has a common goal; to heal those who are ill. Technology is one of the major evolutions and now plays a big role in the health care system. It helps patients to be more involved with their healthcare. They can make appointments, follow up on test results, and contact their doctors. Back then, they didn’t even have all the medicine we have now, let alone the technology. We can only imagine what is in store for the future.
Information Technology allows health care providers to collect, store, retrieve and transfer information electronically. More specific discussion of IT in health care is challenging due to lack of specific definitions, the volume of applications and a rapid pace of change in technology. Information technology has the potential to improve the quality, safety and efficiency of health care. The health care system generally uses less IT than other industries. IT increases the ability of physicians, nurses, clinical technicians, and others to readily access and use the right information about their patients to Improve care. Studies have shown that better technologies leads to better care.
Technology has been advancing every day, which has tremendous effects on the lifestyle of people. People are dependent on technology, and as a lifestyle of people change, a demand of advance technology grows. Technological advancement has both positive and negative effects, for instance, benefits of technological advancement are time saving, increases the production, simplifies the communication, improved the health care and education and others. On the other hand, technology has decreased the human interaction, people are lazy and dependent due to technology, which has decreased the innovation and increases the health risks such as weight gain and obesity-related health issues. This paper will describe regarding the historical perspectives of U.S health care delivery system. The paper will contrast and describe the two technological advances and their impact on a health care delivery system. In addition, a paper will explain regarding the author and public opinion on technological advances.
In terms of healthcare, that is no different. According to Ray, MD and Norbeck (2014), “...it drew attention to and hastened the growth of a mega-trillion dollar industry that seems more interested in advanced technology, federal regulation and personal data collection, than in the doctor’s care and life-saving treatment of patients.” Ray, MD and Norbeck outline a doctor’s perspective as it relates to the many changes in the healthcare industry. Ideally it illuminates the advantages and disadvantages that it poses for doctors. Furthermore, it displays the general turmoil that has been spewing for them in terms of such changes for a significant amount of time. Ideally as Universal Healthcare is cutting costs for the average individual, it is also becoming expensive to maintain all the technological aspects of the system. Therefore, another aspect of the debate becomes noted and the question of whether the American Universal Healthcare system is really cutting costs becomes raised. Although seemingly it may be cutting costs, who fits the bill for all the technology that has come about within the healthcare system? Such an understanding creates a sense of awareness that technology is ideally taking over the healthcare system. Thus, many other debates have been formed regarding the issues of technology as it regards to the healthcare system. As some may not find it as much of an
For society in general, and especially for physicians and the medical care industry, technology has driven vast changes in the healthcare environment. Computers were available 20 years ago, the MacIntosh had developed a bit, PCs were using better technology, but the Internet and massive memory and processing availablity for the general public had not
We can look at how technology is affecting healthcare. This can be accredited to the rising population rate. We have seen the use of electronic medical records (EMR). They have shown to not only improve the quality of care for patients but also reduce the overall costs of healthcare (Swartz, 2005). In the study by Health Affairs, an electronic medical record could save the United States over $81 billion in one year. This would tremendously cut down the cost for private insurances and Medicare. Also, technology has allowed for the increasing shift in the demographic population moving to larger cities. In our small rural hospital, the radiologist at larger facilities or teleradiologist read our exams. This still allows for adequate patient care by reducing the cost of a radiologist being
In today’s medical field technology plays a big role when it comes to patient care. Technology is huge when it comes to giving the patient the best type of quality care when they are in the hospital. In the old days people would just write it down on a sheet of paper and record it by hand, which caused mistakes. Now with the Electronic Health Record those mistakes are drastically declining. Statistics have shown that using the Electronic Health Record has lowered Nursing mistakes as well as improved patient care. Our society has progressed through the years and has been introduced with the Electronic Health Record which has drastically improved our health care system. The Electronic Health Record provides great communication between
“Computers have had an unbelievably positive impact on society. Due to the advancement of computers, space exploration took place, vehicles were designed differently, the entertainment world became more entertaining, and medical science made more cures for diseases. The computers impacted society in many ways. Life became instantaneously easier. Some people say that computers are taking away manpower, and that may be true, but computers did make the impossible possible. Business uses computers for keeping track of accounts, money, and inventory. Another area the computer impacted is the entertainment world. Computers made it possible to enhance graphics and special effects. Education has transformed due to current day usage of the computer in the classroom. Computers help students in any way they need, including researching, typing, and searching. Teachers use computers as well. They use computers to keep track of grades, type out instruction for their students, engage students in the classroom, and stay in contact with parents and co-workers. The advancement of the computer has affected the medical profession as well. According to educator and author, Edwin Dolan,” calculations necessary to medical research are being done by computers at astonishing rates of speed, a procedure that is increasing the likelihood of finding cures for serious illness.” Computers are used to help perform surgeries, come up with new medications, keep track of patients, and