As technology progresses so healthcare looks set to be transformed: new scientific discoveries are causing healthcare to evolve in ways that couldn’t have been imagined even just a decade ago. Some of these have changed the way that patients are diagnosed with particular problems and enabled them to access treatments in a fast more efficient way.
Mobile Phone Apps
From monitoring blood pressure to ordering repeat prescriptions, there are many apps aimed at improving and monitoring users’ health available for most smartphones. There are simple pharmaceutical reference apps which allow users to access information on things such as dosage and possible side effects, or even to research treatments and medications for specific diseases.
The Red Cross First Aid app provides step-by-step instructions to help guide the user through everyday first aid scenarios and includes many informative quizzes and safety tips.
Remote Access to Consultations
Already in some areas it is possible to access physiotherapy sessions via teleconferencing, and the CEO of one company offering this service, Jim Jam, predicts that although remote consultations will never completely replace same room consultations, this trend is set to continue.
Online Referral Platforms
The system of referring patients is another area where online platforms can have a major advantage over the traditional method. Online referral platforms allow any staff member within the referral route to simultaneously process the information, greatly reducing waiting times.
Home test kits
We have long had the ability to be able to test our blood pressure and for a positive pregnancy at home but in more recent years the capability of using a home testing kit to check for STI’s have revolutionised the way that people can check for this potential issues. An STI test London company such as https://www.checkurself.org.uk/plus/home_sti_kits/ can provide you with a kit to test for a number of different sexual transmitted infections.
FDA 510k Clearance Submission
It is safe to assume that this trend will continue into the future. Indeed, a quick look through the list of device approvals and clearances on the FDA website for January shows a whole plethora of new ideas, from new HD endoscopes to tools to assess visiospatial learning – all going through the process of seeking approval for clinical use.
As technology integrates itself into every aspect of our lives, a broad range of healthcare solutions will transform how care is sought, offered and received. However, professional and personal use of technology may overlap, raising new questions about professional ethics and data security and creating new challenges for healthcare providers.