Life-saving Advantages of Technology

A single mom with 3 kids and no babysitter getting stuck in traffic. An older woman having a weak immune system and not wanting to put her health in danger because of coronavirus or to prevent future outbreaks. The inconvenience driving an hour away and having to wait 30 minutes to get your name called back. These people all have similar qualities in common. Convenience, their lack of being able to get to their appointment, not being able to make an appointment with their care provider because they're booked, and simply their appointment being too far away. These circumstances are not accepted. This essay will help provide information on current and future technologies in the health care field using telehealth services, and precision medicine from video calls to a quicker and more efficient way of receiving the medicine.

According to health.clevelandclinic.org 'During the year of 2019, over 6,000 patients were able to have a doctor's appointment over the phone due to technology advancing. Not to mention, 12,000 people have died because of entirely avoidable errors' with phone appointments today this event will help administer care from a distance proving easy access to your doctor. Henceforward, if a patient cancels an appointment or is unable to attend due to factor a lack of transportation, those who are eligible to meet via phone can schedule a telehealth appointment with their provider instead. For most patients, online meetings are accessible and often take just minutes. According to aarp.org 'These interventions vary from self-help programs, video conferencing, self-support groups, and professional-led online therapy.'

For patients who just received surgery doctors typically need to check in with patients one or two days after a surgical procedure, most of the time to check-in and make sure everything is going smoothly. Advancing programs such as video chat grant itself ideally to this situation because it gives patients and providers a way to check in quickly allowing post-op patients to ask any questions they might have, and helping the physician make sure patients remain on their post-op regimen. For example, If I live in Atlanta Ga, and I'm looking for someone who specializes in weight loss surgery the nearest surgeon could be in Tennessee. In this scenario, a local weight loss center would be more efficient for a telehealth “visit” with a specialist, rather than one who might be in a larger city. This again promotes increased access to doctors.

With technology advancing rapidly you will be able to receive precision medicine. Precision medicine is an approach to patient care that allows doctors to select treatments that are most likely based on genetic understanding. According to fda.gov “precision medicine is deterministic, often with a gene-centric approach, while preventive medicine is probabilistic and applies to common conditions such as hypertension and hyperlipidemia” Hypertension is caused by diabetes, high cholesterol, etc. People who have hypertension will be affected the most it will make medicine based on your ancestry and medical records. The interesting thing to me is how it will take away side effects based on your background.

Nevertheless, Technology has changed the way we socialize, workout, play games, and even work. According to healthcarebusniess.org, 'The future of healthcare combines data on a patient's medical history, real-time health, insurance coverage, and financial information all to support provider decision-making, improve patient health, and reduce costs'. Healthcare technology is helping people live longer, decreasing wait times and making it more accessible for doctors to diagnose diseases. Not to mention, social distancing. Social distancing is very important when it comes to staying inside with the coronavirus you still must live your everyday life such as newborns getting a checkup or just having questions about your health or your child. Today, Telemedicine is one of the alternatives in communities that are turning to avoid overwhelming hospitals with unruly patients making their treatment faster and easier which allows doctors to use telehealth to communicate to their patients to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Research shows that after high statistics of patients using telehealth a decrease in deaths. In conjunction, with this decline doctors show how much they love using telehealth by advertising it on social media, commercials, etc. Giving patients the ability to discuss with their doctors online makes their healthcare experience far more efficient and personalized. Telephone usage keeps patients engaged in their health throughout their journey and helps enhance health awareness. In the end, this study revealed that consulting with your doctor via phone and taking personalized medicine is less costly and accessible for everyone, especially during the coronavirus.

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