As we approach the topic of technology, we often discuss how the advancement of technology is making our lives better. Whether that is Über helping us find a ride, our cellphones capturing that scenic photo or air-conditioned comforters keeping us at just the right temperature throughout the night, no tech actually quite makes our lives better (or longer) like healthcare tech does.
To start with, perhaps the best technological advancement within the healthcare industry is actually one of the most-simple and overlooked by patients — electronic health records. The introduction of electronic health records was a gamechanger. It made the sharing of information exponentially quicker and easier, and like any great advancement, when information is easily accessible and shared, results move much quicker. Rather than waiting for a call, fax or email with a patient’s medical history, like back in the day, doctors can now get on their computers or phones and review a patient’s history instantaneously. They can see what other doctors have noted and they can review test results for themselves.
Like all good technological advantages, this switch to electronic health- records has not just made the health care process more efficient, it has made it more cost-effective, as well. A study done by the University of Michigan has shown that the switch to electronic health records from paper records has resulted in a savings of $5.13 per patient per month. With the digital conversion comes digital backups and loss prevention. Because these files are stored on a cloud server, they are essentially impossible to lose. The only big threat to this advancement is potential data loss due to hackers. Medical data is worth billions of dollars and that means hospitals and data centers are relentlessly trying to thwart potential breaches.
Another technological advancement that is making both patients’ and doctors’ lives easier is the creation of virtual appointments. Connect Care, as Utah’s Intermountain Healthcare calls it, is the ability to connect with a clinician any time or anywhere from your phone, computer or tablet. Think of it like FaceTime with a doctor.
Connect Care starts off like any other service where you create your account and login. From there you can view a list of available doctors and make a choice based on the doctor’s experience and ratings (yes, they’re rated just like Über drivers). Once you have decided on a doctor to speak with, you’re put into a high-quality video chat — no appointment needed. This service costs only $49 and is ideal for situations that require immediate attention (unless it’s life-threatening, then you should go to an emergency room), when you are far from a clinic or when it is after normal clinical hours.
While this tool can be very effective, there are still some applications where an in-person visit is needed. Connect Care is not created to treat any emergency symptoms. If you are suffering from any emergency symptoms such as difficulty breathing, chest pain, dizziness or fainting, changes in vision, severe pain or uncontrolled bleeding — to name just a few — a virtual visit is not appropriate.
Connect Care is designed for sinus pains and pressures, allergic symptoms, eye infections, coughs, lower back pain, minor burns, rashes or skin infections. These are all symptoms that a quick initial evaluation can be done remotely with a doctor and sometimes that is all that is needed. Solving health concerns quickly and remotely is a cost-effective and time-saving tool for hospitals. Any patient that can be helped remotely is one less patient crowding an already overcrowded hospital.
Healthcare technology is more than just diagnosing and data storage. Innovations in the way diseases are treated are constantly occurring. Dexcom, a remote diabetes sugar monitoring solution, is one of many examples. Dexcom has changed the way diabetics monitor their blood glucose levels. Because of these innovations, monitoring that was once a painful and lengthy process is now a quick and painless one.
Dexcom is a small wearable patch that transmits blood glucose levels to your smartphone, smartwatch or Dexcom reader. The device is easy to install, barely probing beneath the skin. The patch is slim, water resistant and transmits data every five minutes. The transmitted data is collected, stored and displayed in an easy-to-read management center, giving users more control over their lives.
Dexcom is FDA-permitted to make diabetes treatment decisions without finger sticks or calibration, and is proven to reduce hypoglycemic incidents by helping you see where your glucose levels are headed. This device can also act like a preventative, thanks to customizable alerts that notify you when your levels are heading either too high or too low. You can also share your glucose levels in live time with up to 10 other people. This means you can keep an eye out for a loved one from a distance or have a doctor check on your levels remotely.
Combining the gold rush that is technology with the powerhouse industry of healthcare is a no-brainer. These are two of the most powerful industries in the world and it is almost frightening to think of what the two of them can create. The deep pockets of healthcare are funding their own niche tech boom where there is almost no doubt that we will be seeing exponentially revolutionary advances in the coming years. The two together have a unique opportunity of being able to produce technology that both increases quality of life and life expectancy, making their products twice as important and twice as valuable.
Bahar Ferguson is president of Wasatch I.T., a Utah provider of outsourced IT services for small and medium-sized businesses.