A number of small businesses are looking at developing some new technology that can help aspects of healthcare, and the provision that healthcare providers will be able to offer. With a population that isn’t getting any younger, the current global COVID-19 health crisis, we are seeing just how much technology can help to boost healthcare, and also just how much it is needed.
For example, being able to communicate simply and easily with others in the healthcare provision, can really improve the day to day of things with a medical professional. So when there are things like secure and instant messaging that are available, it can be a big benefit as a workflow tool for medical and healthcare professionals. In fact, there is one instant messaging tool called Forward that was created by a junior doctor. They know how the job works, and how a tool like that could be a real benefit. Gone are the days of needing to call a pager, for them to have to get to a phone to call you back. Instant, quick, and in real-time is what medical professionals really need.
Many will use a messaging tool like WhatsApp. However, because of the confidential and sensitive nature of a lot of the information that would be shared around an app like this, and to be able to adhere to legal requirements, having some bespoke for doctors is a must. So there is a need for technology and software in the medical industry to change, upgrade, and become more functional. When medical professionals and practitioners can work more efficiently, isn’t it going to be worth all of the time and money?
So with that in mind, here are some of the latest upgrades in technology in the medical sector, and why it is worth looking into, for your medical practice or care facility.
Manage work schedules
When you have a large team, there is a lot of juggling going on. People may be swapping shifts, and there are a lot of different needs and requirements to rearrange and organize. In an effort to combat this, there was an app created in 2016 called Florence (in a nod to Florence Nightingale), that uses technology to help to deal with the care sector’s crisis in nursing.
Again, designed by a doctor, it was created in order to combat a lot of inefficiencies with how they dealt with staffing and temporary staffing. Using the app, you can fill any shift vacancies much more efficiently, and it also allows nurses to have much greater control over the work that they do. So it is a benefit all round, and makes sure that nurses are in place in care homes, as and when they need to be. Patients are still number one, and it helps them to be cared for more efficiently. Small changes can make the day to day life of medical practitioners much simple and much more efficient. Of course staff schedules need to be done, but not at the detriment of patients. So this is a really positive move.
Better patient management
At the end of the day, medical practitioners are there for their patients, and so if they can do their job more efficiently, but help patients in a better way, then it is going to see a huge improvement in the industry. Something that could be a big benefit for medical practitioners is getting a new and improved EEG, to help with problems in the electrical activity of the brain, which can occur because of a brain disorder. An EEG reading is used to confirm, or to rule out, a variety of conditions, including things like epilepsy or other seizure disorders, as well as head injuries. If medical practitioners have an updated EEG, then it allows for readings in real-time. This helps medical practitioners to be able to make much quicker decisions for their patient, helping their overall patient management. Using technology to improve how they can help patients is something that is so important.
Buffer between appointments
Technology, when used in the right way, really can help to save time, and to help patients choose the right kind of healthcare that they need, the support that they need, and also plays a part in early intervention for some patients. Many medical practices are using video technology to talk with patients in-between consultations, and even for appointments. An app called LIVI has been used and trialed in the UK, and it allows people to have an appointment in the comfort of their own home, or on their travels, just using their smartphones. Connected to a medical practice it means that they can get prescriptions, and the doctor on the end of the phone can see the patient’s information, to best provide and advise.
Not only can it help patients, but having some electronic notes can actually be of benefit to the practice, as they are much more convenient to store. Of course, there are a variety of video call software that you can use, with many of them recording calls and consultation, which means that clinical governance or audits won’t be a problem. Although this shouldn’t fully replace having a face-to-face consultation between doctors and patients, it can be a big benefit for some immediate peace of mind, relief, or quick access to a particular prescription.
Technology impacts our lives in so many ways, and if you are a medical professional, then you really need to think about the technology that you use to make life simpler, and more efficient, for yourselves. Being able to take care of patients better, and make your daily life better, makes complete sense, and it is great that we live in such a time when we do have access to such technologies. Who knows what the future will bring, and how much more access we will have to improved technology, to help to improve our jobs. Have you any thoughts on this? It would be great to hear what you think.
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