Technological Innovations in the Medical Industry
The technology industry has been shaping the medical field for decades. Everywhere you look, technological advancements in every area possible have made the medical field a near automated industry. From cybersecurity to advancements in tools, let’s look at how technological advancements have helped the health industry.
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Using Surgical Gloves
What do you think of when the healthcare industry comes to mind? Perhaps the most rudimentary thought would be surgical gloves. Originally powdered latex gloves were the norm in the healthcare industry. However, due to allergy concerns and other issues, these basic gloves have been replaced by more hypoallergenic alternatives.
Primo Dental Products have become a staple in doctor’s offices and emergency rooms. This stronger-than-latex material provides a much more durable alternative to their latest counterparts. Allergies are no longer an issue for healthcare workplaces opting into using the nitrile version of surgical gloves. The material on nitrile gloves also provides a firmer grip for surgeons using them during procedures.
Cybersecurity is Necessary
Nearly all medical records are computer-based now. In rare cases, you may still see older facilities utilizing paper records, as most have opted into using digital record keeping. When computers are factored into the equation, a hazard arises that wasn’t normally thought of in the healthcare industry.
The growing reliance on medical computers also magnifies the complexity and potential impact of any security breaches. Cybersecurity has become an industry-wide issue in the medical field.
Located in databases worldwide lies sensitive information about medical patients everywhere. Social security numbers, addresses, dates of birth, and other medical insurance information stored in medical databases are ripe for the pickings of a hacker. Cybersecurity in the modern age is an issue that should never be underestimated.
It’s not only hackers looking to commit identity theft that we have to worry about. Foreign countries looking to launch cyberattacks can wreak havoc on our healthcare systems.
A recent attack on a major healthcare provider nearly crippled over 400 healthcare locations. Hospital workers were forced into filing patient information with pen and paper. Ransomware that is unleashed on a healthcare system’s database can cause potentially deadly scenarios considering that most hospital equipment operates on an automated system.
Luckily an industry has opened for companies in the cybersecurity industry. These companies specialize in preventing attacks such as the one previously mentioned.
Automation in Healthcare
The automation industry has also seen breakthroughs in the healthcare field. Recently more hospitals and healthcare offices have made their appointment process completely automated. Many offices have even seen the check-in process become automated, with patients checking in to a computer instead of a real receptionist.
This has become especially important in the COVID age as social distancing has become a significant factor. Many healthcare offices have seen in-car waiting with patients coming in one at a time to be seen as their names are called from the automated registry.
Innovations in the Medical Industry: DNA Technology
Breakthroughs in DNA technology have also increased the efficiency of the healthcare industry. In the last decade, healthcare workers have separated the likelihood of a patient contracting certain illnesses based on their DNA makeup. This technology has drastically increased the potency of preventative medicine in certain patients.
Recently, DNA research has even been able to predict major medicines’ side effects in patients for certain conditions. This technology can potentially avoid life-threatening allergic reactions to certain medications. Medical researchers claim the test is simple and incredibly accurate when predicting a patient’s reaction. Researchers are hoping to make this DNA test a normal routine in the coming years.
Medical researchers need a lot of data to improve the healthcare industry constantly. In the information age, there is potentially no better field than healthcare to provide that data. Constantly changing technology leads to constant breakthroughs in a field required to move at a high rate of speed to keep up with the demand. Technology has also decreased the number of human-made errors in the medical field lately. More modern doctors embracing modern technology can only lead to bigger and more rapid breakthroughs in the years to come for the healthcare industry.
