The Importance of Using Technology to Improve Healthcare

Introduction

What did health specialists use to carry out investigations in their departments, how long did it take to carry out research, how long did they take to get back health records and how much did they use to make a follow up of patients located in far distances? These are some of questions and issues that come into our minds when we think about past times when technology had not emerged in health care. However, these questions are a guideline in understanding the impact and how technology can improve health sector in our society. The issue of technology in most of areas especially health sector is important since there has huge information about use of computers and systems in health sector for various purposes. This issue would help to organizations and patients to understand how well technology is important and therefore come up with decisions to implement it in their hospitals in order to achieve development. The purpose of this research is to show how technology improves communication in health sector, reduces inaccuracies, improves patient safety and supports decision making in health sector thus improving the entire health sector.

Communication

Communication is an important part of a health sector. Communication as a process through which individuals are able to pass information and understand each other. In health sector, communication is required to pass information related with health issues of a patient for medical purposes. Technology provides easy access to communication platforms such as mobile phones and computers where health practitioners are able to communicate effectively. The distance between health specialists has not been an issue hence they can alert each other and make consultations in case of emergence issues thus providing an immediate action. Through the emerged use of digital platforms, practitioners are able to screen and send photos of patient results to other specialists who can quickly help in the area thus providing a quick access to services. This strengthens communication channels between patients since they are able to communicate with their medical consultants immediately and get access to services quickly. Technology brings togetherness and cohesiveness in a health sector since all health workers in the healthcare would be able to get information at the right time a case that would lead to good flow of command and good structure. Meanwhile, digital communication helps healthcare workers to understand what is happening globally in their health sector thus using essential practices to align with the phase of change in the environment. Therefore, technology would lead to quick communication, easy and affordable communication that would lead to efficiency and effectiveness in health sector.

Reduces medical inaccuracies

Health sector is a critical area which needs serious attention all the time. Therefore, if any mistakes occur, it may lead to serious problems such as loss of life or severe conditions in human life. According to Asghar et al, (2014), in their study about the role of health information technology in reducing medical errors, use of health information systems helps medical practitioners identify main procedures essential in treatment, reduces excessive diagnostics through provision of accurate results, ensures timely monitoring of patients and reminds health personnel about important procedures to carry out. According to this study, technology is essential in reducing mistakes and provision of accurate information because it is more accurate than human being. Therefore, it can change health sector through reduction of death cases caused by poor practices by health personnel since it provides a strict and clear guideline on how to carry out critical procedures. This simplifies the work that a health practitioner should do that creating efficiency. 

Use of health related technology systems helps doctors and nurses to monitor patients properly and provide treatment that they require at the right time. This improves health services thus improving living standards of patients since they are able to get required medication at the right time. In addition, technology can provide an exact condition of a patient thus enabling healthcare practitioners to offer a patient the right medical attention at the proper time thus reducing more severe health conditions.

Improve patient safety

Human safety is among the most important factors that human being tries to achieve. Safety occurs when someone is feeling comfortable and has obtained satisfaction with various factors in the environment. In health sector, health safety is important since it gives comfort to patients and medical practitioners thus helping them to carry out their duties effectively. Technology provides patients with continuous alerts on when to take medicines, when there conditions needs quick medical attention, and also patient engagement tools that enable them interact with doctors. The hospital may develop various system alerts that would act as quick and immediate reminders to patients thus improving their safety on intake of medicines. However, data recording systems provides safety to patients because they are sure that their information is kept safely where they cannot be retrieved by unwanted people. Through technology, healthcares are expected to report ways through which they are using to provide safety to patients. This is provided through continuous audit of healthcare equipments where systems provide an alert in case of a failure of a system, a case that increases patient safety which was not available in times when there was no technology.

Support decision making

Decision making is a central part in any organization. It creates ideas that would make an organization achieve its strategic goals successfully. Technology plays a major role in health sector since it is mostly used for decision making. Information technology systems used in healthcare such as digital mammography, x-rays and other important clinical materials create essential information about diagnosis of diseases thus providing doctors with a way forward in terms of medication to administer for a particular patient. Therefore, without use of technology, there might be difficulties in understanding the key source of infections and diseases and how they are supposed to be treated. Technology is a centre of information, needed by healthcare organizations in their decision making since it enables safe keeping of records in a more precise order, quick access of information and accurate source of information. Therefore, a healthcare is able to compare its information essential in decision making and benefit through having best information to utilize thus good performance. Currently, technology has a positive impact since health planners enjoy access to true information with little errors thus being able to make viable decisions for their organization.

However, technology may have negative impacts to health sector. Use of current systems in treatment may lead to hazards in human being thus affecting the livelihood of a human being. For example, someone who has frequently exposed to x-ray radiations may lead to death of body cells a case that may lead to poor performance in health sector.

Conclusion

Technology is an important factor in health sector. It can help to improve health sector through provision of immediate communication to patients and medical practitioners and also other people in the sector. Communication is facilitated through increased use of mobile platforms and other mobile applications which are more user-interactive. The use of technology can help to reduce inaccuracies and mistakes thus improving service delivery in health sector. Mistakes can be minimized through having a healthcare systems which help in diagnosis of diseases and other infections. Technology can improve patient’s safety through provision of good machines and procedures to use in the hospital and also provision of accurate doses. Technology can also improve health sector if its information and systems such as X-rays are properly used hence providing essential information needed by health planners. However, technology may have negative effect to human beings if it is not used properly . It needs careful maintenance and usage in order to improve health sector. 

Works Cited

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