In this day and age, information technology (IT) is used in every field. It is obvious that such an important area of human life as health care could seriously benefit from it as well. The use of modern devices in healthcare is dictated by the increasing amount of information. There is no doubt that IT helps to make the work of medical workers easier. According to researchers, it can cover anything “from wearable gadgets to ingestible sensors, from mobile health apps to artificial intelligence, from robotic carers to electronic records” (Best, 2019, para. 1). In other words, digital health technology is capable of increasing the efficiency of medical facilities and bringing health care systems to a new level in terms of the quality of services.
As an example of implementing such technologies, artificial intelligence can be used in treating patients. Researchers note that even though the progress is far from using robots in healthcare directly, it is already possible to make them communicate with patients and do simple tasks (“The Power of AI & Robotics in Health Care,” n.d., para. 1). Another issue in this sphere which should be taken into account is providing patient-oriented care. It means that relationships with physicians and patients should be improved with the help of technology (Epstein et al., 2010). The process of work on the implementation of information technology into medical practice is ongoing. A modern doctor cannot perform well without knowledge of the latest medical devices. In addition, the use of computers in medicine is no longer limited to providing a diagnosis. Currently, it can also be employed in the treatment of various diseases, from creating a treatment plan to managing medical equipment during procedures.
It is also worth noting that continuing on implementing IT is beneficial since it helps to keep patients educated on the topic of their diseases and overall conditions. For instance, in case when a patient has a plethora of health data, he or she would be capable of cooperating with a doctor in order to create the most fitting treatment plan. Nevertheless, the availability of such technology is an issue which needs further work. Researchers state that most Americans are not fully educated on this topic and those who participate in “many patient-centered research initiatives, for instance, tend to be white, educated women” (Fagotto & Fung, 2019, para. 5). For this reason, new policies regarding health care should be focused on giving access to IT and data systems to new social groups. For instance, making them cheaper and providing computers and devices to hospitals in poor neighborhoods would significantly help the situation. Since technology is developing rapidly in the 21st century, in the next five years, digital health would have new programs and systems that can optimize the process of treatment.
In conclusion, it appears that even though information technology has become an important part of healthcare, there are still some vital issues that need to be taken care of. There are many different reasons to continue working on solving the problems in order to improve the quality of health care delivery and patient satisfaction. Moreover, using the latest devices and systems can reduce the burden on doctors and improve their performance. Furthermore, it is also beneficial for patients since it can provide the access of medical information to them, as well as to increase the speed of its provision to medical personnel. All in all, changes in policies will considerably improve the efficiency of services.
References
Best, J. (2019). What is digital health? Everything you need to know about the future of healthcare. ZDnet. Web.
The Power of AI & Robotics in Health Care and How Nurses Can Integrate with the New Technology. (n.d) Web.
Epstein, R. M., Fiscella, K., Lesser, C. S., Stange, K. C. (2010). Why The Nation Needs A Policy Push On Patient-Centered Health Care. Health Affairs, 29(8). Web.
Fagotto, E., & Fung, A. (2019). A connected patient is a healthier patient. The Commonwealth Fund. Web.
