15 things health systems do today that will become obsolete due to technology
As technology has evolved throughout time, so has medicine. With the integration and development of new technology into the medical field, healthcare can become more effective, versatile, and cost effective. This integration could help eliminate systems or tasks that might hinder or limit excellent healthcare practices.
Current technology that the article discusses, but is not limited to include artificial intelligence, self-healing systems, and autonomous systems. While some of the technology in the article has not been fully realized yet, there are some applications that show promise.
One application that I found interesting was an at home care technology system. Sensors and other technology would function as a system that would monitor, diagnose, and consult the patient in the comfort of their own home. This application would be very useful for those with chronic conditions. Having a holistic and continuous view of their condition would be helpful for physicians in understanding and treating their condition more accurately. While promising, precautions must be taken to ensure humane and ethical treatment is provided with these new applications.
“physician documentation that documents itself.” “What it does is it listens to the conversation between the doctor and the patient, and through artificial intelligence, picks up key phrases in the conversation and completes the documentation templates by itself for the physician. At the end of the exam, the physician can review the self-documented forms and make any additional comments or modifications as needed,” he said.
Eases provider tasks, creating more mental capacity. This could also result in more detailed and accurate documentation, leading to more better care.
“It also allows us to provide the same level of care for patients who might be borderline fall-risk patients, but don’t meet the clinical requirements for an in-room sitter,” Mr. Owens said. “Once we incorporated cameras, we saw a reduction in falls and an improvement in overall efficiency. Over the next few years, I think we will see less healthcare providers using ‘sitters’ and more opting to use in-room video surveillance to monitor patients.”
An application of technology that increases cost effectiveness and resource allocation
“Increasingly, sensors and other technologies will enable remote monitoring, diagnosis and consults from the comfort of a patient’s living room. And should a patient require urgent attention in-person, these very same tools will help conduct triage before the patient arrives at the hospital, so that they can be seen by the right person, right away.”
This trend will be especially helpful for patients with chronic conditions, including those who need dialysis.
Utilizing monitoring technology to communicate with hospitals in cases of emergency to help triage is a very interesting and worthwhile application to explore. Not only would this reduce time and stress at the emergency department, but it could also increase more accurate and timely care.
U.S. hospitals and pharmacies lose billions of dollars every year due to expired or unused medications that must be disposed. Driving a more efficient medication management automation processes is a passion for Gee Mathen, director of pharmacy applications and technical services at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. The hospital deployed a phased implementation of an automation system to improve patient safety, workflow and realize cost savings.
I did not realize how much money was wasted by hospitals and pharmacies due to inaccurate ordering protocols. With a system that saves more money by eliminating these practices, more funding could be put towards systems or practices that enhance healthcare practices.
Reference
Dyrda, L. (2020, February 25). 15 things health systems do today that will become obsolete due to technology - Becker’s Hospital Review | Healthcare News & Analysis. Becker’s Health IT. https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/healthcare-information-technology/15-things-health-systems-do-today-that-will-become-obsolete-due-to-technology/
No generative AI was used in the writing of this post
