The role of technology in public health must be considered. Globally, public health and technology convergence has brought about revolutionary shifts. Technological developments over the past few decades have been essential to enhancing disease prevention, health monitoring, and healthcare delivery. These developments have improved healthcare efficiency, accessibility, and personalization. The Electronic Health Record (EHR) for instance, has played a major role in the current expansion of digital health technologies.
Technology is playing a more significant part in public health as it develops further. With a focus on cutting-edge health tech solutions and their effects on communities, this article examines the role of technology in public health.
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Innovative Health Tech Solutions
1. Telemedicine
By conducting consultations online, telemedicine eliminates the need for patients to physically go to a clinic or doctor’s office. Video chat consultations conducted online provide several advantages over in-person meetings. Before COVID-19, telemedicine was already becoming more popular, but it has exploded due to social alienation and people’s apprehensions about visiting a clinic where their chances of contracting an infection are much higher than at home.
2. Electronic health record
The systematic compilation of health information on patients and the population in a digital format that is electronically preserved is known as an Electronic Health Record, or EHR. It is possible to share these records throughout various healthcare settings. Enterprise-wide, network-connected information systems or additional data networks and exchanges are used to share records.
Having all the information required for patient treatment, education, and practice management readily available at the point of care is the primary motivation behind the usage of Electronic Health Records. Whether the computer terminal is at home, at the hospital bedside, at the clinic workstation, in the test room, or in the office shouldn’t matter.
Oncologists require regular reminders and patient-specific assistance for their clinical judgments. Electronic connections between care settings should improve monitoring and tracking of the standard of our care activities and enable carers to work together in coordinated ways. Reducing medical errors, reducing duplicate or lost documentation, and facilitating payment for our labour are other compelling reasons to embrace EHRs.
3. Wearable sensors
Numerous essential life indicators, including blood pressure, heart rate, exercise, and even sleep quality, can now be continuously monitored thanks to advancements in wearable technology. When combined with mobile technology, the patient can avoid the inconvenience of a doctor’s appointment by having the data readily gathered and transmitted for analysis.
4. Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology, or simply nanotech, is the application of technology on a very small scale. It works with items that are between one to one hundred nanometres in size.
A nanometer is one billionth of a meter. Although science fiction ideas of having fleets of tiny robots in the human body to combat viruses and bacteria or repair damaged tissue are still a ways off, the developments are nevertheless fascinating.
5. Robotics and automation
Robots trained on deep-learning algorithms are becoming more and more powerful in the medical field. While robotic biobanks are emerging as a clever method of securing biological samples and advancing medical research, service robots, like the Camello+ robot constructed by the Singaporean company OTSAW, are actively automating hospital tasks. In the most surprising ways, robotics can potentially lead to more effective treatments.
Healthcare professionals are less burdened when automated technology helps with laboratory testing, medicine delivery, and hospital administration. In some medical facilities, robots have been utilized to help patients with everyday tasks and mobility, in addition to emotional support.
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Impact on Communities
1. Empowerment via health education
Additionally, technology has been essential in health education, enabling people to take charge of their own health. Websites, smartphone apps, and social media platforms all offer information on a range of health-related subjects, including illness prevention, fitness, nutrition, and mental health.
People can ask questions, share their experiences, and get expert advice by using online health forum and support groups. Having access to reliable health information enables people to make well-informed decisions regarding their health.
2. Improved control and prevention of disease
The use of technology in public health has greatly enhanced the prevention and management of disease. People can track their physical activity, keep an eye on their health, and identify early warning signs of illness with wearable technology and mobile health apps. Users can better manage chronic diseases and maintain healthy lifestyles with the use of these technologies.
Additionally, by examining data from several sources, including social media, medical records, and satellite images, big data analytics have been developed and used to forecast and control disease epidemics. Early disease outbreak detection minimizes the spread of diseases and enables timely action.
3. Better access to healthcare
Technology has helped close the gap between patients and healthcare professionals, especially in underserved and remote areas. Rural residents now have easier access to healthcare without having to go far thanks to telemedicine.
Communities that have limited access to medical facilities can be reached by mobile health clinics that are outfitted with diagnostic equipment and telecommunications technology. Technology has increased access to healthcare and decreased health inequities by delivering medical services to underserved communities.
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4. Better public health response and monitoring
Public health officials will be able to detect disease outbreaks, keep an eye on health trends, and react to emergencies. This is all thanks to technology. For example, contact-tracing apps assisted authorities in identifying and isolating sick persons during the COVID-19 epidemic, thereby halting the spread of the virus.
To identify odd health trends and anticipate possible medical emergencies, systems for health monitoring use data from clinics, hospitals, and wearable technology. Health systems are now more equipped to address public health issues as a result of this proactive strategy.
Wrap-Up: The Role of Technology in Public Health
New technical advancements have considerably helped public health, and the field of health technology is interesting and developing quickly. Numerous scientific discoveries have led to the development of modern medicine and advanced the role of technology in public health. From X-rays and radiography to antibiotics and penicillin, technological advancements have created new healthcare opportunities and still do. Embracing these ideas is critical to creating a healthier, fairer world.
