just-a-blog-for-a-class

[just-a-blog-for-a-class]

Future Technologies

Technology has come an impressively far way in the recent decades. The development and evolution of technology remains and ongoing process. This continual improvement of technology aids the advancement of the medical field. There are some promising medical technologies that are in development.

The need for a replacement organ can arise in a variety of different circumstances. A chronic disease can slowly deteriorate an organ until the point of failure. An unexpected traumatic injury could harm an organ beyond the point of repair. Donated organs are an invaluable treatment option in these circumstances, but they are not always available. The organs must be both available and a suitable match. Even after surgery, there is still a possibility that the donated organ may be rejected.

However, future technology may eliminate the need for donated organs altogether. The development of 3D bioprinting is in progress. This technology is capable of creating new organs using a patient’s own stem cells, which decreases the likelihood of rejection of the transplanted organ due to the immune system treating it as a foreign body (UPM Biomedicals, n.d.).

Another promising future technology is olfactory aids. The sense of smell is a valuable method of detecting danger. When someone smells food burning, they are able to turn off the flame before a fire is possibly started. When somebody wakes up to the smell of smoke in a burning building, they have better chances of escaping safely. The sense of smell is also important to the enjoyment of life by enhancing the sense of taste and allowing people to experience pleasant scents.

In a manner similar to how glasses allow visually impaired people to see clearly and hearing aids allow auditorily impaired people to hear better, olfactory aids could restore the sense of smell for those who have lost it. It has not yet been accomplished, but researchers are developing a method of olfactory stem cells in order to activate cell growth in cases of neural exhaustion (Tufts University, 2023). If the endeavor proves successful, than the sense of smell could be brought back to many people. This is especially true in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

References

Tufts University. (2023, July 18). Restoring a Lost Sense of Smell. Tufts University School of Medicine. https://medicine.tufts.edu/news-events/news/restoring-lost-sense-smell

UPM Biomedicals. (n.d.) What is 3D Bioprinting? UPM Biomedicals. https://www.upmbiomedicals.com/solutions/life-science/what-is-3d-bioprinting/#:~:text=3D%20bioprinting%20is%20a%20technology,engineering%20and%20new%20drug%20development.

[just-a-blog-for-a-class]

The Emergence of AI in Healthcare

The utilization of AI is an emerging trend in healthcare. Currently, its strongest foothold is in the United States and it is becoming more popular (Dhaval, 2024). So far, the most frequent use of AI in healthcare has been to analyze medical diagnostic images, such as X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans. Another use of AI is virtual assistants and chatbots (Dhaval, 2024). While these AI-powered chatbots are used in many industries, they have not yet become very common in healthcare. While these chatbots are accessible at any time, there may be a delay in the general public considering their usefulness as some people would rather talk to a living person or would only consider the chatbot to be as useful as a Google search. Moreover, approximately 60% of Americans are uncomfortable with healthcare providers relying on AI (Dhaval, 2024). 

The use of AI in healthcare is expected to continue growing tremendously over the next five years. Whether healthcare consumers and patients will embrace the expansion of AI in the field shall be seen. Further, in order to do no harm to patients, any AI technology must be proven to be accurate before being implemented in clinical settings.

References

Dhaval, Dave. (2024, August 1). The Statistical Landscape of AI Adoption in Healthcare. Radix. https://radixweb.com/blog/ai-in-healthcare-statistics 

[just-a-blog-for-a-class]

Syndromic Surveillance, Healthcare Delivery, and Public Health

Healthcare delivery and public health are interconnected in several ways. Prominent issues in public health drive what services are most in demand for healthcare delivery. The quality of healthcare delivery also impacts public health. Moreover, the ability of people to seek out healthcare impacts the state of public health.

Syndromic surveillance is the process of monitoring and tracking the prevalence of a particular disease. In many diseases for which syndromic surveillance is practiced, healthcare providers are required to report cases of the disease which they come across. This surveillance is important for keeping track of pandemic diseases, such as COVID-19.

In order to maintain a record of tracked diseases, the CDC utilizes the National Syndrome Surveillance Program (CDC, 2024). Through this NSSP, national tracking of contagious diseases is made possible. Through Health Information Technology, the information collected by healthcare providers is relayed to public health officials who are then able to use the most accurate information possible to guide decision making regarding public health policy.

References

CDC. (2024, April 23). National Syndromic Surveillance Program. CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/nssp/php/about/index.html

[just-a-blog-for-a-class]

Reports and Dashboards

In an administrative healthcare setting, there is an immense amount of information to keep track of. To facilitate this, there are several different reports and dashboards that administrators and managers can utilize. Dashboards and reports can be used to keep track of several different types of information regarding patient care.

One reason that healthcare managers and administrators may run a report is to keep track of all of the patients who are under NPO orders, and are not allowed to eat. There are many different procedures that necessitate a patient to be NPO for a certain amount of time. By staying updated on who is NPO and for what reasons, healthcare administrators are able to make sure that nobody is being kept NPO inappropriately. The Information Technology that is used in generating these reports can save a large amount of time and improve efficiency in healthcare operations.

Another kind of information that healthcare management can run reports on is orders that are about to expire. By assessing such a report, administrators and managers can assess which orders need to be renewed. Then, the appropriate physicians can be contacted and asked to renew the orders.

Additionally, healthcare administrators may run reports regarding the numbers of admits and discharges in a hospital over a given period of time. This information could be useful in several different ways, such as predicting patient volumes to calculate budgets.

Overall, IT is an incredibly valuable resource in both healthcare and healthcare administration.

[just-a-blog-for-a-class]

Telehealth

The popularity of telehealth increased dramatically as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Telehealth utilizes technology in order to serve patient needs without requiring patients to travel to a physical location to be seen. One example of how telehealth is used is appointments with healthcare providers through an online video chat website such as zoom or google meet. These video meetings are very helpful in several different situations such as follow-up appointments, requests for prescription renewals, and mental health appointments. 

Further, telehealth increases access to healthcare services. They enable people with busy schedules or transportation difficulties to keep their appointments. Additionally, the convenience of accessing healthcare services online encourages people to seek out services that they would otherwise delay due to the hassle of taking time off of work and scheduling an appointment to see a provider in person. For instance, there are several websites where women can have a virtual appointment with a provider and receive a prescription for birth control which will then be delivered to them. People can also order STD screening kits online. More recently, people have had the option of getting prescribed and purchasing Ozempic-like injectable weight loss drugs.

By providing online options for feasible healthcare services, accessibility is dramatically increased. Patients are given more autonomy and control over their healthcare experience. For services where being in the same room as the provider does not affect the quality of the healthcare that is provided, telehealth improves the efficiency of the service for both the patient and the provider.

[just-a-blog-for-a-class]

Healthcare Tools

There are many tools that are designed to aid and enhance the patient experience. One such tool that is available to healthcare consumers is the patient portal. Portals are secure online sites that are used by healthcare businesses such as hospitals, primary care offices, and insurance companies. For instance, a portal can allow a patient to view their lab results before or after discussing them with their primary care provider. A portal can also allow a patient to view and manage their appointments. These portals are a valuable tool for increasing patient engagement by empowering them to look at their own health information without having to go through the hassle of a phone call or a visit to an office.

There are many devices that are available as a result of healthcare technology and engineering that are highly beneficial to some people. Some of these tools can be used by anybody, but are not necessary for most people. One such device is an at-home blood pressure monitor. For patients who struggle with hypertension or hypotension, having their own blood pressure monitor at home helps them to maintain a greater degree of autonomy in managing their condition. In a similar manner, glucometers are of great assistance to people who suffer from diabetes. Glucometers have become more sophisticated, and some models remove the need for patients to routinely prick themselves with needles in order to obtain blood samples. Such continuous glucose monitors are worn on the body and can be synced to an app on a patient’s smartphone where they are able to view and track their glucose levels (NIH, 2023). These can also be used to help a diabetic patient learn how their blood sugar levels change in response to different foods, which can be a helpful tool in adjusting their diet to better manage their glucose levels. 

References

NIH. (2023, June). Continuous Glucose Monitoring. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/managing-diabetes/continuous-glucose-monitoring