Technology: the great equaliser in healthcare

In the modern age, a range of industries have become revolutionised by the use of technology and digitalisation, healthcare is among these. Digitalised healthcare has grown exponentially over the past two years, as the pandemic has put stress on the healthcare industry resulting in adaptations. As many of these adaptions are set to stay, this week we consider the role of digitalisation in healthcare.

Digital healthcare hasn’t always been respected

Not so long ago digital healthcare had a bad reputation. Before certain improvements in the digital world, it used to be difficult to verify healthcare providers who operated digitally. As some of the early accounts of digital healthcare were negative, many people dismissed digital healthcare altogether, particularly those who may have struggled to find reputable and respected providers. Due to the trust and value elements of the healthcare industry, it can be particularly damaging if a patient has a negative experience, so digital healthcare has not always been a popular option.

However, since technology has developed further to avoid these problems, user experience has dramatically improved. Beyond this, technology has improved the quality of healthcare as a whole, with medical advancements and improved accuracy in the storing of information, technology is continuing to influence the quality of healthcare across the world.

What are the benefits of digitalised healthcare?

As technology has become more in-tune with our specific needs, it has opened up opportunities for healthcare to become more personalised too. Digital healthcare can be thought of as an equaliser as it allows people to make their own choices about their health when previously they would have had to go through a large institution. An example of this is how medical records can now be accessed through apps, when before this was something that would have had to be requested, which may take a while. Aside from this, technologies have revolutionised the lives of people suffering from various illnesses, such as technology that measures blood glucose levels and heart rates. Nowadays, we have more access at our fingertips to information than ever before. Increased access can be understood as the largest positive impact of digitalised healthcare, as it has provided people with more choices and information regarding their health.

What does this mean for healthcare?

Many people working within healthcare professions are advocates for digital healthcare. Research reveals that the most popular healthcare-related technologies are built on clinical research, meaning that these technologies are backed by science. These technologies are usually popular with doctors and patients, as they can be beneficial to both. Bringing more patients into awareness and ownership of their own health is beneficial not only to their own health but in the treatment plans and seamlessness of processes for doctors. It is clear that digitalised healthcare isn’t going anywhere, and that it is likely set to develop even further in the coming years.