How is Tech Shaping the Medical Industry?

For better or worse, technology has infiltrated every facet of our life in 2019, and the medical space is no exception. Over the last 100 years, the medical world has changed to a point where it is almost unrecognizable and we’re living through an incredibly fast-paced period of growth in medical knowledge. Some propose that the advancing achievements in medical technology could see our average lifespan reach 100 years in the not too distant future. With that enticing prospect here’s a rundown of some of the big changes taking place in the medical world thanks to progressive technology.

Treating Asthma with smart inhalers

We’re more and more used to seeing the integration of our smartphones with our health, from the use of apps to track our daily steps to heart rate monitors. One novel use of the integration of wellbeing and tech has come in the form of smart inhalers. Metering the dose of preventative medication such as Seretide is crucial for asthma sufferers to avoid using reliever inhalers like Salbutamol. Coupling the preventative medication with a sensor that precisely records the dose and accuracy of preventative asthma treatments has been proven to dramatically reduce the reliance upon reliever inhalers for asthma sufferers. This shows how the integration of technology and medication can be used in simple ways to achieve incredible results.

Apps, the Internet, and the Awareness of First Aid

The growth in the app space has also sparked a proliferation of first aid apps for smartphones, which without the technology we rely upon daily, simply wouldn’t be possible. Thanks to the internet and the growth in connectivity across the country, the availability of professional medical equipment and supplies has also been a major improvement for the medical industry in recent years. It’s now easier than ever to order PPE kits online and have them delivered to your home, and although simple, these small improvements provide easier access to medical equipment and make a big difference.

Improving patient treatment and care

Electronic health records and the integration of better technology in hospitals are allowing medical professionals to better treat their patients, retain more accuracy in their medical data, and more efficiently manage increasing numbers of patients. Keeping medical records on electronic databases has a whole host of benefits, not least of includes giving medical professionals the ability to read and update their patient records on-the-fly, allowing for faster access to the most relevant and recent information. Improving the workflow and efficiencies in hospitals like this also has the added financial benefit of bringing costs down for patients.

Medical care has come on in leaps and bounds in recent years and looking at what has been developed in that time, it is certain to continue. The changes we’re likely to see in the coming years are more often than not going to be linked with technology, some of which will be the kind of technology we rely upon daily. Smart devices integrated with existing medication looks set to shape the future and play an increasingly relevant role in achieving the optimistic goal for an average human lifespan of 100 years!