4 Ways Technology is Improving Patient Health Outcomes

Medical technology has enormously changed the way patients are treated. The speed at which they are taken care of has improved the overall outcomes of health. In the United States alone, according to Dr. Eric Topol of Medscape.com, hundreds of thousands of patients have electronic medical records that can easily be accessed by any hospital or physician’s office.

Saving Lives By Saving Time

In most medical situations, time plays a factor. The sooner a diagnosis is made, the sooner it can be treated and the faster the patient can begin to recover. The use of electronic medical records give medical professionals easy, efficient access to all relevant patient data. Overall medical outcomes have increased exponentially since EMRs were introduced. Physicians don’t have to rely on patients bringing all lab reports, x-rays and notes from other physicians with them to office visits, often resulting in omitted data. Drug dosages are changes and medications discontinued. With the click of an icon, any new treating physician has access to all patient data.

Consultations Across Miles

In many instances where rare or serious illnesses are a possibility, technology has been a blessing. Rather than have a patient physically travel to another physician for a second or third opinion, a consultation can be minutes away. The referring or initial physician can simply schedule a conference call and electronically send, in real time, patient reports, labs, and imaging studies. Valuable time, as well as money is saved. Doctors can have expert consultations much more quickly than ever before with today’s technological advances.

Medical Gages

Companies like West Port Corp. are leaders in the design and manufacture of variable and fixed limit gages for use throughout the medical industry. These gages are emphasized with orthopedic and prosthetic devices. Therefore these gages are applied to medical equipment such as bone screws, support plates, taper fittings, and conical threads. This kind of technology allows surgeons not only to better do their job for their patients, but it also improves patient outcomes as well.

Other Technology

Modern technology has made other great leaps and bounds over the last several years. Doctors can now look at a patient’s genetics to determine what diseases they are more susceptible to. They can also use equipment such as the X-Ray and MRI machines to help better diagnose their patient’s conditions and diseases as well. Even modern medications are making improvements which are making the quality of life for patients everywhere.

In the end, medical technology is changing patient outcomes around the world through the better. People are no longer limited to just basic and local medicine. There are new and improved ways to diagnose and manage diseases.