The digital age has brought many changes to various industries. Advances in digital medicine, in particular, has made certain treatments safer and more accessible. New techniques and innovations have also made previously unaffordable procedures cheaper, improving patient outcomes and world health.
What are some of the fields in medicine improved by technological advances?
Digital Orthodontics
As early as 1974, digital orthodontics has helped improve the oral health of people around the world. Improvements since this time only helped integrate digital technology into the practice more, making it easier to teach and practice orthodontics.
Today, patients can have their braces and dentures produced through computer-aided designed manufactured means. Teeth can be straightened or recreated using a 3D digital method. Disease can be monitored and detected through unique software that can track a patient’s condition.
Digital information and records can also be passed over, with the patient’s consent, easily between orthodontists in case the need for collaboration arises.
Primary Care
Primary care is seen as the building block of good health. Unfortunately, due to remoteness or prohibitive costs, quite a number of people forgo the process. Digital primary care seeks to address these points and improve general health care services.
IT systems are being improved to ensure the safety of patient records. Updates are also concerned with streamlining the process of booking appointments and ordering medication. An example of this process is England, where all practices were required to offer online GP services to their patients.
Another digital advancement, remote consultations benefit patients and doctors alike by saving them time spent on waiting and commuting. Straightforward medical requests are answered quickly, detailed instructions for available treatments can be given, and patients are given more freedom to choose which medical option they have to pursue.
Future Cardiology
Cardiology is an important field of medicine where doctors and other practitioners are constantly on the lookout for better ways of preventing and treating diseases. Recently, wearable technology, apps, and other advancements have made it easier for doctors and patients alike to monitor cardiac health.
Artificial Intelligence that can help doctors with every step of patient care is slowly being developed. Personalized medicine with regards to cardiology is expected to benefit from the tailored data and care that AI can bring in the future.
Existing digital technology is already helping improve clinical research and is predicted to help reduce the costs of randomized clinical trials. Mobile health devices provide useful information on a patient’s cardiovascular health and can warn physicians and patients about unforseen cardiac events.
eNutrition
More than ever, nutrition is a topic of heavy importance. Misinformation about the body’s needs abound despite constant warnings about needing consultations before undergoing an extreme diet. Owing to vast amounts of unverified and verified data available everywhere, some people do not bother going to nutritionists for consultation.
Fortunately, a number of licensed doctors and nutritionists are offering their services through hospital websites and personal pages. Government nutrition databases, apps, and independent dietetics sites also offer accurate information on the nutritional value of commonly eaten foods. The same websites frequently feature doctors who can be contacted for consultation.
Conclusion
Why wait for tomorrow when you can access these technologies today? Modern hospitals, and even public health offices, offer many of the services above. Qualified doctors and specialists are also there to guide patients into selecting the right treatment for their condition.
