The healthcare industry has grown by leaps and bound. Many software applications are providing immense power so that mankind is served in a better way. The software and IT have built such a close co-relation that in every new innovation in health care, we can view the role of software. The industry itself is renamed as the HIT (Health information technology).
The computer hardware and software that deals with the storage, retrieval, sharing, and use of health care information, data, and knowledge for communication and decision making is defined as part of HIT. The network systems and internet services are no doubt the backbone of any system. Let’s have a brief glimpse of the background of the information technology in medicine.
Digitalization of Health Records
Electronic Health Records (EHRs) replacing outdated paper records was among the first achievement of IT in the medical science.. Medical assistants to doctors and nurses are directly affected by this change . Nurses and technicians are responsible for inputting patient data into a central, digitized system. Medical billers and coders appointments update patient records with diagnostic codes (such as test results) and submit medical claims to insurance companies. Not only can patients access their records at the click of a button, but it’s also ensured that mistakes are caught more quickly
The advancement in this record-keeping system has right now started making use of AI and machine learning t5echniques. Big Data technology is used for the virtual storage of data. The web and mobile apps are available to access the data sitting far from the hospital. All these changes have brought the following benefits:
- Greater Patient Care
- The collaboration of medical records
- Knowledge sharing platform
- Ease of Workflow
- Reduction in health care cost
- Cloud storage provides anytime anywhere access
- Helps in predicting epidemics
- Helping in improving quality of life
- Improving efficiency and quality of care
- Helping in inventing new drugs and treatments
- Better and Safer Data Storage
The Risk of Medical Records Hacking
As the electronic record-keeping is getting available to the common people and on the internet, the risk of putting the online records is increasing. There is a need to cover the entire system with high- level security layer. The technocrats are adopting advanced technologies to secure the data.
In the year 2015, the US has seen the hacking of the electronic medical record including name and phone number of the patient’s which were later sold to the insurance company. All of the sudden health care industry came to a fix that whether we should rely on electronic storage or not.
Firewall security was then implemented to restrict access to the data. The authentication software tools were developed. As a result of that, today we enjoy safe and secure cloud storage.
Information and Communication Technology
If we talk about the present and future scope of IT in the medical center then like other verticals, mobile technology has a greater impact on the health care industry. The easy connectivity with the patients can be established. There are medical apps which allow you to take medicines, give reminders about taking medicines and maintain patient’s medical record with the reminders of doctor visits and checkups.
Also, some of the hospitals in the US are providing the virtual facility to book an appointment and checking virtually with the help of an app.
Information and communication technology (ICT) has achieved greater success by linking healthcare professionals as well as professionals with patients. Email, smartphones, telemedicine, and telemonitoring systems are all used to share information and are especially useful for more rural areas and locations with a lack of facilities and/or specialists.
From diagnostics to management, counseling, education, and support, there’s seemingly no end to custom healthcare software development.
Challenges of IT in Healthcare
The technological advancements offer countless benefits, in the medical field. But at the same time, the responsibility of the hospitals and private doctors have increased as maintaining the security of the data in a digitized world is not easy. The big hospitals are taking the help of AI and machine learning techniques. the process increases the overall maintenance cost of the data. The cost ultimately comes upon the patients and thus medical facility has become costly.
Telemedicine
Telemonitoring technology can monitor vital signs, symptoms, and even blood levels from a remote location. Future cardiac monitor technicians will be happy to learn that IT software development companies such as ITConnectUS are working delicately to develop medical apps that can monitor patient’s health from the virtual place.
Telehealth is improving allied healthcare jobs, including some of the top-paying roles in the field. The implementation of these telemedicine options means fewer patients in waiting rooms and less pressure on front desk teams.
Mobility Increases Complexity
Even the most sophisticated and advanced technology can’t eliminate the scope of error completely. Mobile devices can be easily lost or stolen, and they’re also vulnerable to hacking, malware, and viruses (especially if the devices are used on unsecured internet connections).
There’s an app for almost everything these days, and healthcare apps are constantly being developed for both healthcare and patient use. As one of the fastest-growing markets in mobile application development, there are a plethora to choose from – perhaps the greatest downside!
Use of IT in Medical Education
The medical education sector is totally influenced by the use if IT-driven equipment and Its software. The medical students are greatly relying on computers and the internet for gathering information. The handmade notes are replaced by Docx, the thesis is represented with graphical data representation using power points, and so on. The access to international patents and real-time patient’s cases have become a helping aid to the medical students.
Computer-assisted learning (CAL), Virtual reality (VR), Human patient simulators are some options that are helping medical students to have more practical knowledge. With the help of college networks and the Internet, the medical students, as well as the teachers, may stay in contact even when they are off college.
Rapid communication can be established with the help of e-mails and course details, handouts, and feedbacks can be circulated easily. Many medical schools these days use online programs such as “Blackboard” or “student central” to underline and coordinate their courses. The software programs provide quick access to information and instant turnaround of evaluation and messaging, and allow all tutors, assessors, and students at any site to look at the curricular context of their own particular contribution.
CAL is considered as an enjoyable medium of learning and very suitable for conceptually difficult topics like internal body analysis. Interactive digital materials for the study of histopathology, anatomy and heart sounds are used widely. The development of anatomical three-dimensional atlases of various internal organs using computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are very illustrative and help the students to understand the subject matter clearly.
Forward Path
There is no doubt that Software development has greatly affected the medical and health care field. Now in the future, we have to utilize this powerful tool in the service of mankind. For achieving this the medical industry have to pay special attention to maintain the security and authenticity of data. At the same time, software developers have to be extra cautious in delivering the best equipment, software, and services to help medical science grow!. At ITConnectUS, our developers are dedicated to exploring new innovations for the medical and healthcare industry by developing web and mobile apps!
Creating bespoke IT products to drive growth for various industrial verticals. Get back to us with your innovative idea or business need !
