Technology: Improving and Enhancing Patient Care
At every turn, advances in technology and newly-developed or adopted tools and mechanisms are helping people do their jobs better.
Medical professionals are no exception. When it comes to patient care, nurses are always looking for ways to do their jobs better, more efficiently, and with greater success. According to a study by Carol Huston, MSN, DPA, FAAN, the following technologies are helping healthcare providers improve and enhance patient care.
Genetics and Genomics – These specialty fields are intricate and hard for non-specialists to get a read on. However, many disease and condition risks are linked to genetic causes, and the better all members of health teams can understand those links, the better care they can provide to patients.
Tools for Diagnostics and Treatment – Advances in these technologies are providing medical professionals with less invasive methods of gathering data, insight and information about patient diagnoses, while delivering more accurate and more widely useable information. In general, these technologies also result in lower costs per use as well as less time between tests and results.
3D Printing – These futuristic pieces of equipment have many purposes and uses, not the least of which involves medical practitioners. Using “bio-ink” which is comprised of live cell combinations, 3D printers, also known as bioprinters, can build three-dimensional human tissues and, perhaps eventually, human organs. The boundaries of this technology are still unknown as research and development has much left to discover about the abilities of 3D printers.
Robotics – According to Newell, “robotics can provide improved diagnostic abilities; a less invasive and more comfortable experience for the patient; and the ability to do smaller and more precise interventions.” For nurses, this means more focus can be on the patient’s comfort, educational resources, awareness, and other needs while robotics assist physicians in performing their tasks.
Biometrics – Aggressive growth in this arena has led to increased security surrounding private information belonging to patients and their medical teams. Cost remains a barrier, however.
View the study abstract here and learn about two more technologies that are changing the patient care landscape.
