With state of the art technology, medicine has certainly come a long way since ancient medical practices. With the help of medical experts, researchers, and tech developers, patients and professionals can now benefit from these innovations.
Health technology has taken medicine to the next level, with significant contributions to various medical fields. In fact, these innovations have saved lives and improved the qualify of life for many others.
Over the past few years, there have been many developments. Take a look below for a detailed list of the most important health technology today.
Robotics
Robotics is making huge advancements not only in the artificial intelligence and general tech industries, but also in fields such as medicine and entertainment. In medicine, robotics is being used for a variety of applications.
Robotic surgery, with the use of nanobots, has revolutionized this area of medicine. It offers a minimally invasive and more precise way of operating on a patient. It is also known to cause less infection and results in faster healing.
Another application of robotics in this industry is the use of bionic limbs as prosthetics. With the help of advanced tech, this form of health technology has given ‘feeling’ to individuals who have their lost limbs.
Precision Medicine
Treating patients tends to mean meeting their medical needs. As the name implies, precision medicine helps professionals increase the precision of both treatment and diagnosis.
This type of tech uses the patient’s genetic makeup to analyze the needs of individuals. It can even suggest medications and treatments that work best with their genomic characteristics.
This is a form of personalized medicine that has proven to be effective for diseases such as cancer.
Aside from using genetics to identify treatments, this technology can also be used to target vulnerable genes and minimize symptoms of sicknesses such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Mixed Reality in Education
Medical students used to look at charts and illustrations, or observe operations, to have an accurate visualization of the human body.
Today, the use of augmented and virtual realities offers them the ability to experience the body in a way that relates to their chosen medical field.
AR and VR are used to simulate situations where the students’ expertise will be required. This helps them get used to working in a more realistic environment in order to test and hone their skills.
Moreover, AR and VR can also be used in treating psychiatric patients, especially those with debilitating phobias.
3D Printing
This type of health technology is used as a way to produce prosthetics. They can be produced using materials that are compatible with the patient’s body, which makes it more effective and efficient.
However, 3D printing is also being used to produce other body parts during surgeries such as customized airway stents, blood vessels, synthetic ovaries, and many more. They may even be able to create essential organs, such as the pancreas, in the future.
It is especially useful for burns victims as this technology can also be used to regenerate skin cells for skin grafting.
This type of printing is also used to print drugs, which is useful in encouraging children to take their medications through different shaped pills.
Smart Wearables
Perhaps the most accessible option to the public, smart wearables not only serve as an extension to your latest smartphone but also as a medical assistant.
It gathers important information about your health such as your heart rate, step count, and other pertinent data.
The best thing about this is that some companies offer to use the data in order to help you get the insurance you need.
In fact, a collaboration by Qualcomm and UnitedHealthcare introduced the gamification of health insurance. Participants are offered perks and rewards when they meet the required step count.
The Bottom Line
Health technology has definitely made the medical field a much more prosperous and advanced industry.
With the use of these innovations, physicians can potentially save and improve the quality of many more lives.
Last updated on December 10th, 2022 at 04:55 pm
