[Photo Source: Techzone360]
Change
they say is constant. This applies to so many areas of life (this includes the
fuel pump price as well... Lol). However, there are a lot of things that may
never change no matter what. For instance, the earth rotating on its axis from
west to east, or the spelling of "FOOD"... But technology is one
thing that evolves with time and generations.
The
study of an event may lead to collection of data, extrapolation and collation
of useful information, as well as inference. Putting this all together will
eventually yield good results and better the life of people. This is the role
of technology! Technology goes beyond the use of machines and devices. It is
God's gift to man if you ask me. Today, information is easily spread because of
technology; people live better lives because of technology. There are so many
positive things about the evolution of technology as well as there are the
negatives. Technology as well, is a critical part of medical advancement.
In
this article, we shall examine a few benefits of technology in medicine. There
abound hundreds of thousands of benefits of technology in medicine today, below
are just a few:
1.
Predicting pandemics and epidemics
The
world was taken by storm in the late part of 2019 through 2020 due to a
Coronavirus strain that was later christened as Covid-19. Cities were placed on
Lockdown; flights were banned; gatherings were prohibited; jobs were lost;
people died and the world was still. The saddest year yet for a lot of persons
(2019/2020) thankfully we are here, it could have been worse.
Technology
was instrumental to the discovery and identification of the virus, to its
implications and route of entry, down to the dissemination of information on
the prevention of the deadly virus. The advancement in technology has made it
easier for the collection of data as well as its analysis. Today, it is quite
much easier to predict a pandemic or an epidemic from data sources compared to
a few decades ago.
2.
Development of new medicines, vaccines and treatments
One
key benefit of technology is the development of new medicines and treatment
plans that are more effective than their predecessors, all these in a shorter
time frame. Today, we have improved medicines and better treatment plans for
various conditions troubling the medical world. Drug molecules are easily
studied and improved on for better outcomes in the patients. Vaccines are
developed in a much quicker way than normal, and we don't have to wait for
years anymore. It goes on and on.
3.
Reduction in the cost of health care
One
goal of a good treatment plan is to deliver the best possible treatment
solution at the cheapest possible rate. This is one area technology has aided
in recent times. There are better medicines at a relatively cheaper cost than
known before. Healthcare has improved today and become better because of
technology and technological advancements in the medical world. It is now easy
to book surgeries, communicate with your physician, get drugs delivered from
licensed Pharmacists and so on.
4.
Avoiding preventable deaths
Due
to the advancements in technology, it is easier to avoid casualties from
situations that are ordinarily preventable. Such red flags are now easily
identified and can be avoided better than they used to be decades ago.
5.
Improving quality of life
The
ultimate goal of any treatment or therapeutic plan is to either help improve,
prevent or manage the condition of the patient. With growing tech support and
innovations, this is the resultant effect.
Over
the years, there has been an improvement in the quality of life of patients and
adherence to medical advices. With the achievements of an improving
technological Ecosystem, the best is only yet to come. These and many more are
the roles and benefits of technology in medicine today. If you have any more,
you can list them down via the comment box below.
John
Omoku (B. Pharm)