Over the past few years, there has been an explosion of new technology designed to improve the quality of health care for patients. These tools are used to track medical information, communicate with doctors and other facilities, and aid in documentation and recording of their visits.
Some examples include using smartphone apps that monitor blood pressure or glucose levels, wearable devices that check vitals signs such as heart rate and weight, and voice-activated personal assistants like Amazon’s Alexa or Google Assistant that can read back prescriptions and organize messages and documents.
Many of these technologies were first adopted by physicians and then adapted for use in nursing practice. For instance, using smart phones to document visit notes and test results was primarily done by nurses before being made available more easily through applications.
Now, many hospitals and clinics have transitioned from paper records to digital ones, which is one of the reasons why record keeping volume is decreasing. Paper takes longer to process than computer databases, so replacing it with e-records saves time and money!
Overall, technology helps us keep our healthcare system running effectively by allowing for easy access to patient data, reducing paperwork, and improving efficiency. When implemented properly, it can help make sure everyone knows what’s going on with a person’s health, and that all of their caregivers coordinate well with each other.
This article will discuss some ways that technology can be integrated into nursing practices and how this benefits your career.
Cleaning robots
Recent developments in robotics have allowed for automated cleaning systems to take over more tasks, especially in healthcare facilities. These machines are able to not only clean rooms and bathrooms, but also sterilize equipment such as trolleys and gurneys or even surgical tools!
Robots that perform these functions use sensors to identify harmful bacteria and contaminants. Since this is an area where there can be a lot of dirt and germs, it makes sense to have automatic washing mechanisms.
There are several companies that offer robotic technology for nursing homes and hospitals. Some focus on specific areas like infectious disease control, while others cover all areas. What they share in common is that their products help keep hospital wards and residential care units free from dirty surfaces that could potentially spread illness.
These advanced technologies improve patient safety by helping to prevent infections and ensuring high hygiene standards. They also reduce workloads for staff, giving them time to spend with patients and classes and activities for nurses and other professionals.
Given how much impact good infection control has, using robotics in health settings should be promoted so that everyone can enjoy the benefits.
Online reviews
One of the most effective ways to find good care is by looking at online review sites such as Yelp, Vitals, HealthGrades, The Better Business Bureau, etc. These websites let you read what past customers have to say about a doctor or hospital.
By reading these reviews, you will get an accurate picture of how well this health provider serves its patients. It may also give you some tips for improving your own healthcare experiences, whether you are seeking outpatient services or inpatient treatment.
In fact, according to one study conducted between September 2014 and February 2015, reading medical article articles with testimonials was more effective than reading only clinical trial results in helping people determine if a product works or not.
So while it may be difficult to make an assessment of a healthcare professional’s competence without first paying them, reading testimonial-based reports can still be very helpful.
Social media
Over the past few years, there have been many different types of social media sites that allow for individuals to connect with each other or promote businesses. Some of the most popular include Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
These websites give people a platform to share their experiences, talk about things they are interested in, and create conversations with others who are similarly minded. It is not only entertaining, but also educational as people post pictures and videos of what they know so that others can learn from it.
Since nursing is such an altruistic career, educating potential nurses is a great way to draw new patients. By posting pictures and videos of your work, you can inspire others to pursue nursing as a profession.
Your followers can watch you do your job, which helps them feel more confident in entering into the field.
Smart devices
Recent developments in technology have allowed for the creation of ever-more efficient and effective ways to care for patients. Devices such as smart phones, tablets, and laptops are not only powerful tools, but they also offer new possibilities for improving patient care through the use of applications (or apps) designed to aid in their recovery or wellness.
These apps can monitor symptoms, record data, communicate with other doctors and clinics, and even perform certain medical procedures or tests. By using this technology, nurses are able to provide more advanced levels of care than before.
For example, instead of relying on subjective reports about pain, some apps allow you to measure it quantitatively — by asking questions like how much does your pain level equal 4 out of 10? Or how many times per week do you feel weak? These types of apps can then calculate an overall score based on those answers.
By having easy access to information about one’s condition, people can begin to take control over their health again. It removes part of the stigma that comes along with seeking help because there is no longer need to go outside sources to know what things are feeling like.
Electronic health records
The field of nursing is constantly changing to meet the ever-changing healthcare needs and expectations of patients. Health professionals are continually educating themselves about best practices, as well as what works for their hospital or clinic team.
Electronic health records (EHRs) have become increasingly common in recent years. EHRs are software programs that track your medical information from many different sources. This allows for more efficient communication and documentation of visits with doctors and other nurses, and also makes it possible to access this info anywhere there’s internet!
By having all of this information in one place, it can be used to improve and streamline care at every level. A lot of times, hospitals and clinics will offer online tools or apps to help you check up on yourself or give you early warnings on disease developments so you can take action ahead of time.
This not only helps keep you healthy, but gives you some control over your own personal situation. It may even save your life if you’re able to address an issue earlier than needed.
Clinical trials
One way to make sure that new practices are effective is to conduct clinical studies or investigations. A clinical study looks at whether an intervention works under controlled conditions for a defined period of time. If the intervention does work, then it can be offered to other people to use.
A well-designed clinical trial will determine if there is really an effect from the intervention by using appropriate statistical analysis. There may be reasons why the intervention did not work even though you thought it would, so testing this in a placebo group is important.
That is what a placebo group is! You create a fake treatment and test it alongside the real one. This helps rule out factors such as special effects of the experimenters or patient expectation.
There’s also an importance of blinding patients to the treatments being tested in order to avoid bias due to expectations or past experiences with the therapy. Bias can influence how well someone responds to the care they receive.
Artificial intelligence
Recent developments in technology have made it possible to implement AI into various areas of our lives, including health care. This is called artificial intelligent (or automated) learning or deep learning. When you apply this technology to healthcare, it can perform tasks that require human interaction with patients and/or their caregivers.
For example, an AI tool might monitor someone’s blood pressure for signs of changes or irregularities. If something seems off, the system will notify a caregiver or nurse at the appropriate level to check up on the patient. Or maybe it notices that person breathing has changed and alerts anyone needed to intervene.
This sounds scary, but there are many ways to use these tools effectively. And since most people don’t need full-on doctor attention, only part-time intervention is required. Only when things get more serious do professionals take over.
Another area where nurses are being replaced by technology is in taking orders. Even though we still have registered nurses who oversee how medication is given and questions about dosing are answered, computer programs can order medications and track them down.
These systems also make sure each drug gets administered properly and does not cause any harmful reactions. All of this happens quickly, automatically, and with no room for error. It may even find its way into the pharmacy and handle all logistics like keeping up with stock levels and ordering what medicine is running low.
