How Is Technology Changing Healthcare, Driven By COVID-19?

COVID-19 has affected every sector all over the world. While a few services noticed a slowdown, others have evolved during this pandemic.

The healthcare sector is one such unit that has witnessed a massive change in its overall working process. The healthcare workers are more active than ever before, and most of the medical care systems have been made to work automatically in a considerably short period. It was all done to overcome the systematic errors affected by the pandemic.

Technology has changed the face of the healthcare sector, and continuous progress has developed this sector quite effectively. Hospitals and clinics are equipped with modern facilities. Most of the work is done digitally nowadays, including the tracking and recording reports and other details. The stocks are timely updated with automatic systems with the facility of buying medical equipment online without any hassle. Most organizations have upgraded them to be technology-driven while others are racing towards this path. Advanced systems and newer technologies are driving health agencies.

However, COVID-19 has immensely affected many medical practitioners. Even with the digitalization of a majority of their workflow, the medical practitioners are unsure whether they could efficiently assure patients’ safety with quality service.

Many healthcare providers are continuously improving their policies and procedures to make their systems more efficient in recording and analyzing data in real-time. They have upgraded their older systems and included many new solutions to increase the efficiency of their work. Many new and improved technological aids are implemented recently, but a lot more still needs to be done. This advancement must be accelerated following the present requirements. Technology is capable of making an instant advancement in any field.

Digital services aided the efficient working of institutions. It helped the process of admission of patients and eased diagnosis procedures. Technology aced the supply of medical equipment and products.

The healthcare industry is hugely benefitted by advancing technological methods. These innovative methods have improved the systematic handling of patients and other facilities.

Below is given a brief description of how the healthcare systems have easily managed to make their organizations swift and systematic:-

Organized Staff

Hospitals are a necessary organization for humanity. Even a small disturbance in living conditions directly affects this unit of society. Accidents, natural disasters, spreading infections and diseases, and any such phenomenon that spreads over a considerable part of the population have an evident impact on the hospitals; and the availability of resources is affected.

Technology-driven devices help the hospitalization process. Providing healthcare teams with clinical computer systems facilitates the communication process and allows the members to connect globally within real-time. It can be done through texts or calls and other communication aids. Organizations have expanded their medical staff online without the need for team members’ physical presence in any faculty. The patient records are updated in real-time on the online systems without taking notes of the details physically.

Systematic Patient Management

Nowadays, patients are provided with a wristband that they need to wear while admitted to the hospital. It has a barcode which allows correct and systematic medication facility during treatment. It stores the patient’s information and helps locate the person and can be scanned when needed to update the patient’s records.

RFID (radio-frequency identification) tags are attached with a wristband for improved identification and location of patients. It is done through real-time location systems (RTLS) and internet-of-things (IoT). These devices keep a check on the vital signs and alert the staff members if any sudden change in a patient’s status occurs. It reduces the need for routine check-ups and reduces human-to-human contact with patients, an essential measure to be taken during the current pandemic and otherwise. AI is a useful tool in this field and facilitates medical professionals with the case situation’s prior inquiry before taking any remedial action.

Laboratory Management

Labs undertake the most critical responsibility of sample collection and analysis. Any mishandling of the specimen can prove to be fatal. RFID tags and barcoded labels are attached to each sample to ensure precise identification and recording of the test results. The handheld clinical mobile systems allow easy scanning of the particular patient’s wristbands to sync and update data. The laboratories are filled with specimens during the pandemic, and without such advanced technology, it would have been impossible to retrieve every information with utmost precision.

Organized Equipment

Every hospital equipment is affixed with RTLS tags, which make it easy to locate wheelchairs, beds, infusion pumps, ventilators, etc. During a pandemic like situation, it becomes all the more important to keep track of everything. This system helps to identify the available resources quickly. Of any shortage of such resources is reported, it can be updated by buying medical equipment online.

Management of Inventories

The hassle at inventories is a significant issue that needed immediate action. With barcoded labels, it has become easy to find the required item immediately. The staff has to scan every used medical product. If everything is done systematically, this system makes the inventory and the whole healthcare unit organized and updated. Additionally, the items about to expire can be detected automatically with such advanced methods, and appropriate buying medical equipment online keeps the inventory updated.

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Organized Supply Chain

With RTLS labels and barcoding systems, each item is scanned thoroughly and kept track of. This aids maintenance of supply chain records and alerts the team of any shortage in supplies that can be refilled by medical equipment online Store. This also reduces the chances of fraud in the supply of equipment.

Scanning of every item before use helps to maintain records and detect any shortage of products and gives Scam Warning. It allows a timely refill of supplies and reduces the purchase of non-essential products.Every healthcare facility requires such advanced systems to improve their effectiveness and enhance productivity. The expansion of technology in the medical sector makes it more organized. With barcode scanners, clinical mobile systems, and RTLS tags, the treatment process becomes more efficient and transparent. The proper maintenance of medical supplies is facilitated by the automated buying of medical equipment online.  Updated systems and policies ensure adequate training for staff members to use technology and advanced medical tools. The medical staff must be trained about the process of disinfection of each device. The security of patients’ privacy is essential and must be protected. Communication systems should be smooth and easily accessible to ensure global connectivity.