Paper Example on Technology Strategy Recommendation

The healthcare industry has embraced the use of technology over the past few decades to improve patient outcomes and improve efficiency in various processes during treatment. The use of technology in healthcare enhances provider capabilities and improves patients' quality of life and saves others' lives (Mettler, 2016). Technology in healthcare has progressed from improving patient outcomes to having a significant impact on society as a whole. Today, healthcare is more accessible to most people in various parts of the world. Moreover, information technology in healthcare allows healthcare experts in their research, thus making processes more effective than before (Angraal et al., 2017). Digital and mobile technologies are bringing significant changes in the healthcare sector, and many organizations are embracing the changes. Some of the most significant benefits of integrating technology in the healthcare sector are that it is cost-effective, there is improved patient health outcomes, and patients receive timely care (Chen, 2020). Patients have a platform to manage their health in better ways and control their health and medical information. Some of the technologies that are already in use in the healthcare sector include artificial intelligence, the digitalization of health records, virtual and augmented reality, telemedicine, and mobile health apps (Khezr et al., 2019). Regarding future technology outlooks, it is recommended that healthcare providers incorporate the Internet of Things technology to streamline various processes that are involved in frontline healthcare work.

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Electronic Health Records

One of the current technological trends in the healthcare sector is the digitalization of patient records, and the technology is used worldwide. Electronic health records (EMR) is a technological advancement that eliminates the usage of the traditional paper-based documentation of patient's health information and data. EMR allows medical practitioners to enter a patient's medical history and data after every visit (Shickel et al., 2017). The first advantaged of electronic health records is that there is improved quality of care (Heart et al., 2017). Computerized data is easy to read and use than compared to a medical practitioner's handwriting. Thus, the technology assists in the reduction of errors in patient records that could lead to misinterpretations and compromise the quality of care (Al-Rayes et al., 2019). Secondly, EMRs are convenient, and they increase efficiency. Medical practitioners are no longer required to search for patient information from piles of files. Thus, doctors and nurses can easily and conveniently access patient information through their mobile phones, tablets, and computers (Heart et al., 2017). Thirdly, EMRs save space since documents are stored in the memory of electronic gadgets and not on hospital shelves. EMRs thus free up more space that is used to store other medical essentials and equipment (Al-Rayes et al., 2019). The fourth benefit of EMRs is that they enhance patient access. Healthcare centers create patient portals where the patients can easily view their medical history and information at their convenience (Mettler, 2016). The final benefit of EMRs is that healthcare providers can access financial initiatives from the federal and state governments. For example, healthcare centers with an installed EMR can fulfill the meaningful use requirements for bodies like Medicare and Medicaid that are eligible for various initiatives by the federal government (Shickel et al., 2017).

Virtual Reality

Virtual reality (VR) is a rapidly advancing technology in the healthcare sector, and it will be used widely in healthcare provision in the coming years. VR is set to revolutionize the healthcare industry in the future, and healthcare providers will be encouraged to incorporate the technology into their systems. Currently, there is a wide range of VR experiences that are used in some laboratories and pharmaceutical industries. The development of virtual reality is aimed at coming up with new life-saving techniques that will be used to train medical practitioners in the future. The first benefit of virtual reality in healthcare is its use in medical training. VR can transport a person inside the human body (Khezr et al., 2019). Doctors can then view and access various areas that could be inaccessible. Currently, medical students use cadavers to learn human anatomy, and the method does not react in the same way as in a live body. Virtual reality allows a person to view minute details of any part of the human body in stunning 360° CGI reconstruction. Moreover, training scenarios that replicate common surgical procedures can be easily created.

Virtual reality is used for treatment using various strategies. First, VR will facilitate patient education, whereby patients will be allowed to view the inside of a human body. VR will be used to show the patients their surgical plan by virtually stepping into a patient-specific 3600 VR reconstruction and their anatomy. The benefit of VR in patient education is enhanced understanding of the treatment plan and procedure, thus leading to satisfaction (Chirico et al., 2016). VR is used in robotic surgery whereby robots operate on a human body when being controlled by a human surgeon. The incorporation of robotic surgery in healthcare in the future will lead to fewer complications and faster operation procedures. Robot devices are accurate; thus, they make smaller incisions, leading to reduced blood loss and ensure faster patient recovery.

VR is used mental health and psychological therapy through the creation of powerful simulations of the scenarios in which psychological challenges occur (Chirico et al., 2016). Thus, therapists will not be required to take their patients and accompany them to trips during the course of treatment. VR allows the recreation of situations like flying, which are used in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (Angraal et al., 2017). Thus, many disorders can be conjured at the click of a mouse and delivered in the consulting room.

The adopting of virtual reality in the healthcare industry will facilitate procedures of pain management and physical therapy. Research on VR systems explains that patients have reduced pain levels, and their recovery is hastened (Chirico et al., 2016). When patients do their exercises and physical therapy in a virtual environment, the activities are fun, motivate the patients, and assists them in staying focused (Chen, 2020). Thus, their recovery time is significantly reduced.

Not only is virtual reality used in the treatment of patients but also in disease awareness. ABBVIE, a pharmaceutical research and development firm, developed an experience that creates awareness among healthcare practitioners about the daily struggles that patients suffering from Parkinson's disease go through (Mettler, 2016). The process involves putting on a headset and to experience first-hand as a Parkinson's disease patient navigates a virtual supermarket and the awkward events that happen during that time when contacting other individuals.

Although some healthcare and research centers are using virtual reality technology, many of the applications are still in the infancy stage. VR will be used more in the future to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of current medical procedures and to enhance the capabilities of human beings (Chirico et al., 2016). The potential for virtual reality in the healthcare sector is significant, and its incorporation in healthcare will bring advancements that will transform the industry entirely.

Internet of Things

The use of the Internet of Things technology in the healthcare sector will be a huge step towards advanced treatment and better patient outcomes. Some minor applications of IOT have been used in the past few years, but the development of the technology is still at the initial stages. However, there is optimism that IoT technology will be significantly used worldwide to find better solutions and treatment plans for patients in the future.

The first application of IoT is that the technology will be used in cancer treatment. A smart monitoring system called CYCORE will be used in cancer treatment and send updates on symptoms and responses to doctors (Khezr et al., 2019). In June 2018, an IoT randomized clinical trial was conducted on 357 cancer patients (Fatima & Sayeed, 2017). Three crucial devises were used; symptoms-tracking app, blood pressure cuff, and a Bluetooth-enabled weight scale. The information collected by the devices was forwarded to the concerned medical practitioners every day. According to the findings of the study, the cancer patients who used the monitoring system experience less severe symptoms as compared to a control group who were not under the experiment and who see their physician weekly (Fatima & Sayeed, 2017). The smart technology will assist in the simplification of patient care and facilitate the early discovery of emerging side-effects so that they can be treated early enough (Angraal et al., 2017). Based on the findings of the study, there are significant potential benefits of the usage of IoT technology in healthcare in a manner that minimizes inefficiencies and fewer interruptions in patients' daily lives.

There is ongoing research to determine how IoT can be used in the treatment of diabetes. According to developers and technology experts, diabetes is a fertile ground for the development of smart devices for the administration of treatment and continuous monitoring (Satija et al., 2017). The two devices that are under development are Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGM) and Insulin pens. A CGM is a device that continuously monitors the glucose levels in a diabetic patient's blood several days at a time, and the readings are taken at regular intervals (Chen, 2020). The first CGM device was approved by the FDA, and several other devices have been produced since then. Regarding the working mechanism of a CGM, data on glucose levels in the blood is sent to an electronic device like a mobile phone or an Apple Watch to allow the wearer to check their information and detect the trends formed. The Freestyle LibreLink app was created to enable caregivers like parents and relatives of diabetic patients to remotely monitor the patients. The IoT devices are being released into the market gradually, and some are available on the NHS and are prescribed to people with Type 1 diabetes.

The smart insulin pen is also an IoT device that is aimed at improving the lives of diabetic people. The pens are designed to automatically record the time, amount of insulin injected, and the recommended insulin type that a patient should use and at the right time (Mettler, 2016). The smart pens function with a smartphone app that stores long-term patient data to help patients in calculating their accurate dosage and record their sugar levels (Gupta et al., 2016).

Developers are using IoT to produce connected inhalers for asthma patients. Asthma affects millions of people across the globe, and the development of smart technology will give patients insight and assist them in the effective control of the condition's symptoms and treatment (Fatima & Sayeed, 2017). Propeller Health is the world's largest producer of smart inhaler technology, whereby there are sensors on inhalers that are connected to a smartphone app. The smart inhaler can be used by people with asthma or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) like chronic bronchitis to monitor their symptoms and track their medication and get allergen forecasts (Chen, 2020).