Health technology continues to grow. Apart from health applications, various technologies in the health sector were also born to make it easier for sufferers. Looking at the Growth of Health Technology in the Digital Age Have you ever heard of the term industrial revolution 4.0? This is a period of new growth in which several technologies, such as digital, physical, and biological technologies, are achieving unprecedented advances. Of the three, the advancement of digital technology is considered to have the greatest influence, including health technology.
In the last decade, the world of health has experienced significant changes or disruptions. The growth of technology in the health sector aims to make it easier for sufferers to obtain health services. In the past, sufferers had to get closer to health care providers. Currently, it is health care providers who are closer to sufferers. Imagine, sufferers can ask a doctor only through an online health application (online) on a smartphone. Likewise with ordering drugs, laboratory checks, and home care.
Combined with online transportation services, sufferers do not need to go anywhere to get medicine, data and health services. Pretty sitting while playing with fingers on a smart phone. Especially now that there is a system for making doctor consultation appointments online where sufferers can create, view, or change consultation schedules according to their needs only via a mobile application or via SMS.
Entering the millennium, health technology in Indonesia seems to continue to grow with the emergence of medical records and electronic prescribing. Health data websites also continue to proliferate and are equipped with real-time online consultation features with doctors and online pharmacies. Sufferers also continue to find it easier to obtain health data through popular social media.
Health Technology in the Future
One of the focuses on the development of health technology in the future will be shown to facilitate patient access to health services. Not only that, the world of health and medicine will also continue to be up-to-date with the development of the following technologies:
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial intelligence (AI) or artificial intelligence allows machines to perform various functions like humans. In the health sector, AI can take the form of a chatbot or virtual assistant that can act as administrator or customer service.
AI can also take the form of a machine to carry out disease assessments or certain tests. In fact, robots are currently being developed to assist doctors in carrying out operations with a high level of accuracy.
Wearables or Features Worn on the Body
The growth of health technology requires data to be processed so that it can provide accurate advice or input to its users. You may already be familiar with wearables, a kind of smart bracelet. The main use of this bracelet is to measure the frequency and goals of various types of exercise, calculate sleep patterns, and measure heart rate. With this, you can have reminders when your lifestyle is not good.
In addition, there is also a feature that can provide the latest monitoring results for high-risk sufferers, to calculate the chance of a serious disease event. For example, an oximeter to monitor the amount of oxygen in the blood and a sweat meter (sweat meter) to calculate blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.
Medical Features Based on Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR)
In 2018, the emergence of AR and VR-based health technologies changed the way sufferers are treated and treated. For children with autism, for example, this technology helps them learn how to navigate the world. For people with Alzheimer’s and dementia, AR and VR technologies can help rekindle memories and pleasures by bringing back time, sounds, experiences and meaningful events of the past.
In the field of medical education, this technology helps doctors hone their skills. For example, to prepare and simulate complex surgery, without having to do it on humans.
Blockchains
If you have to change doctors or be referred to a specialist, you know how complicated it is to transfer existing medical history. However, with blockchain technology, this process can be automated. The doctor can also look at the patient’s complete medical history so that you can quickly find the treatment and cure you need.
Challenges in Health Technology Growth
In fact, advances in health technology have the main goal, which is to shorten the various processes of complicated and time-consuming health services. However, its application is not that simple. Although infrequent, there are cases where these technological advances collide with medical ethical issues. It could be because the various stakeholders are not ready for the rapid growth that exists.
Not only security, information ownership, personal aspects, information sharing, and licensing, it is also necessary to think about efforts to protect consumers. Because the growth of digital-based health technology is open, policy makers really need to act fast to estimate this.