Tech-Enabled Care Transforms Patient Care & Recovery Rates - Essay Sample

Introduction

The use of technology in medicare has transformed how patients are taken care of and the rates of recovery compared to when there was little or no technology involved in the medical field. The introduction of technology-enabled care has revolutionalized how medical care is provided to patients and the efficiency with which the services are provided. Technology-enabled care involves the inclusion of technology in health, use of digital media and mobile devices to increase the possibility of the patient undergoing an easier recovery period (Li, 2013). Also, the use of technology-enabled care helps the caregivers to successfully provide the patients with the services they need in the timeliest and most efficient manner. The use of technology-enabled care also enables the eased access to data, since the patients are provided with digital access to the treatment plans and other relevant information affecting the patient’s treatment and wellbeing during and after the treatment.

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Through the use of technology and telemedicine, the possibility of reducing the expenses of medicare for the patients increases, since the technology-enabled care provides the patients with the most effective treatment plans, hence reducing the need for longer stays in the facilities or the need for more medication than necessary (Li, 2013). It is also through technology-enabled care that affordable health and social care budgets are availed to the members of society, hence reducing the number of fatalities in the society. The growing use of mobile phones has further increased the need and efficiency of telemedicine, since the patients and doctors are connected at all times, making monitoring easier and more efficient. The development of health apps to be used in mobile devices has also increased the increased use of telemedicine in providing more efficient and affordable medical care to patients of different age groups in society.

The use of telemedicine and technology-enabled care involves the use of digital devices to improve the welfare and health of the people in society. The use of technology-enabled care involves the use of interconnected devices that assist in the monitoring of the health of the patients, hence providing room for informed medical decisions concerning the treatment plans to be followed, depending on the findings of the monitoring activities by the mobile devices (Albahri et al., 2018). Through the use of digital technology, the possibility of integrating all the relevant aspects of medical care is achieved, since the patients will be able to have relevant information transmitted through the chosen devices. Therefore, telemedicine includes the use of mobile devices and wearables which ensure that the patient’s vital organs and signs are read even without them being physically present at the healthcare facilities.

The use of technology-enabled care can help to address the increasing demand for healthcare. There are different reasons for the increased demand for healthcare globally, for example, the population growth experienced, hence creating the need for the healthcare systems to find ways through which they can address the health needs of the society without specifically having to reduce the quality of service being offered to the patients (Albahri et al., 2018). Additionally, the increased susceptibility to chronic diseases, especially cancer, has led to an increase in demand for healthcare, since the healthcare facilities have to provide the needed medical attention to the patients. There is, therefore, need for improved methods of monitoring, diagnosing and treatment of diseases so that the patients do not suffer from the effects of the demand for medicare being higher than the number of people available for management and treatment of the conditions that they experience.

There is an urgent need for healthcare systems to find balances between the needs of the patients and the budgetary allocations of the facilities. For example, the advancement in technology means that the costs associated with getting the equipment used in medical care are higher than previously. Yet, there are calls not to transfer the costs incurred in purchasing the equipment to the patients. Therefore, the management of the facilities will need to find ways through which they can provide quality healthcare and remain within their allocated budgets (Ben et al., 2017). Secondly, there are increased complexities associated with the care that is extended to the chronically sick and older patients. The care extended to the chronically sick and the older patients need to include close monitoring and scheduling of medication, hence creating the need for the programs being used in their care to be inclusive of the possibility of remote monitoring, allowing the healthcare workers to give equal attention to the other patients in the facilities that they are in. Remote monitoring also offers the healthcare workers the opportunity to concentrate on different patients at the same time, compared to if they had to monitor the patients physically.

The need for technology-enabled care has also been increased by the increased patient awareness, hence bringing the need for improved care, since the patients are more aware of their rights and the medical plans that they are supposed to be taken through. The availability of medical journals due to the advancement of technology enables the patients to search the treatment plans that they are supposed to undergo. Therefore the need for technology-enabled care comes in since it is only through it that the patients can undergo proper medical care (Ben et al., 2017). Also, the increased awareness from patients has increased the willingness of patients to use the devices associated with technology-enabled care, such as mobile phones and wearables that help in monitoring their health. When this is done, the health of the patients can be improved at a quicker rate compared to when it was done physically, and some diagnosis was going unnoticed till when it was too late.

The increased rates of innovation are responsible for the improved healthcare witnessed in society, as well as the disruption of traditional modes of healthcare. Technology-enabled care and the possibility of disrupting the traditional healthcare program currently in operation have more market in the developing countries. This is because the developing countries have higher population rates and the risk of infectious diseases spreading in their communities at faster rates. On the other hand, the more developed nations are seeking more economical means of technology-enabled care, since they already have the current versions of the program and would wish to move to the next level of technology-enabled care.

Advantages of Telemedicine

First, telemedicine offers the possibility of convenient and accessible healthcare. Through the ability of monitoring being done remotely, there is convenience in terms of the ways that the readings will be accessed and analyzed. For older patients or chronically ill ones, it is possible to avoid the inconvenience of moving them from their areas of residence which creates discomfort for them. It is also expected that through telemedicine, the possibility of reducing pain during the examination, for example, during processes such as colonoscopy can be reduced (Boxer & Ellimoottil, 2019). Through the innovations being proposed in society, the possibility of alleviating the pains will be achievable.

Secondly, the use of telemedicine is more cost-effective than other means of accessing healthcare. Remote monitoring is less costly than physical meetings. Therefore the patients will be able to afford healthcare compared to previously when they had to incur costs in transportation to and from the medical facilities, consultation and testing them to get the cause of their diseases. When healthcare is affordable, more members of the society will seek medical attention, hence creating a healthier and more productive society that can address their socio-economic needs. It is also through telemedicine that the patients can be engaged more rapidly, hence providing the healthcare experts with enough data to create treatment plans and other plans relevant to the management of the conditions that the patients have (Boxer & Ellimoottil, 2019). The communication between the patients and their caregivers also offers them the chance to track the signs and symptoms of disease when it is not advanced, therefore giving them the chance to fight the disease compared to if it were much advanced. Finally, the use of technology-enabled care reduced the need for care continuity since the caregivers can release the patients and monitor them from a distance. This allows the patients to continue their daily activities while also offering healthcare workers the opportunity to care for other patients.

References

Albahri, O. S., Albahri, A. S., Mohammed, K. I., Zaidan, A. A., Zaidan, B. B., Hashim, M., & Salman, O. H. (2018). A systematic review of real-time remote health monitoring system in triage and priority-based sensor technology: Taxonomy, open challenges, motivation and recommendations. Journal of medical systems, 42(5), 80. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10916-018-0943-4

Ben, M. G., Ben-Jacob, T. E., & Wang, D. (2017). TECHNOLOGY AND TELEMEDICINE. Retrieved from http://www.rjlbpcs.com/article-pdf-downloads/2017/16/181.pdf

Boxer, R. J., & Ellimoottil, C. (2019). Advantages and utilization of telemedicine. Mhealth, 5. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6556699/

Li, K. F. (2013). Smart home technology for telemedicine and emergency management. Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Humanized Computing, 4(5), 535-546. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12652-012-0129-8%23page-2