It seems like every single day, something new comes to the world of healthcare technology. Whether it's an innovation in electronic medical record storage, new equipment for the operating table or even new funding for existing yet underutilized technology, the medical field is constantly evolving. Here are some of the top headlines from events in the health technology community from the past week alone, illustrating just how quickly things are changing for the better.
Robotic surgical systems are a highly effective method for conducting routine surgical operations on patients without risking human error, which significantly reduces the chance of malpractice. Of course, robotic surgery is not always the best choice for every single operation, and Florida's Dr. Bert Vorstman has made the claim that robotic surgery is inappropriate for prostatectomies. Likening the practice to doctors recommending cigarettes in the past, he argues that such procedures serve only to fuel the robotic surgery industry and can severely damage patients. While he is not saying that robotic surgery as a whole is a problem, he does feel that it should only be used in specific situations for the time being.
Meanwhile, healthcare companies are often turning to big data analytics in order to identify and combat large-scale trends within patient populations, and even identify which groups they occur among most frequently. Maryland's Bon Secours Health System is now joining the party by deploying the PremierConnect Enterprise cloud-based data warehouse and business intelligence platform. This management platform will allow the health system to better manage patient records as well as medical supplies and resources, ultimately resulting in a far more efficient healthcare model.
Google Glass has also seen widespread use within the medical field, as it gives doctors the ability to view medical records and appointment schedules with patients without a break in communication or even eye contact, even taking photographs of symptoms if needed. CrowdOptic is just one of many companies taking advantage of this tool to advance the medical community, and now the company has added Stanford University's Medical School to their program.
Finally, telemedicine provider Doctor on Demand has received a major amount of funding, which will allow the company to expand their service. Doctor on Demand allows patients to connect to their doctors with a video chat service through their mobile devices, but also through their laptops and desktops. Not only does this allow patients to quickly touch base with their doctors and reduce medical resource strain, but it also cuts down the risk of infection and even allows doctors to see more patients per day.
