Healthcare Technology Featured Article

December 14, 2016

Five Ways Integrated Technology is Improving Healthcare


Technology is changing the face of modern medicine and patient care. An NYU study found that 58 percent of smartphone users have downloaded a health or fitness app, but the link between tech and healthcare goes far beyond that. While privacy rules are still being outlined as it pertains to HIPAA law, there are already some ways that technology is benefitting patients and providers.

Reminders

The old way to remind people of upcoming appointments was to call them, and that got a little bit of an update with robo-calling options. Today’s patients get reminders about their visits through much more favorable delivery methods like email and text messages. Providing an interactive option for patients where they can reply with a “Y” through text, or click a link inside an email or app to confirm a response streamlines the process and keeps everyone on the same calendar page.

Customized Care

No two people have the same routine for healthcare and wellness. Searching Google for health information about symptoms does not give a patient tailored information. In fact, over-generalization can sometimes do little to help conditions – or even make them worse. Healthcare technology platforms have become integrated between wearable devices, physicians and algorithms to help patients make informed decisions about their next best actions to improve health. This personalized care works in a variety of settings, from physical therapy exercise demonstrations to diabetes management. When patients receive customized care delivered through technology, they are more informed and can therefore make better decisions every day.

Better Access

Advances in technology, particularly as it relates to healthcare apps, give patients easier ways to manage their own wellness. An app that has patient access to medical information, or even chat features with registered physicians or nurses, allows users to get the details they need much more quickly than waiting for an appointment. Of course technology can never replace one-on-one care – but it can close the gaps in what happens during visits and how it relates to health at home or work.

Office-Pharmacy-Patient Connection

Once again, cutting out the old-fashioned call for obtaining a prescription (or dropping it off and then waiting) leads to better outcomes for patients. Healthcare apps that manage medications and automatically refill them keep patients on track so that their health stays at an optimal level. It’s also important to note that healthcare providers benefit from automated pharmacy and prescription tools. It saves precious time and manpower that can then be invested in other aspects of patient care that are not as easily converted to automation.

Claims Automation

This is yet another area of healthcare that has been labor-intensive in the past but is seeing some relief from advancements in automated technology. Healthcare apps can now allow patients to input their insurance information ahead of time (sometimes by just taking a photo of their insurance cards) and can check on the status of their claims, too. Physicians and insurance companies can communicate securely through encrypted apps about the status of patient claims to accelerate filling them. There is less paperwork and more cloud access, and all of that comes together to form a better workflow for claims.

Technology is changing the modern face of healthcare, to the benefit of both providers and patients. Having better access on both sides leads to better patient outcomes. As technology and security advances, expect to see even more possibilities to improve healthcare delivery through online and mobile app avenues. 




Edited by Alicia Young
Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. [Free eNews Subscription]
By Special Guest
Leena Boor, Business Analyst ,




SHARE THIS ARTICLE



FREE eNewsletter

Click here to receive your targeted Healthcare Technology Community eNewsletter.
[Subscribe Now]