How Advances in Medical Technology Are Fundamentally Changing the Face of Healthcare
The development of medical technology is unstoppable, although its scale and speed vary from era to era. From the perspective of patient welfare, technological advances always provide benefits. Today, patients have a greater chance of recovery and prevention. The integration of digital technology in the medical world further reinforces this trend. The impact of technology on healthcare improvement isn’t new; tools and devices have contributed to more positive prognoses for centuries. And it’s not just new tools and devices; new approaches like Lufanest are also pushing for significant improvements in medical services.
And that’s no exaggeration, as we’ll see now.
In this article, I’ll share a bit of that history, discussing the main technological advances in medicine and what to expect in the future. You’ll understand how science influences technology, which medical advances are a sure thing for the coming years, the importance and benefits of technology in medicine, and much more. Get ready, because the medicine of the future is much closer to becoming a reality than we imagine, as illustrated by innovative areas like telemedicine.
Understanding how the body works also became a reality with the help of technology. Of course, autopsies on cadavers were performed before, which made it possible to identify the types of organs and tissues, their location, and other characteristics.
However, it was the observation of all systems in living people—such as the nervous, circulatory, digestive, and respiratory systems—that allowed for the development of solutions for a wide range of health problems.
Therefore, without technology in healthcare, life expectancy was low.
Practically any disease presents a real risk of death.
Even conditions that today have a very high chance of being cured, like fractures, were a serious threat before the invention of techniques like tourniquets, splints, and casts.
And that’s a very basic example.
If we go deeper, many others will reinforce the importance of technology in medicine.
How Does Technology Currently Aid Medicine?
As I mentioned in the introduction, many technologies are part of the current medical routine and are even popular in various places. This is the case with telemedicine, which can be considered a significant advancement of technology in global medicine, as I’ll detail below.
Teleconsultations
Teleconsultation ensures that health advice can be provided remotely, with a quality that is nearly the same as in-person consultations. In many cases, teleconsultation even allows for a much smoother transmission of documents.
Telediagnosis
The interpretation of exams and the issuance of remote reports offer crucial support, contributing to the prevention, diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of diseases, injuries, and other medical conditions. Made possible by telediagnosis, electronic reports are already a reality in many countries, thanks to a combination of the internet, a telemedicine platform, trained professionals, and specialists. Nursing or radiology technicians perform exams that record digital images (pixels), which are then stored and shared online in secure systems. This allows a specialist to view the information from any internet-connected device, using a login and password, to create online reports.
Telemedicine Platforms
A cloud-based telemedicine software is what makes it possible to have teleconsultations, telediagnosis, electronic health records, health teleconsulting, and other remote medical services. This platform handles the transmission, sharing, and storage of digital files in the cloud (an internet-based storage location). Because it has unlimited space, this electronic record system brings together a series of solutions that connect patients and healthcare professionals in just a few clicks.
Database Construction and Analysis
Vast storage space, automated data collection, and the use of artificial intelligence allow for the creation of extensive databases. These provide important records for identifying patient trends and profiles, which contribute to preventive medicine.
Process Automation
Tools that digitize medical records are an example of this technological reality. Recently, a healthcare startup went even further, making it possible to fill out documents by voice, which reduces bureaucracy and the cognitive overload on healthcare teams. Equipped with AI and machine learning, similar solutions can even evaluate a patient’s history to identify patterns.
What Are the Next Technological Advances in Medicine?
Just as in the past, most technological discoveries in communication will continue to bring transformations to medicine. The difference is that these changes, in the digital world, are happening at a rapid pace. Innovations like robotics and 3D printing will also advance technology in medicine, as I’ll discuss below.
Robotic Surgery
Robotic surgery will be an incredible technology in medicine with 5G. Studies on robot-assisted operations began in military institutions with the goal of performing remote surgeries in distant locations. Since the first machines capable of operating were recognized around the 1990s, one of the major advantages has been their precision, which is superior to that of a human doctor who might suffer from spasms, tremors, fatigue, etc.
Robotic surgery is similar to laparoscopy; it is minimally invasive and performed with long instruments inserted into the operated area. The robotic arms are manipulated by a surgeon from a console. To do this, the surgeon’s thumbs, index, and middle fingers are inserted into a device that activates and directs the robot’s movements (assisted robotic surgery).
Nanorobots
A trend in many sectors, nanotechnology is another promise for medicine. Nanorobots are making types of treatment that seemed impossible just a few years ago a reality. For example, in cancer treatment, nanorobots allow doctors to block the food supply to cancer cells more effectively and safely without harming healthy cells. These super-tiny robots can be sent through the bloodstream and work with precision. They can recognize cancer cells and begin blocking them.
Today, nanorobots are being developed extensively in the U.S. and China. One such project is a collaboration between Arizona State University and China’s National Center for Nanoscience and Technology. So far, their progress has been quite promising.
3D Printing
Did you know that in the future, it might be possible to create artificial organs, and in a relatively short amount of time? This could be a reality thanks to 3D printing technology. When this happens, long waiting lists for organ transplants will be a thing of the past.
Genetic Editing
Many diseases are actually caused by “DNA conditions,” but have you ever considered that DNA could be replaced or modified? A technology called CRISPR-Cas9 has been discovered, and it shows great potential for gene modification. If everything goes as planned, it won’t be long before we find that some types of cancer are no longer as frightening.
Stem Cells
Diseases that are currently incurable may be fought in the near future with the help of stem cells. This is one of the applications recently discovered by scientists at the University of Colorado in the U.S., using cells extracted from the skin. With a bit of reprogramming, this type of cell can transform into almost any human tissue.
Faster Diagnoses
Innovations in telemedicine can increase access to services like online reports, a second medical opinion, and remote training. As a result, you can get diagnostic support more quickly, ending the waiting lines for reports, especially in remote areas. This way, patients no longer have to travel long distances in search of specialized centers or wait days to get quality exam results. With telemedicine, digital reports are available in minutes, helping to confirm or rule out a diagnosis.
It’s hard to find the words… It seems like technological advancements have made today’s medical services so different from just 10 or 20 years ago, and what’s coming seems even more astonishing. We can only hope that all these advancements bring more hope to patients.
