As of 2013, there were around 41.4 million Americans aged 65 and older. This massive demographic is the most likely to seek medical attention. Seniors visit their physicians and hospitals to address age-related concerns, care for chronic diseases and tend to injuries, like falls. Older people are likely to notice the evolution of technology as the methods used to diagnose and treat patients have changed greatly in the past 50 years. Here are some of the ways technology is shaping the healthcare industry today:
Diagnostics
In the past, diagnosing an illness would often require several tests, like imaging and blood work, followed by a waiting period of a few days or even several weeks. Today, someone may attend an appointment with a concern that can be addressed within that appointment or the next 24 hours. Lab work has sped up incredibly thanks to improved microscopes and analyzation techniques. Blood test results can even be reported to the doctor and patient onsite.
Imaging
Another major tech factor that has grown leaps and bounds is medical imaging. X-rays, CT scans and MRIs have improved with much higher resolution images and take far less time to process. Instead of printing everything out onto special paper, radiologists can look at these scans as they are being done with the help of a computer or tablet. This allows for much faster treatment time, which is crucial for someone who may have had a stroke, blood clot, heart and lung disease, or broken bones.
Patient records
The longer a person lives, the larger their medical files are likely to be. Seniors often have quite a few “pages” in their personal records. Thankfully, with the advent of medical informatics companies dedicated solely to streamlining the medical record process, it’s far less complicated to do the following:
- Request records from another hospital
- Transfer records between medical provider locales
- View records created by a different doctor
- Request access to all personal files for personal use
These factors all encourage faster treatment and make it much easier to move between general and specialty physicians as well as swap between office locations.
Online resources
Today, both healthcare providers and health insurance companies offer plenty of resources on the web. Individuals can learn everything about specific conditions they have or medications they are taking with just a few clicks of a mouse. Most major healthcare networks also offer patient portals where individuals can sign in to view and change appointments, learn about their prescriptions and even pay outstanding bills. It’s also easy to contact physicians by simply emailing them via the patient portal.
Seniors may not be the most tech savvy, and can require assistance when first learning how to create an account and navigate the portal. Once they’re in, though, they can browse all sorts of topics like diet information, weight loss and exercise tips. Some healthcare providers offer similar portals to provide data about upcoming events, rules and guidelines, billing and other important resident information.
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