Impact of Technology on Health Care
Impact of Technology on Health Care
Information and communication technology has been adopted and implemented within various sectors of the economy. This is attributed to the benefits of technology in facilitating organizational activities and processes and its use in meeting the changes which characterize the modern society. The health sector is one of the industries which have significantly implemented technology. The health sector’s technological applications have been achieved within health information systems. The implementation of technology in this sector has resulted into both positive and negative implications on health care. This literature review focuses on reports of past research on the impact of technology within the health sector with an aim of analyzing how technology has affected the quality of care, the management of health record management processes and the direction of health care in general. Impact of Technology on the Quality of Health Care
The quality of health care is described in line with the efficiency, safety and patient satisfaction parameters which define various medical procedures and processes (Cantrill, 2010). A comparative study on the quality of health care within surgical procedures between America and England revealed that the efficiency of cardiac surgeries within American health care systems has been promoted by the employment of technological applications. It is due to this that the quality of cardiac surgery procedures within America has been argued to be better than that of England (Bau, 2011). However, researchers on the impact of technology on surgical operations reveal that health care systems within both England and the US are increasingly investing in technology because of the benefits that it causes in the quality of care especially within surgical operations. It is in this sense that it is notable that the satisfaction of patients in health care delivery is improved in addition to their confidence for improved health regardless of the complications related to specific conditions such as heart diseases. The accuracy of health care processes especially in diagnosis has been improved through the application of medical technology. A survey on US health care systems revealed that technological equipment is becoming a common phenomenon within various health care systems within the US (Goyen & Debatin, 2009). Illustration of medical equipment for measuring blood pressure, heart rate and in radiological scanning has been given by researchers as accurate demonstration of the role of technology in improving the quality of care. An investigation on diagnostic procedures that employ medical technology reveals that the results that are depicted by medical equipment and technology are very accurate and reliable (Kibbe, 2012). These studies reveal that health care providers have employed technology to achieve both accuracy and reliability which comprise of the vital measure of quality in care. A study on web based medical technologies and information systems in the treatment and care of individuals living with HIV/AIDs revealed that technological applications were indictors of quality in care. This is attributed to the use of medical technology to screen various illnesses among patients on the basis of their symptoms and laboratory tests (Jamal, McKenzie & Clark, 2009). In addition to making the work of health care practitioners, technology has allowed patients to receive appropriate management of their illnesses (Cantrill, 2010). However, the role of technology in promoting the quality of care is argued to be made possible through the expertise, knowledge and skills of the health care providers in implementing the technological applications in the processes of health care (Jamal, McKenzie & Clark, 2009). Technology has facilitated medical research among health care providers....
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