Benefits Of Mobile Technology In Healthcare
Smartphones are the center of the modern world.
Thanks to technological advances and the introduction of user-friendly operating systems such as iOS and Android, the once humble mobile phone has turned into a powerful gadget that's competent to handle any task the user requests.
The demand for smartphones and smart devices has experienced significant growth due to the functions of mobile apps.
Due to this increase in demand and usability, mobile healthcare apps are on the rise, and developing into a profitable industry.
The use of smart devices in healthcare has a significant impact and a myriad of benefits, the majority of which are geared towards improving patient care and making healthcare workers' lives much easier.
Although medical professionals are using smart devices to organize day-to-day tasks and better serve their patients, a number of them are still skeptical about the concept of mobile technology in the workplace.
This skepticism could be based on the lack of proper information, a dislike, and a lack of adaptation to change.
We've compiled a compelling list of benefits that mobile technology can offer to medical professionals.
Better Communication
Real-time communication is among the most significant benefits mobile technology has brought to the healthcare industry.
Physicians and nurses can contact patients and give them correct prescriptions, medical advice, and proper instructions to their patients in real-time.
Physicians can access the smartphone's camera to contact the patients and remotely give patient examinations on-the-spot.
Medical experts from across the world can collaborate at the same time and share knowledgeable information and news from the medical industry, and discuss their work experiences and how to better their practice.
This helps in the improvement of both the medical professional and patient care.
When a patient is hospitalized, goes through treatment, and is discharged, they'll most likely be given prescriptions and specific instructions on how to take the medication.
Sometimes patients will misunderstand the instructions given to them, or there's often a miscommunication between the nurses and patients, leading to readmission.
This is time-consuming and can be harmful to the well-being of the patient.
Patient follow-up and communication can be done easily, promptly, and conveniently using mobile technology.
Smartphones can also improve peer-to-peer communication.
It's much easier to communicate with your colleagues when need be.
Medics can easily find out information about a patient, nurses can communicate with doctors when it's urgent, and medical professionals can communicate with their family members and friends during their free time or in an emergency.
This can boost productivity and lift the general morale in the medical facility.
Enhance Efficiency
Medical professionals play an important role in healthcare.
However, as much as they have a lucrative career, their stress level is high.
According to research, medical professionals are worried and exhausted due to their demanding working hours.
For many medical staff members, data entry and administering to patients consume a significant amount of time, leaving the medical staff exhausted with not enough energy to care for patients.
There are solutions to this problem with mobile devices.
Medical professionals can promptly capture data about their patients, making their work easier.
Furthermore, mobile devices can be utilized to give accurate and up-to-date medical information.
They can also be used to process paperwork, giving the physicians and doctors enough time to focus on patient care.
Better Patient Management
Traditional healthcare practices gave doctors a narrow view of observation over their patients.
They had a limited understanding of how the patient was taking their medication, how the patient was recovering, or their patient's daily practices.
To address this, mobile devices are used to handle this situation.
Doctors can monitor data from patients through mobile health apps and wearable technology like health bands and fitness trackers.
Physicians can also send prescriptions straight to the patient's smartphones allowing them to recuperate more quickly.
Smartphones can also be used to contact patients remotely and inquire about their current whereabouts and treatments,giving physicians a better insight into the patient's well-being.
Convenience
Smartphones and tablets have superseded traditional learning and training.
For convenience and accessibility, people are using smart devices as a replacement for books with e-books.
Traditional treatment procedures required physicians to rush to the library for information.
With the introduction of smartphones, information is a click away.
Medical professionals can also conduct meetings on mobile devices thanks to video and audio conferencing apps, saving a lot of time.
Extensive Access For Patients
Due to the pandemic, telehealth services are becoming increasingly popular, and mobile devices are providing an even greater role in doctor-to-patient contact.
When patients are unable to go to clinics or hospitals, mobile technology is now regularly utilized for virtual visits.
Alternatively, if patients are in a remote place, they can still receive treatment without having to travel while injured or unwell.
Due to mobile technology, patients benefit a lot in healthcare because it gives them easier access to medical records.
Many healthcare organizations have online patient portals where patients can easily check information about their care, diagnosis, prescription medicine, and check or make future appointments.
Being able to access such information is important to the patients, and it makes the process of getting proper care less tedious and intimidating.
In turn, they feel like they're connected to their own care.
Billing and Mobile EHR
Mobile technology can be used by several EHR (electronic health record) and billing systems to make administrative tasks simpler for doctors and billers.
Furthermore, mobile technology can aid in more precise billing and medical coding, resulting in more accurate compensation and fewer denials.
Conclusion
Aside from peer-to-peer communication, there are several advantages of using mobile technology in healthcare.
Communication with patients has been simpler, which has resulted in the provision of improved healthcare services.