Technology has become an integral part of our daily lives, and we interact with it daily. We interact with technology when we set our alarm before going to bed, and when we check the time as we wake up. The ultimate goal of technology is to improve our daily experiences and make our lives more convenient. To that end, technology has seeped into almost every aspect of our lives, and medicine has certainly been no exception. Improvements in technology are slowly but surely improving the medical experience for patients worldwide.
The most immediate way improvements in technology are improving the medical experience is through digitizing medical records. Large amounts of paper are now being discarded, and the information stored on them is now being slowly converted into digital format. This is immensely important for two reasons: patients can be processed more quickly, efficiently, and with significantly reduced amounts of human error. The second reason that the records’ improved accuracy is maintained through a digital medium will allow doctors to treat their patients with more certainty and confidence. Another way medicine is being revolutionized by technology can be seen in the remote application of healthcare that we have seen in our new normal. The global pandemic has completely changed how we interact with each other, and doctors and patients have been no exception to this rule. In some way, interaction is necessary for healthcare workers to treat their patients, and absent it, many patients are liable to suffer. The solution to this has, of course, been provided by technology. Real-time streaming technology has enabled doctors and patients to interact with each other through a digital medium where a doctor can reliably assess the patient through a webcam and thus provide a relatively reliable substitute to in personal healthcare. Another area where technology offers a significant boost to healthcare is through cloud data storage facilities. If the patients’ medical data can be securely stored in a cloud database where any medical professional has access to it at the click of a button, then that means that patients, as well as doctors, will not have to go through hours and hours of paperwork just to get access to the patients medical records. This stored also provides a rich well of data that analyst can use to pinpoint areas of concern in the healthcare system
It’s clear that healthcare benefits are immeasurable. Still, purely in Pakistan’s context, we have yet to see this level of innovation anywhere in the present healthcare infrastructure, and there are a few ways Pakistan can catch up in this regard. The first area of healthcare that Pakistan can improve upon is raising awareness about healthcare benefits in Pakistan. People have a high degree of illiteracy, and a good portion of healthcare problems stem from this sector. Pakistan needs to raise awareness about the benefits of technology regarding healthcare, especially in these communities where improved healthcare will bring about the best results. The second significant change that needs to occur is an improved level of investment in the IT sector. Innovations in technology have, for the most part, been propagated by development in the IT sector. While Pakistan has a few budding startups working to bring technological innovation in the healthcare sector, it has nowhere the infrastructure in place that would help expedite these startups’ growth and thus improve their reach.
Improving the healthcare sector in Pakistan is of paramount importance, and the way forward is technology. Many healthcare providers are now beginning to realize, but the system needs to increase its growth pace to help those who need it.
