Technology has existed in healthcare since the early days. From the invention of ECG to the evolution of pacemakers, the focus has remained on life-saving medical equipment. In the 1960s and 70s, further advances in digital electronics led to creating high-end diagnostic equipment like CT and MRI machines. These early advances in healthcare technology catered to doctors and specialists’ needs and have transformed the way medical professionals diagnose and treat patients. It is now time to transform the healthcare experience for the actual customers of healthcare – the patients themselves.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused many people to realise that they cannot take their health and life for granted anymore. We should take the well-known adage ‘health is wealth’ seriously; individuals should start treating their health as they would treat their money.
For example, we could compare a hospital to a bank, where we collect and deposit our health information. This information includes personal clinical data, such as patient administration documents, Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) and Laboratory and Pathology Information.
You can increase your savings by investing them in the right way; similarly, a person can improve their health with the right amount of exercise and a balanced diet. However, it is imperative to record physical activities and nutritional information to understand how your health improves based on your investments in exercise and diet. The advent of personal fitness and healthcare wearables has made the task of recording this information as simple as pressing a button.
Let us assume the service provider that stores your health information can provide it to your hospital: what are the services you would expect from your hospital regarding your clinical data?
- Security: Keep health data secure and private
- Easy Access: Clinical data is accessible at any time
- Secure transfer: Transfer health data to anybody that requires it
- Regular Information: Receive monthly statements with personal clinical data
The list above is not utopian, but rather a basic expectation in today’s connected world. A person’s ability to control their clinical data is a fundamental right, and secure digital access is necessary for current and future generations.
Healthcare is a personal and private matter, and it will remain so always. Advances in technology today can provide a seamless and frictionless healthcare experience to the end-user while maintaining the privacy and security needed for such a service. I will be exploring these technologies in subsequent articles.
Reimagining Personal Healthcare with Fluffy Spider
We specialise in developing commercial software that integrates with patient data systems, such as EMRs. Additionally, we understand that patient data must be protected under the best security standards, and we make this an integral part of every project we complete.
Please visit our Integrations Services page to learn more about our capabilities in this space.
