Technology: A New Way to Treat Chronic Problems

Today, chronic diseases- coronary heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and asthma- are the nation’s leading causes of illness and death. Given the continued aging of the population, both the prevalence and costs of chronic disease will continue to rise. Much of the growing burden of chronic disease is preventable” (Orleans and Cassidy, 2011, p. 126).

The modern generation makes much time of computers and digital media use, to give an average of close to a third of the week. Such high attention catching use by the young generation creates a huge difference from the society traditions of attracting the youth. Therefore, the society faces a big change defined by knowledge of technology, with the young living as digital natives at the exclusion of the older generation as digital immigrants. The society continues to struggle in dealing with the risks that the digital lifestyle presents to the development of intellectual growth of children. Similarly, experts warn of harmful impacts of damage caused on the natural and biological development of the brain as children continue to use leisure time

One of the leading causes of death and disability in the United States is due to chronic diseases. According to CDC as of 2012, almost 117 million people had one or more chronic health conditions. Seven of ten death cases in the United States in 2010 were chronic diseases. More than half of Americans have at least one chronic condition, and majority of them have multiple chronic illnesses. Chronic diseases may be due to many causes and there are programs that are used to address and deliver services to such conditions.

A second negative impact is the screen time individuals, especially children, are receiving. Whether it is television, computer, or iPhones, the more screen time a child has results in the less social interaction that child gets. Ultimately, this could lead to having a bigger impact on the child’s speech and language, and causing a further set back. While technology has a very positive impact on therapy and treatment, too much can cause the opposite reaction. Instead of using technology all the time, an individual can spend that time reading, playing with toys, playing social games, going outside, and socializing with friends and family. When a child is young, they learn social, cognitive, and motor skills through play. If they are completely

Technology has been the focus of healthcare and we trust that technology will be the solutions that will help us progress in our patient care. Patient care and safety have become so complex because of technology because it facilitates how physicians communicate among them, help reduce medication errors, tracking them then reporting medicine, and allows physicians and organizations to have medical information at their fingertips and promoting quality patient care. I choose to review an article on ways that technology has to improve patients’ safety and care by Christine Queally Foisey, CEO of MedSafe and some of the highlight points are as follow:

Through time, technology has proven to be a beneficial driving force for providing quality patient care and assisting physicians with complex cases. The first discovery of imaging technology was in 1895 by a German scientist named Wilhelm Roentgen, who won the first physics Nobel Prize in 1901. (Morris, 1525-1527) (Frie) His discovery opened the door for progressing developments in medical imagery such as the use of contrast agents to better visualize organs and the testing of the first magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device in the 1980’s. (Morris, 1525-1527) (Frie) We have moved away from the primitive use of film cassettes and fluorescent screens, and to high-quality and innovative techniques of

Certain types of technology have the potential to be very beneficial to the medical field. There are a few types of technology that may be particularly beneficial to medicine such as 3D printing, electronic health records, and robotic surgery. 3D printing can change medicine by being able to print bones, organs, and custom hearing aids. Electronic health records make medical information more available to patients and make it easier for doctors and nurses to chart patient’s medical information. Also, robotic surgery is very beneficial because they are less invasive and require less recovery time. Due to the potential benefits of this technology to the medical field research should be implemented for the technology such as 3D printing, electronic health records (EHR), and robotic surgery.

I have witnessed change occurring at different rates within a healthcare system with how technology improves patient care. Digital innovations have now made it easier for patients and doctors to communicate, advances in healthcare, and a new era of medicine. Patients now have access to their medical records, take tests at home, use social networking, and monitor their vital signs. Advances in technology can help improve patient treatment and save money for health care costs. The preferred outcome for this change of technology contributed to breakthroughs with better medicine, development of new software programs, more accessible treatment, and improved care and efficiency. The impact on the organization for the patient experience has changed

As technology changes, so does the way that humans communicate and interact with one another other. Technology has had an impact in the everyday lives of anyone who has internet access, a cell phone, computer, or gaming system. The development, progression, and increased technology access has brought many innovations to the health field. Currently, there has been an uprising in the usage of health applications. Counseling Today found that about 51.5% of young adults, use apps on smartphones to monitor their personal health. Such apps include WebMD, MyFitnessPal, Noom coach, Calm, and Headspace. Popular counseling apps include Talkspace, Breakthrough, and Couples Counseling. Through the use of such apps, clients can locate and be matched to

Use of technology is on the increase to strengthen health systems and improve the efficiency and quality of health care. In research, technology can be applied from data collection, analysis and dissemination. It’s a venture that makes work easier and should be embraced in moderation. The accuracy of information obtained from technological means is high and it is verifiable with very little manipulation.

My grandmother, who is 80, was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes several years back, but she still lives a fulfilling life. Unfortunately, I’m not in contact with my paternal side so there is not much I know concerning that side. My father died when I was only a couple of months old and my mother tried her best to keep in contact with his family. However, once I moved to California five years ago I lost complete contact with everyone on that side of my family. Many of the problems that affect my family mainly affect the women. Both my mom and aunts deal with fibroid issues. Due to the severity of this issue, one of my aunts has undergone surgery to have a hysterectomy. More recently my mom has gone in to see a doctor and was diagnosed with bronchitis, which was a result of many years of cigarette use. For my son, husband, and myself I stay on top of our health. One way I do this is by getting routine checkups to prevent future illnesses. If there is an issue with any of us I make it a point to set-up doctor’s appointments immediately. I feel that genetically my top concern is diabetes. Simply because it runs in my family and with poor diet and physical activity you can be diagnosed at any

What surprised you in this week’s reading and why? (This can be related to the textbook or any articles posted by your instructor)

Technology and the health care system is constantly improving every day making patient and health care providers easier to communicate and obtain vital information. One topic that is explained in the following paragraphs is about telemedicine: the date of inception, the history of telemedicine and it’s milestones, the uses of telemedicine, how it is affecting patient care and the potential areas for fraud and abuse.

Throughout the past century the world has seen a drastic shift in not only life expectancy but in quality of life. Medicine has become incredibly advanced and thus life expectancy rates have increased over the years. However, it must also be recognized that there are now higher rates of chronic illness. Chronic illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, arthritis and heart disease are the leading causes of disability throughout the United States. “As of 2012, about half of all adults—117 million people—had one or more chronic health conditions” (CDC 2016). People with a chronic illness essentially have a disease or disorder that requires a lifetime of coping. It is not uncommon for people to often become so ill that they are unable to work.

Healthcare technology has come a long way. I remember the days of putting my fingers on patients’ wrists to take their pulse and looking up at the clock while counting, using manual blood-pressure cuffs and looking at their chest rise and fall to count for respirations. Today that picture is very different, now, “almost everything nurses do depends on the information they get from electronic devices, and Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) professionals, are responsible for the majority of those devices (Hayhurst, 2015).