In the 2004 movie I, Robot, starring Will Smith as a cyber-human police officer, there was a scene where he gets injured then is digitally scanned for further damages. The fascinating thing is that scan results were then shown within minutes after the procedure! Truly, our world at its current state could use a marvel such as this to exist. Diagnosing a medical problem at the fastest possible time is the dream goal of all health care management facilities.
As of this writing, Google COVID-19 online trackers have recorded a total of 112 million cases, with 2.4 million casualties and only 63.1 million recoveries. Scientists and medical experts alike have been scrambling for a cure since this outbreak has started. In the field of work, the game-breaker is developing a swift and verifiable test that could diagnose or rule out the infection in an individual—just like the one Will Smith had in the movie.
To put things in a perspective a little closer to earth, think of routine laboratory examinations such as blood works for categorising allergies to aid victims in the field, CAT scans and MRI but with less noise and speedier progress scans, or timely echocardiograms that can catch abnormal heart rhythms before it develops further into worse case scenarios.
No matter how far the quantum leap in instant diagnosis and procedures is, the trends in health care management and rehabilitation are slowly being directed towards advancement through digital technologies. The restrictions resulting from the pandemic paved the way for utilising the vast expanse of the useful intricacies of digital technology. It is probably a safe assumption that it might not be a long stretch to call the future of digital health care to be happening right now.
The doctor is online (and so are all the medical practitioners)
Canada’s Morneau Shepell has evaluated employees’ mental health regularly. This time around, they made use of the resources of the world wide web. It has since become a meme and a derogatory remark since it refers to online advice on health. Without discrediting legitimate online resources, there is a stigma in finding the answers to some bewildering and often plaguing health concerns online. In a refreshing turn of events, the displacement of the normal means of catering and delivering health care has become a pivotal point for the rise of a less properly utilised resource–the internet.
All across the world, private practitioners have also offered their services online to cater to the medical needs of their patients and, at the same time, recognise the threat of infectious disease and mitigate its transmission. The future of the telehealth industry has been recognised as a means to bridge the gap in the health delivery system.
An eight-part online study published by BioMed Central Ltd. has verified the tremendous advantage of utilising long-distance online health consultation to provide medical needs and services during the start of the COVID-19 outbreak. Imagine a world where everyone gets access to verified health information as Tony Stark would be with Jarvis. Maybe that future isn’t that far off.
I am satisfied with your care
It’s that botched counterfeit, often too-good-to-be-true sci-fi medical devices of the movies that partly demoted the value found in owning personal medical devices. What is sad about this is that legitimate technologies which could aid the ailing could fall short in taking advantage of such utilities when it gets a bad rap and goes out of the market or tags their products at a higher cost.
The National Academies of Science and Engineering Medicine has verified the importance of such helpful items in taking care of patients in medical institutions. Fitness wearables have become popular among the athletic types because their advertising has been largely directed towards the young. It has not been projected then as a trend for no reason.
No matter this scenario, it is definitely not a thing only for the fitness buffs of the younger age bracket. Instruments such as fitness watches could monitor relative changes in vital signs, alert medical professionals for early detection of health emergencies, thus administering timely intervention. Other uniquely catered devices include smart scales and pedometers, which are very helpful in their own rights.
With the context of the larger number of the world population going grounded at home, it is a resolute win to make use of such utilities to enable a way for accessing details of one’s health. It is, as Baymax would want you to say, “I am satisfied with your care.”
