Smart phones is revolutionising healthcare
Doctors can mete treatment in remote areas
Access to patient records on-the go
Real time monitoring of vital stats with wearables
Smartphone was the tsunami that took the world for a ride. Starting from the last half of the past century, this phenomenon has significantly impacted our lives. Communication, sports, entertainment, business, you name any field and the effect of smartphone is there. The healthcare industry is no exception. There is a new idea every day which is making lives a little bit easier for all.
Even when in a hospital, a doctor is not present at one place all the time. The digital records if only accessed through PCs, cannot be accessed by the doctor at all times. Like, when he/she is on a round to check the patients. Smartphone gives the access to all records on the go.
At the patient’s front, smartphones provide opportunity to connect with medical professionals instantly.
In countries like UK, smartphones have complemented the established medical system. There are various apps, some of which are approved by NHS and are used to run initial screening by the patients.
In India, for a medical establishment the cost of developing such android apps enabled with social login, dashboard, audio/video processing, EHR management, doctor patient communication, integration with medical devices and geolocation tag facility, can be around Rs. 50 lakh to Rs. 77 lakh.
Finance for such cutting-edge technology to revolutionise the doctor patient communication can be easily met with customised lending instruments like business loan for doctors and loan against property for doctors.
Smartphones proves to be a great opportunity for healthcare professionals as most of India’s population residing in remote areas do not have access to medical facilities.
Wearable devices are not a trend any more. It is becoming a basic necessity for many. These devices monitor vital signs like pulse rates and others and send the data to smartphones. The algorithm used in the apps use the data to provide detailed report to the user and the medical professionals. For example, the first 90 minutes after a cardiac arrest is called the Golden Hour as the chances of survival are higher here. There are apps that monitor the cardiac activities and in case of emergencies send SOS to family and physicians.
In some countries, people suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease are being monitored by their apps. If they are deviated from their normal route by a certain degree, the smartphones automatically send signal for professional medical help.
The smartphones have become an essential tool in medical profession. The ubiquitous presence of mobile technology enables the modern doctors to not only combat medical emergencies of their patients, but also to pre-empt healthcare and often help in avoiding a life-threatening condition.