A New Era in Healthcare – Doctors Seek Better Outcomes Through Technology

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Most people are simply getting tired of hearing that there is a critical shortage of healthcare providers, and no one more so than the providers themselves. With Boomers reaching senior years to the tune of 10,000 plus every day of the year, the system simply isn't sufficient to handle the growing numbers of patients who will need specialized care more often.

Unfortunately, with such an influx of patients requiring additional services over a longer period of time, communication becomes a real problem. This is where technology fits in and providers are now looking to technology to improve outcomes not only for geriatric patients, but for patients across the board. It's a new era in healthcare and here are some of the ways in which doctors look to technology to improve patient outcomes.

Two Ways Patients Are Being Empowered to Be Proactive in Their Care

There are actually two ways in which technology is empowering patients to be proactive in their care. With the advent of Electronic Health Records (EHR) and Wearables, patients now have access to their records as well as real-time monitoring of conditions they may be diagnosed with. Both are in their relative infancy, but doctors are already happy with improved outcomes these technologies have led to.

EHRs Provide Instantaneous Communications

EHRs are a patient's records in digital format. Patients and other medical professionals can now access their lab results and other pertinent information 24/7. Not only can patients access their healthcare records online, but other physicians and emergency providers can also ˜plug in' without the need for reaching the primary care physician. Speedier consultations offer better outcomes and doctors are able to handle a larger caseload because much of their time isn't being spent in consulting with other providers. The info they need is right there in the Cloud.

Support Staff Make It All Possible

Bearing in mind that all the above enables doctors to handle larger caseloads and with better outcomes, it is also important to realize that support staff are being called on more and more to organize and enter data into a given provider's EHR or EMR platform. While some doctors bring medical scribes into the exam room with them to enter data during the consultation, others still dictate notes to be transcribed. With an improvement in communications leading to better outcomes as the core undertaking, medical scribe jobs are becoming increasingly common and are now one of the career choices in high demand.

The New Era Is Still Evolving

Some are saying that it is a good thing that technology advanced prior to such a huge influx of patients needing advanced care. While EHR platforms and wearables are still relatively new technologies, doctors are already seeing benefits in patient care. Patients are now better able to be proactive because they have the means to access their records which, in turn, enables them to research and learn ways they can promote better health in daily life. With wearables collecting vital data and electronic records available online, patients can make any necessary adjustments needed for optimal health. Doctors do, indeed, seek better outcomes through technology and these are just two of the newer tools at their disposal.