6 Advancements In Medical Technology in 2019

The field of medicine needs scientific research and technology to improve and help to eliminate common illnesses, diseases and issues that consume lives, resources, time and money. By working with one another, the pharmaceutical and medical field has experienced significant advancements over the years. In consideration of the care, it can now provide for its patients. In light of this, millions of peoples lives have changed for the better. With a holistic approach to technology and advancement in medicine, we’re seeing changes across the field that shall touch every one of us, and eventually be accessible to most of the world. 

For an insight into what’s new for 2019, and what each piece of technology means for medicine, here are 6 pieces of many pieces of technology that you may have heard about or even encountered yourself in 2019. 

Telecommunication Check-Ups

Something you may be familiar with is the potential now to book an appointment with your doctor with a video call. You’ve most likely received a leaflet in the post, saw an advert online or heard about it from a friend. For most, this prospect sounds quite surreal but also promising. 

The ability to book an appointment over the phone means that for those who are unable to get to a doctor's surgery because of a medical condition, chronic pain and discomfort or simply because they don't have access to transport means they get the medical attention they need. 

With many doctors' appointments being either forgotten or cancelled in medical practices, it saves doctors needing to wait for an allocated time to see if the patient arrives for their health review. By using telecommunication, medical professionals can move on and contact the next patient and await a video call back if the patient previous missed their call. 

Further to this, there is another piece of medical technology that is gradually being coupled up with health appointments via video call. Such as wearable devices and apps that can record our current health statuses like fitness watches and apps on our phone that can monitor our heart rate and sleep patterns. 

Tailored Medication

Most pharmaceutical drugs are created with a specific set of ingredients, no matter who the patient is. However, now, particularly with cancer patients, scientists and medical professionals can alter the components of medication to tailor it precisely to the needs of each individual, ake duplicates and store it using Rollex Group medical supplies until the patient is ready for their next prescription or dos. This means a person's genetics, potential response to a specific medicine and dosage are taken into account before they are administered any drugs. 

This prevents the risk of the medicine being overprescribed or the patient enduring harmful side effects that could have been avoided. Furthermore, precision medicine has allowed medical experts to create tablets and drugs that shall work better with an individual patient's body. To fight cancer, this is particularly critical. 

Virtual Reality Headset

You may be familiar with the VR headset that launched a few years ago. However, this was primarily for gaming. VR made the impossible possible, by creating a realistic illusion that you were implanted into a different world, realm or zone where you could act out and play a role as a fighter, shooter, or onlooker. 

The VR has recently moved into medicine. Allowing trainees and existing medical professionals to act out procedures and gain valuable experience and knowledge of what is entailed in different scenarios. The VR is gradually becoming a vital learning tool within medicine because it safely permits medical students to build confidence before taking on a role as GP,  specialist, surgeon or nurse. 

VR has also been used to demonstrate to patients procedures that they may need to have. This allows the patient to be apart of the process and also decide if they think it is right for them.

Medical Devices For Patients

The increasing accessibility to assess one's own health by using devices such as the Apple Watch, allows people to gauge whether or not something could be wrong with their health before it’s too late. Various medical devices and apps that people can use means they can assess their blood oxygenation, heart rate, blood pressure, sleeping patterns and level of fitness by the number of steps they take each day. 

With an increase in interest in such devices with medical attributes, it cuts down the time, and it takes to ask to book an appointment for medical unless it's necessary. 

Alongside this, another advantage is if a person needs to visit a nurse or doctor, they can give a near accurate account of their recent record of health data to enable the medical professional to provide a more precise diagnosis and treatment.

Picture by Jafar Ahmed from Unsplash - CC0 Licence

3D Printing 

With this incredible advancement in technology, the medical field can take advantage of creating prosthetics that are accurately tailored to a patient's body. The precision of 3D printing means that each measurement is perfected down to the last mm. Because of this, new elements for the body can be created that are a lot more comfortable for the patient, and also more likely to be accepted by the body.

Artificial Organs

A cut above 3D printing is what scientists refer to as creating artificial organs via a process called bioprinting. What this means is the exciting potential for scientists to create replicas of individuals' organs. With the ability to create synthetic ovaries, blood vessels and even a pancreas, artificial organs can be implanted into the patient's body. And they gradually begin to grow in the patient taking over the place of the original organ that was not working correctly.

Needless to say, bio-printing promises a revolutionary shift in the medical field that could dramatically alter success rates in theatre. This, of course, is dependant on the potential of the replicated organs to settle within the human body with ease. If this is the case, it could mean that the life-saving transplants' success rate would increase each and every year.

The outstanding advancements in medical and pharmaceutical technology mean the future for patients becomes brighter, less costly, more precise and accurate in terms of treatment and is a lot more accessible. Plus that the future of hospitals and medical practices looks increasingly promising.

Picture by Lucas Vasques from Unsplash - CC0 Licence