Advantages and Disadvantages of Digitization in Healthcare
July 11, 2022What Defines Digitization in Healthcare?
Digitization in the healthcare sector is aided by digital tools which are used in the detection, diagnosis, and prevention of diseases. From patient monitoring to surgery assistance, these tools, often powered by AI, are deployed in all of healthcare management.
Sometimes these tools are web-based applications and software. Everything, from HMS software to health tracker apps, comes under the E-health tool category. There are so many new innovations which are catering for a big change in the medical sector.
So next time you visit any hospital or clinic, try counting all the digital health equipment. Chances are, you might get it wrong. Now let’s discuss the positive and adverse effects of implementing digital health.
Advantage 1: Better Reachability in Remote Areas
As the internet reaches the far ends of our world, so does digital health. With a simple internet connection, anyone can access patient health records online without visiting the medical center.
Also, no matter how far you’re from a healthcare facility, you can always seek your physician’s advice and telemedicine online through the advanced patient portals.
Advantage 2: Preserving Health Information
Gone are those days of securely storing all the handwritten prescriptions and test reports. With electronic health record apps, you can store all the relevant health data in one place without worrying about losing one.
From a physician’s point of view, digitization of health records reduces the hassle of treating patients. For repeating patients, doctors can just look into the system and check the medication a patient is going through.
Advantage 3: Get Real-time Health Data
Personal digital health tools like fitness bands let you know your health-related data on a real-time basis. For example, you can check your heart rate and SpO2 level anytime you wish. These bands also monitor your sleep cycles and track your exercises for good.
Some next-level smartwatches have fall detection capability. Those technological marvels constantly track your vitals and auto-dial emergency numbers in case anything wrong happens to you.
Disadvantage 1: Privacy Concerns
As your health data is kept online, there’s always a possibility of unwanted access to the database. However, chances of the same are pretty slim as most of the healthcare apps have put robust data security mechanisms in place.
Disadvantage 2: Adaptation Issue for Elderlies
Adapting to new technologies has always been a challenge for senior citizens. Some of them prefer the old-school treatment methods instead of getting used to digital health facilitators.
Disadvantage 3: Required Regular Updation
Like any other mobile app, healthcare apps also need constant updates from the backend. If not done properly, these apps can often crash, resulting in an inconvenience. Thus, a good amount of resources have to be allocated towards maintaining these e-health tools.
In spite of having some barriers, digital health is the future of healthcare. It is on the rise and showing no signs of a slowdown. As time passes, we’ll see more and more revolutionary features are implemented. A state-of-the-art hospital management system will transform the healthcare sector forever.
What Defines Digitization in Healthcare?
Digitization in the healthcare sector is aided by digital tools which are used in the detection, diagnosis, and prevention of diseases. From patient monitoring to surgery assistance, these tools, often powered by AI, are deployed in all of healthcare management.
Sometimes these tools are web-based applications and software. Everything, from HMS software to health tracker apps, comes under the E-health tool category. There are so many new innovations which are catering for a big change in the medical sector.
So next time you visit any hospital or clinic, try counting all the digital health equipment. Chances are, you might get it wrong. Now let’s discuss the positive and adverse effects of implementing digital health.
Advantage 1: Better Reachability in Remote Areas
As the internet reaches the far ends of our world, so does digital health. With a simple internet connection, anyone can access patient health records online without visiting the medical center.
Also, no matter how far you’re from a healthcare facility, you can always seek your physician’s advice and telemedicine online through the advanced patient portals.
Advantage 2: Preserving Health Information
Gone are those days of securely storing all the handwritten prescriptions and test reports. With electronic health record apps, you can store all the relevant health data in one place without worrying about losing one.
From a physician’s point of view, digitization of health records reduces the hassle of treating patients. For repeating patients, doctors can just look into the system and check the medication a patient is going through.
Advantage 3: Get Real-time Health Data
Personal digital health tools like fitness bands let you know your health-related data on a real-time basis. For example, you can check your heart rate and SpO2 level anytime you wish. These bands also monitor your sleep cycles and track your exercises for good.
Some next-level smartwatches have fall detection capability. Those technological marvels constantly track your vitals and auto-dial emergency numbers in case anything wrong happens to you.
Disadvantage 1: Privacy Concerns
As your health data is kept online, there’s always a possibility of unwanted access to the database. However, chances of the same are pretty slim as most of the healthcare apps have put robust data security mechanisms in place.
Disadvantage 2: Adaptation Issue for Elderlies
Adapting to new technologies has always been a challenge for senior citizens. Some of them prefer the old-school treatment methods instead of getting used to digital health facilitators.
Disadvantage 3: Required Regular Updation
Like any other mobile app, healthcare apps also need constant updates from the backend. If not done properly, these apps can often crash, resulting in an inconvenience. Thus, a good amount of resources have to be allocated towards maintaining these e-health tools.
In spite of having some barriers, digital health is the future of healthcare. It is on the rise and showing no signs of a slowdown. As time passes, we’ll see more and more revolutionary features are implemented. A state-of-the-art hospital management system will transform the healthcare sector forever.
Conclusion
Digital innovations in our healthcare industry have significantly improved the lives of many. The full potential of healthcare digitization was seen during the Covid Lockdowns, when telemedicine was the go-to method of treatment for all.
Digitization in healthcare is not a new concept. It is the merging of technological innovation and convenience in fetching medical data. Digital health and E-health have changed how patients see the health sector for good.
As the sector is having a paradigm shift in almost all the areas, we’ll be exploring all the benefits and barriers this digital revolution brings to the healthcare industry. And there are quite a few. But before jumping into the pros & cons of digital health, let’s discuss a thing or two about it.