The purpose of technology is to improve our quality of life. Advances in travel allow us to see far-off places. Improvements in technology allow us to connect with loved ones. The internet allows us to binge WandaVision in a single sitting. But if one field of technology has improved, it’s the medical field. Here are a few ways technology is improving patient safety and care.
Enhancing Diagnostics
A hospital can’t cure you of a disease they don’t know you have. Fortunately, technology is improving the way we diagnose health issues. It can do this through electronic health records, or EHR. As the name suggests, EHR is a database of healthcare records about a patient, including:
- Demographics
- Medications
- Immunizations
- Past hospital visits and notes
- Laboratory data
Having this information at the ready helps give more insight into physical examinations, allowing doctors to reach a more accurate conclusion.
Reducing Medication Errors
As many as 250,000 people die from medication errors annually, and many of them occur during hospital stays. There are numerous ways technology helps improve patient safety as far as medication errors.
This is one of the reasons why hospitals are switching to Alaris infusion pumps. These pumps feature safety guardrail technology. This allows healthcare providers to set limits on the amount of medication administered at one time, which keeps patients from receiving improper doses of medication.
Decreases Instances of Mistaken Identity
When we think of mistaken identity, we often think of farcical plays, movies, or TV shows. But you would be surprised how often patients get mistaken for other patients. This, unfortunately, can lead to more medication errors and even surgeries performed on the wrong patient.
One clever way hospitals are cutting back on identity issues is by issuing patients a wristband with a code on it. When scanned, the code will pull up the patients’ EHR and other pertinent information like their insurance provider, what medications they should take, and whether they are scheduled for surgery.
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