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Introduction

Healthcare technology includes any IT software and equipment that is designed to increase administrative and Hospital efficiency, bring fresh perspectives on treatments and management, or raise the level of care provided (Khezr et al., 2019). By customising care plans and streamlining hospital procedures, healthcare technology is enriching the lives of patients. Our perspectives on patient safety, hospital management, the creation of new, improved medications, and the usage of data for treatment decisions have all altered as a result of the use of healthcare technology (Panahi et al., 2016). Additionally, in this essay, we will cover the perspectives of physicians in using technology in healthcare, the consequences of medical and technical advancements for society's health, and the advantages and drawbacks of technology.

Healthcare organisations are looking into using blockchain technology to improve data safety and confidentiality while retaining patient healthcare information accessibility. According to Abu-elezz et al. (2020), an increasing collection of information known as blocks makes up the complex data structure known as the blockchain. Immutability, decentralisation, transparency, and traceability are just a few of the traits that make this technology suitable for the enhancement of the medical industry (Abu-Elezz et al., 2020). The trait immutability can be defined as the longevity of the blockchain database and the capacity to maintain the information intact and unchangeable, whereas decentralisation states a technique where there is no single authority over every transaction that arises inside the system. Effective patient surveillance is another benefit of blockchain technology, especially for very ill individuals, as this innovation enables doctors to carry out necessary therapeutic interventions. This requires connecting the patient's wearable technology, such as smartphones, smartwatches and smart glasses, to the healthcare provider's blockchain system. In terms of organisational advantages, blockchains have the capacity to offer safe patient data sharing between healthcare organisations (Agbo et al., 2019). Nowadays, centralised cloud-based platforms are the standard means of transmitting health records amongst healthcare organisations. However, since faith in a single authority is necessary, these solutions do not ensure data integrity and security. Blockchain is a developing technology with many users sharing and storing features that can be used in the healthcare industry. In a secure and trustworthy manner, the communities of healthcare institutions can share and access the data kept on the blockchain (Khezr et al., 2019).

Electronic items that users may wear, like Fitness trackers and smartwatches, and that are designed to track people's personal fitness and health information are referred to as "wearable technology." These devices can even broadcast a patient's health information to a doctor or other healthcare professional in real-time (Fortuna et al., 2020). By enabling telehealth solutions, digital health technology has closed the communication gap between patients and clinicians. Doctors may now keep an eye on their patients without needing to be physically present, thanks to this technology (Naslund et al., 2016). New potential for promoting healthy lifestyles among various patient groups has been created by emerging mobile health (mHealth) technologies like wearable technology and smartphone activity-tracking apps (Latif et al., 2020). However, in order for these tools to fully realise their potential for encouraging good changes in health behaviour, it is vital to take into account the viewpoints of the target groups to guide intervention activities. Smartphones and wearable activity-tracking devices may present a significant opportunity to expand the scope, impact, and scalability of current programmes focused on encouraging physical exercise for weight loss among patients with severe mental illness. Wearable technology is becoming more and more popular, accessible, and affordable, as are the smartphone applications that go along with them. Numerous features offered by these gadgets encourage higher user engagement and make exercising more enjoyable. A few of these include the capability to interact with friends through smartphone app interfaces, competing with them, and interacting with them while giving or getting social support. The capacity to monitor activities and individual performance over time using comprehensible graphics are another (Dzau et al., 2018).

The usage of social media by healthcare workers has increased significantly in recent years. Examples include blogs, content sharing, and social networking websites. Social media technologies, including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, are increasingly widely used by companies and professionals for diverse personal and business needs, including education, broadcasting, consumer communication, knowledge sharing, and fostering teamwork (Ruiz Morilla et al., 2017). The widespread societal appeal of social media has drawn the attention of physicians as well. Recently, there has been a considerable increase in the number of doctors who now use the majority of social media platforms, either formally through their organisations or informally through personal use. One of the prime reasons doctors use social media was knowledge exchange (Shillcutt et al., 2018). Furthermore, Through social networking sites, doctors can also assist in facilitating patient-to-patient connections. By building a patient base on social media, doctors not only create a channel for ongoing communication with patients but also open the door for patients to form online communities and interact with one another. The usage of social media in the medical field provides doctors with mobile access to resources that can improve their practice, like research data and professional idea-exchange hubs (Naslund et al., 2016). Nurses are essential in the healthcare profession, despite the fact that patients frequently view doctors as their primary care providers. Some nurses with advanced degrees, such as community nursing staff and paediatric registered nurses, can work as the main medical professionals for families and young patients. Nurses can educate patients on the news from their Hospital or medical facility using social media, just like doctors can (Ruiz Morilla et al., 2017).

Conclusion

Rapid advancements in science and technology during the fourth Industrial Revolution will lead to significant improvements in health and medicine over the course of the following ten years. New tools and methodologies made possible by medical and technological advancements will revolutionise health and healthcare, making them more connected, accurate, democratic, and people-centred with better results and enhanced population health.

Referencing

Abu-Elezz, I., Hassan, A., Nazeemudeen, A., Househ, M., & Abd-Alrazaq, A. (2020). The benefits and threats of blockchain technology in healthcare: A scoping review. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 142 , 104246. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2020.104246

Agbo, C. C., Mahmoud, Q. H., & Eklund, J. M. (2019, April). Blockchain technology in healthcare: a systematic review. In Healthcare (Vol. 7, No. 2, p. 56). MDPI. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare7020056

Dzau, V. J., & Balatbat, C. A. (2018). Health and societal implications of medical and technological advances. Science translational medicine , 10 (463), eaau4778.10.1126/scitranslmed.aau4778

Fortuna, K. L., Naslund, J. A., LaCroix, J. M., Bianco, C. L., Brooks, J. M., Zisman-Ilani, Y., ... & Deegan, P. (2020). Digital peer support mental health interventions for people with a lived experience of a serious mental illness: systematic review. JMIR mental health, 7 (4), e16460. 10.2196/16460

Khezr, S., Moniruzzaman, M., Yassine, A., & Benlamri, R. (2019). Blockchain technology in healthcare: A comprehensive review and directions for future research. Applied sciences, 9 (9), 1736. https://doi.org/10.3390/app9091736

Latif, S., Qadir, J., Qayyum, A., Usama, M., & Younis, S. (2020). Speech technology for healthcare: Opportunities, challenges, and state of the art. IEEE Reviews in Biomedical Engineering, 14, 342-356.10.1109/RBME.2020.3006860

Naslund, J. A., Aschbrenner, K. A., & Bartels, S. J. (2016). Wearable devices and smartphones for activity tracking among people with serious mental illness. Mental health and physical activity, 10, 10-17. 10.1016/j.mhpa.2016.02.001

Panahi, S., Watson, J., & Partridge, H. (2016). Social media and physicians: exploring the benefits and challenges. Health Informatics Journal, 22 (2), 99-112. 10.1177/1460458214540907

Ruiz Morilla, M. D., Sans, M., Casasa, A., & Giménez, N. (2017). Implementing technology in healthcare: insights from physicians. BMC medical informatics and decision making, 17 (1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mhpa.2016.02.001

Shillcutt, S. K., & Silver, J. K. (2018). Social media and advancement of women physicians. N Engl J Med , 378 (24), 2342-2345. https://med-fom-medicine.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2019/10/NEJM-Social-Media-and-Advancement-of-Women-Physicians.pdf

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