Digital Care: How Smart Devices are Changing the Future of Healthcare

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Technology has always been a huge part of healthcare’s growth. We have radio tech to thank for accurate X-Rays, CT scans, and MRIs. Crucial but simple machines like the pacemaker have saved a lot of lives. We shouldn’t forget the automated processes in pharmaceutical plants that help provide enough medicine for the masses.

Now, we’re in the age of smart devices. Over 77% of Americans have a smartphone, according to the Pew Research Center’s Mobile Fact Sheet. And according to research firm GfK, over 16 million people in the United States own three or more smart home devices. This openness to smart devices has allowed designers and developers to create tools that can help a wide variety of patients to track and ease the symptoms of their illnesses.

Smart Asthma Management

Around 235 million people in the world have asthma, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The organization added that this disease that causes breathlessness from swollen airways is often underdiagnosed and under-treated. Despite this, the WHO believes that asthma is the most common recurring disease in children. The need for consistent treatment has encouraged developers to create smart inhalers that track usage and remind people to inhale their preventer medication.

A recent study about children aged 6-16 using smart inhaler devices showed increased commitment in following dosing schedules. The smart inhalers were connected to the patient’s smartphone via Bluetooth and allowed real-time monitoring, reporting, and storage of usage data to both the user and their healthcare provider. So if you keep getting attacks because you forgot to take your regular dose, then a smart inhaler might be for you.

A Cloud of Possibilities

Your doctor can easily access data from these smart monitors because they’re often stored on the cloud servers. The way they access them is similar to how you can access your files and photos from Google Drive or any of your computers or smart devices. You upload a file from one device, and you can open it on all of your devices as long as you have access and an internet connection. This convenience is why healthcare providers are investing in managed IT services. If you want to have easy access to your medical records, find a healthcare provider that stores their data in the cloud.

Glucose Level Measurement

Another self-administered drug that needs accurate monitoring and timing is insulin, which is used to manage diabetes. Over 422 million adults worldwide have diabetes, according to the WHO. The disease caused over 1.5 million deaths according to the organization’s latest data. Additionally, there were over 2.2 million deaths caused by high blood glucose levels. To encourage better management of a person’s glucose levels, smart monitors like GlucoWise were created.

In fact, a study published in the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology showed that people who use smart glucose monitoring devices have better control over their glucose levels and managed their insulin intake better. If you or a loved one is suffering from diabetes, a smart glucose monitor may help in keeping you on track when it comes to doses.

Smart devices in healthcare continue to grow in number, as software and hardware rapidly evolve. Even smartwatches can monitor your blood pressure now. With new and helpful devices popping up every year, it’s exciting to look forward to a fully-digital healthcare experience.

Manage Your Healthcare Network Wisely

Your healthcare business handles a lot of sensitive information about your patients. It’s important to keep them digitally backed up in a secure cloud network. Here at CMIT solutions, we help healthcare providers like you with our Managed IT services. We offer privacy and security risk assessments, risk mitigation projects, and HIPAA-compliant cybersecurity frameworks and IT services for your business.

Contact us today to keep your patient and business data secure.

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