Our world today is one of convenience. We live for two-in one products, rapid information and the ability to be flexible. This has come with a change in the pace of our society. We simply lead more seemingly busier lives than our predecessors.
Even though we shouldn’t compromise on this, we all want convenience within our healthcare system. The physical act of sometimes going to the doctor’s office can be timely and exhausting, so we put it off. This jeopardizes our potential physical health and compromises our ability to make health-based decisions.
The medical field has sensed this hesitation and has been trying to adapt through digitalization. This attempt was actually aided by the COVID-19 pandemic as patients were forced to adapt to digitalization and found that it was much more convenient for them.
Through the embracement of digital technology, doctors have found that a new attitude towards technology could be the future of health care. Doctors who have started to utilize technology believe that it will increase access to health care information by 71% and increase the standard of care by 62%.
This is due to the potential 61% increase in patient engagement that would occur with increased digitalization. Digital healthcare has the power to increase the interest in one’s health as well.
By giving patients a more accessible health platform it could greatly impact the patients willingness to seek treatment. Currently, access to health care records is laughable and exhausting and many people just won’t engage with it. The digitization of health care records could see a direct correlation to a healthier society.
Telehealth has had a huge impact on the reason many physicians have chosen to embrace digitalization. Both patients and physicians prefer the interaction they receive on a telehealth appointment.
For patients, it is convenient and easy to engage with telehealth. There is no transportation needed and you don’t have to carve hours out of your schedule to have an active role in your health. Telehealth enables physicians to see more patients and during the pandemic it gave them a safe way to continue practicing their jobs.
With the growing changes in digitalization the innovation is not slated to end anytime soon. Many hospitals are realizing how outdated their systems are and are pushing for transformative change as soon as possible.
Physicians are expecting digitization techniques to rise over the next couple of years. More than 35% of physicians think that online scheduling will increase, 27% see increased engagements through patient portals and 31% see a rise in secure messaging platforms.
While we do not yet know the extent of the impact due to digitalization, it is very clear that it is a positive one. We know that this is a system that is beneficial for both patients and physicians and as such has continued emphasis in the future.
The changes within the healthcare industry will revolutionize our current healthcare system. Do not be surprised if you don’t recognize the healthcare industry from your past – the future is coming:
Via: realchemistry.com