
By Elizabeth Moore — News & Updates
From hastily-written referrals and prescriptions jotted down on notepads, to having your appointment scheduled with just one click – healthcare technology has made dramatic changes within the last half century. But with new innovations in healthcare comes major expenses, influencing new methods in patient care.
According to a recent referralMD article, U.S. health care spending “grew 5.8 percent in $3.2 trillion or $9,990 per person. As a share of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, health spending accounted for 17.8 percent”. The necessary assets – technological or otherwise, are in constant demand to make healthcare more accessible, accurate, and above all, affordable.
The Affordable Care Act, in an effort to boost the advancement in healthcare informatics, has emphasized its role in improving healthcare quality throughout the United States. According to healthinformatics.uic.edu, one of “the many goals of the Affordable Care Act is to improve healthcare quality through the use of technology. This proposed technology varies from electronic health records to computer modeling used to track healthcare spending”. Technology integration is not only reducing the stress of doctors, but patients as well. Through patient portals, informatics “has the potential to give doctors access to information gained through genome sequencing, empowering them to research specific genetic mutations. Information about mutations can allow doctors to more accurately diagnose diseases and provide treatments”. Through the American Health Councils Networking platforms we are able to achieve further healthcare advancement.
Concerning referralMD’s own brand of medical technology: “platforms on the market that help providers and staff route patients to the most appropriate high-quality clinician in a community using SmartMATCH Technology from referralMD. Best of all it can integrate into the any EMR systems on the market like Epic, Cerner, eClinicalWorks, and Allscripts while reducing referral leakage, saving health systems hundreds of millions.” SmartMATCH technology includes visual representations (graphs, pie charts) and percentages regarding network leakage, referral trends, status updates, and top providers – making scheduling appointments easier than ever.
3D models are creating a new virtual reality that has ultimately proven to be a major benefactor in both healthcare and health education. To create and manage personalized treatments, brands like EchoPixel offer physicians “an unprecedented opportunity to view and interact with patient tissues and organs in a truly 3D form, as if they were real physical objects”, revolutionizing the way in which augmented reality and 3D representations of the body are becoming more frequent in lieu of lab cadavers. Most importantly, 3D models are making it easier for doctors to properly research, diagnose, and treat a variety of conditions.
The continuous merging of modern technology with the age-old practice of Medicine is proving to be a union the American Health Council is continuing to be a part of. Our integration of professional networking, including our platforms and social media, is just one of the many ways the AHC is contributing to the future of healthcare.
About the American Health Council:
The American Health Council is the nation’s only organization with a constituency representative of all sectors of the healthcare industry. From the coasts to the heartland, the American Health Council has drawn Affiliates from major metropolitan hubs and small communities. These Affiliates span generations and have reached different stages of their careers — from recent graduates to retirees. More information about the American Health Council and its mission can be found at: http://americanhealthcouncil.org.
Additionally, the American Health Council strives to provide recognition and support for those individuals and institutions making the difference in patients’ lives day in and day out. Throughout 2017, the AHC is honoring “America’s Best Doctors and Nurses,” as well as the nation’s best medical universities and hospitals. The American Health Council’s “Best in Medicine” and “Best in Nursing” awards programs honor the individuals and institutions that have contributed significantly to medicine and nursing, as well as the training and education of physicians and nurses. The most current selections for these honors may be viewed here: http://bestinmedicine.org and http://bestinnursing.org.
For media inquriries: media@americanhealthcouncil.org
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