Technological advances essay. Evaluation of two Historical Healthcare Delivery Perspectives

Technological Advances in Healthcare
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Evaluation of two Historical Healthcare Delivery Perspectives
Two different historical perspectives regarding healthcare delivery in the United States are public opinions about medical facilities and access to medical information. Historically, the doctor has always been seen as the only authoritative figure that can provide treatment and administer medication to an invalid. With a limited amount of technology, doctors were the only source of medical information and patients rely solely on doctors to convey information about their ailments. Currently, with innovative technology, patients are becoming more involved in their treatment. When it comes to public opinions about medical facilities, historically, medical facilities were seen as places where individuals went to die. Today, patients see hospitals as places where they can find relief due to newfound technology that provides enhanced features such as pain management. The lack of technology made individuals believe that medical facilities were places to be dreaded; however, with improved technology, this perspective has changed, and people are now embracing the care provided in medical facilities.
Technological Advances and their Positive Impact on Healthcare Delivery in the US
From a varied list of technological advances, the two that have positively impacted healthcare delivery the most are Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) and Telemedicine. Previously, medical information recorded during a visit to a general practitioner, dentist, or medical specialist was filed and stored separately. Now, EMRs allow patient information to be kept centrally in an online location (Hillestad et al., 2005). EMRs allow for more focused and accurate medical care and the ability to view health trends for each patient. Telemedicine services such as video conferencing are cost-efficient methods of complementing health services. Telemedicine services are especially advantageous to individuals who live in remote communities and require regular access to health professionals who reside kilometers away (Moffatt, 2010). Generally, with telemedicine services healthcare providers can successfully provide face-to-face clinical services to an invalid while a medical specialist is present to ensure the right procedures are followed. Telemedicine also benefits healthcare workers on location because specialist can provide training virtually.
How Public Opinion has been Influenced by the Technological Advances
Electronic Medical Records and Telemedicine services have influenced public opinions both negatively and positively. The public has developed positive views about electronic medical records because previously, access to medical files required physical labor. For instance, each time a patient visited a medical facility, their chart had to be retrieved from a storage unit, transported, handed to the clinician, and stamped; all in a s...