New Tech Innovations Create New Tools in Health Care and Insurance
When people think of developments in health care or health insurance what will typically come to mind is new medical treatments, whether surgical or pharmaceutical; new or improved medical devices and technology such as imaging or diagnostic devices; or changes to health insurance coverage which may add or increase benefits. However, with cell phones and even smart phones becoming more and more ubiquitous and growing numbers of people who have access to the internet, people are beginning to find new ways to improve upon or to provide previously unseen services in health care and insurance industries.
Some of the larger health insurance companies, and especially international health insurers, have begun to offer online wellness programs in recent years. Most of these programs center around detailed surveys which the policyholder cam then fill out and be provided with results generated by the survey which may help them identify potential health risks.
While it may be nice to have an online health questionnaire that will let you know how you could be healthier, it is not quite a groundbreaking use of technology. More recently, companies have been using the internet and other modern devices to provide new services which can be of direct benefit to the customers, whether international business people or people needing healthcare in developing countries.
The world of smart phone medical devices, for instance, is one that is truly beginning to blossom. These are external devices that can be plugged into or clipped on to your phone, and have wide and varied applications, especially in the realm of diagnosing illnesses at a typically reduced price. Two such devices based off similar technology can be used in extraordinarily different ways.
One of these devices is a fluorescent microscope that can be used to detect Tuberculosis in blood and spit samples with the benefit of being extremely cheap, quick and portable, allowing for easy sample taking, detection and the transmission of data which can enable better monitoring of the disease, both on an individual patient level and on a level which may help monitor outbreaks. The other device uses some of the same technology as the fluorescent microscope, which was developed at the University of California, Berkeley; however its purpose is to check children for ear infections. The ability to quickly check for ear infections and transmit the images to doctors for diagnosis can help cut down on doctor's visits and costs.
However, while cell phones may be cheap enough to be prevalent, smart phones are not, especially in poorer regions of the world. However, numerous groups in numerous locations have come up with ways to use simple cell phone technology to raise awareness, get appropriate information to patients, and help coordinate patient care. Indeed, one organization in Uganda called Texts to Change has led a number of successful text campaigns, ranging from raising awareness about HIV testing and counseling to helping patients of one local health care provider better adhere to their treatment regimens.
Even private medical insurance providers are seeing the ability of modern technology to help solve health care and insurance related problems. In one such instance, Aviva has developed an online system that can help their policyholders ensure they have access to their healthcare records when they travel abroad. After discovering that an unnerving number of individuals did not know the contact details of their family doctors or even basic details of their own medical history, the company introduced the system to make sure that such details would be accessible to healthcare professionals in an emergency.
It is plain to see, companies, organizations and enterprising students have made immense progress in adapting and adding to present technology in smart-phones, cell phones and the internet to meet an extraordinarily diverse array of health issues and challenges. Increasing numbers of people are continuing to come up with new messaging strategies, apps, and external devices that may be able to help increase the efficacy of healthcare measures and help reduce costs. While these areas of development are just beginning to take off and receive serious attention, it will certainly be interesting to see how such tools, technology and information distribution strategies will be incorporated into health care and insurance plans.
Some of the larger health insurance companies, and especially international health insurers, have begun to offer online wellness programs in recent years. Most of these programs center around detailed surveys which the policyholder cam then fill out and be provided with results generated by the survey which may help them identify potential health risks.
While it may be nice to have an online health questionnaire that will let you know how you could be healthier, it is not quite a groundbreaking use of technology. More recently, companies have been using the internet and other modern devices to provide new services which can be of direct benefit to the customers, whether international business people or people needing healthcare in developing countries.
The world of smart phone medical devices, for instance, is one that is truly beginning to blossom. These are external devices that can be plugged into or clipped on to your phone, and have wide and varied applications, especially in the realm of diagnosing illnesses at a typically reduced price. Two such devices based off similar technology can be used in extraordinarily different ways.
One of these devices is a fluorescent microscope that can be used to detect Tuberculosis in blood and spit samples with the benefit of being extremely cheap, quick and portable, allowing for easy sample taking, detection and the transmission of data which can enable better monitoring of the disease, both on an individual patient level and on a level which may help monitor outbreaks. The other device uses some of the same technology as the fluorescent microscope, which was developed at the University of California, Berkeley; however its purpose is to check children for ear infections. The ability to quickly check for ear infections and transmit the images to doctors for diagnosis can help cut down on doctor's visits and costs.
However, while cell phones may be cheap enough to be prevalent, smart phones are not, especially in poorer regions of the world. However, numerous groups in numerous locations have come up with ways to use simple cell phone technology to raise awareness, get appropriate information to patients, and help coordinate patient care. Indeed, one organization in Uganda called Texts to Change has led a number of successful text campaigns, ranging from raising awareness about HIV testing and counseling to helping patients of one local health care provider better adhere to their treatment regimens.
Even private medical insurance providers are seeing the ability of modern technology to help solve health care and insurance related problems. In one such instance, Aviva has developed an online system that can help their policyholders ensure they have access to their healthcare records when they travel abroad. After discovering that an unnerving number of individuals did not know the contact details of their family doctors or even basic details of their own medical history, the company introduced the system to make sure that such details would be accessible to healthcare professionals in an emergency.
It is plain to see, companies, organizations and enterprising students have made immense progress in adapting and adding to present technology in smart-phones, cell phones and the internet to meet an extraordinarily diverse array of health issues and challenges. Increasing numbers of people are continuing to come up with new messaging strategies, apps, and external devices that may be able to help increase the efficacy of healthcare measures and help reduce costs. While these areas of development are just beginning to take off and receive serious attention, it will certainly be interesting to see how such tools, technology and information distribution strategies will be incorporated into health care and insurance plans.