uses of computers in hospitals

Uses of Computers in Hospitals

Off late, computers are being included in hospitals and medical clinics throughout the world. They find both, medical and non-medical applications in these places. In this Buzzle article, we take a look at a few of the significant uses of computers within these medical institutions.

The invention of computers has brought about the revolution of Information Technology (IT). In the past few decades, offices, factories, and business have increasingly adopted the use of computers to enhance their performances and outputs. Along with that, today, computers can be found in every household as well. As the numerous benefits of using computers becomes more and more well-known, they are now being adopted in many unconventional areas too. One such area is hospitals and medical clinics. In the following lines, we examine how computers are helping in revolutionizing the workings of these medical facilities, by looking at some of their important uses in this area of application.
Application of Computers in Hospitals
Handling Medical Data Everyday, hospitals and clinics churn out enormous volumes of data, comprising the details of the patients such as ailments, prescriptions, medications, medical billing details, etc. Thanks to computers, such medical records are nowadays recorded using the medical billing software, and stored into databases known as Electronic Medical Records (EMR) and Electronic Health Records (EHR). These databases are operated by a set of computers and servers, and come in handy during medical alerts and emergencies. The concept of EHR is a bit broader than the EMR, as the database is accessible from different clinics and hospitals. Thus, a patient's medical history can be retrieved from any hospital by an authorized medical practitioner. Scanning and Imaging 'Tests' are medical procedures where specified components of the human body are scanned. A test can be as simple as a regular blood test, or it can be a complex CT scan, often referred to as medical imagery. In order to increase the precision of such procedures, computers have been adopted and integrated into the testing equipment. Ultrasound and MRI are the best examples, where computers have been adopted in order to make these procedures faster and more precise. Simply put, medical tests and the tools used for them have become more advanced as a result of the use of computers. Examination and Monitoring Many systems are underway for the development of medical monitoring which will help humans properly monitor their own health. In many cases, doctors and surgeons also use sophisticated computer-aided equipment to treat their patients. Such systems and procedures include bone scan procedure, prenatal ultrasound imaging, blood glucose monitors, blood pressure monitors, and advanced endoscopy. The use of computers make performing these otherwise complicated medical procedures very convenient for the medical practitioners. As a result, major laboratory equipment and heart rate monitors have already been computerized in many hospitals.
Advantages of Computers in Hospitals
There are significant advantages of using computers in medical institutions. In recent times, their importance has grown manifold, due to the fact that the procedures have to be speedy for catering to a larger population, and the medical services have to be more precise. To sum up, the advantages of computers being used in hospitals can be summarized as:
  • They help in carrying out precise 'tests' and medical examinations.
  • They monitor patients and provide medical alerts, which are more accurate and timely.
  • They are useful for data collection and storage of a patient's medical history.
  • They significantly increase the precision level of the diagnosis.
  • They make the hospital accounting and billing process more efficient and accurate.
  • Computers help update the medical history of patients.
Thus, the possibilities and uses of computers in the medical field are endless. They facilitate hospitals and clinics all across the globe by providing the important elements of accuracy, precision, and efficiency to various medical and non-medical procedures, which are carried out everyday in these places.

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