While highly qualified and talented professionals are needed in every industry across the board, there is no greater need than in healthcare. You are probably hearing about the shortage of doctors and nurses to the point where you think you’ll cry if you hear it said again, but the truth is, the shortage is at epidemic levels. With so many Boomers reaching their senior years and in need of specialist services alongside a large population of Millennials coming of age, the shortage will continue to grow.
However, technology is advancing by the day and this should help to make a dent in the problem, but only if today’s healthcare professionals understand how to use it in patient care. No matter what end of healthcare you are seeking to enter, a solid understanding of patient-centric technology can put you at the head of the line when interviewing for the job of your choice. Not only is there a future in healthcare, but the pay is better than average for equivalent education and training, according to the salaries listed on healthcaresalariesguide.com.
Advances in Technology to Improve Patient Care
It has probably been just about a decade now since providers have been regularly using Electronic Medical Records (EMR) and Electronic Health Records (EHR). These are used in lieu of hard copy files and can be quickly accessed by anyone granted levels of permission. Patients can access lab results, for example, without taking time away from busy providers. If there is a problem, patients will be called into the office for a consultation, but if not, patients can track their own records without ever leaving their homes.
When seeking a specialist, for example, the patient only needs to print out the latest labs and medicines taken regularly, and the specialist can quickly notate his or her file. Healthcare professionals need to be comfortable with these platforms and the applicant who understands how this software works will be easier and more cost-effective to onboard. That’s a real plus when interviewing for a job.
Communications Through Wearable Technology
Anyone who works directly with patients should also be familiar with wearable technology. Most often used with illnesses such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, patients are asked to monitor their health daily so that doctors can keep up with their patients between visits. From secretaries, to assistants, to nurses and doctors, each healthcare professional should know how to interface wearables with their computers and how to read communications as they come in.
Technology is not only providing improved diagnostics, but it is providing an expedient way to communicate key information between providers and patients. By giving the patient access to their medical records online, and by providing wearables to help track vitals and other relevant bodily functions in the chronically ill, the process is expedited thereby saving invaluable time and money. Today’s healthcare worker should be comfortable with patient-centric IT because of the huge number of benefits to be had. If you are looking for a job in healthcare, any end of healthcare, be able to demonstrate the technology you are comfortable with and that job is all but yours. It’s just a contract away.
