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| Mary Szela | Image credit: modmyi.com |
Few things have existed for as long as man; medicine is one of them. Throughout the centuries, diseases have become more resilient, but man has responded with vaccines and cures. With medicine’s current résumé, analysts would consider public confidence in the healthcare sector to have peaked— resigning to the system of consulting with doctors and taking their word as law. Technology, however, challenges this reliance.
Smartphones like Apple’s iPhone are thought to be "no work" and "all play" gadgets. The popularity of apps such as Instagram, Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja, and Temple Run do little to support otherwise. Even corporate executives, like Mary Szela, are seldom seen without the latest version of the device. As doctors are no exception to the fad, tech-savvy physicians now utilize the iPhone for professional functions.
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| Mary Szela | Image credit: heraldsun.com.au |
Several apps have been developed to aid practitioners in the healthcare industry. Tools like AirStrip OB and Dr. Rounds help nurses monitor a range of vital information remotely, allowing them to immediately detect any cause for concern. Consequently, apps are also being developed to empower patients. Surescripts and iPrescribe deliver "e-prescription" services, enabling users to conveniently purchase medication with an electronic doctor’s slip. Bolder applications now allow users to self-medicate, matching symptoms against possible diagnoses. Some go as far as suggesting the most suitable medication.
Arguably, technological innovation and medical advancement have worked in tandem for centuries. What is novel about iPhone applications is not that they assist doctors in making health care effective, but that they grant laypeople the power to prescribe.
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| Mary Szela | Image credit: article.wn.com |
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