In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and its resulting restrictions, many have changed how we navigate and receive goods and services. The health sector has been dramatically affected and influenced by the pandemic with the adoption of technological improvements that have allowed many to access healthcare from the comfort of their homes.
Below are some of the ways the pandemic has aided technological developments in the health sector:
Telehealth
It is a broad spectrum of health products and services and devices that utilize remote communication to collect and spread data related to health matters. This includes using a monitor to participate in medical seminars, collect medical data and issue prescriptions.
Telemedicine
On the other hand, telemedicine is a more direct means of communication between a medical professional and a patient through audio or video. It may involve sending data from a home medical sensor to a clinician who virtually explains what the data means and offers recommendations.
Health devices
With the stay at home’ recommendation issued, consumers needed the means to monitor some of their bodily functions, such as blood pressure and heart activity, to stay healthy. As a result, health devices were improved and developed to carry out such operations.
Some of these health devices include:
- Smartwatches that can read blood pressure
- Touchless digital thermometers
- Personal EKG devices
- Pulse oximeter
However, when utilizing health devices, it is essential to remember that the readings differ in accuracy and repeatability with medical-grade devices. The term ‘FDA cleared’ plastered on the product implies that the FDA has gone over the manufacturer’s data backing up the product’s functionalities. It doesn’t mean they tested or looked at the outcome.
It is always advisable to take your health device to a physical clinician and compare readings with a medical-grade device to understand the discrepancies in readings and even tweak it to have better lessons.
The fantastic ability of technology to keep up with the pandemic’s effects has helped us successfully manage our health and understand our bodies better, thereby increasing the overall lifespan duration.