Like all other industries, Healthcare is also affected by modern technologies. New and emerging technologies tend to be disruptive, at first but in the end, they bring change, and they revolutionize how entire industries operate.
Healthcare is no exception, especially when it comes to education. Learning in the Healthcare sector has never been as seamless as it is today.
Medical staff can leverage technology and new learning methods to improve their existing knowledge and techniques, while students have many opportunities to learn new things using technology as their aid. With that in mind, let’s have a closer look at the impact of technology on healthcare education.
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Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI is one of the newest technologies that have spread across all industries, including Healthcare. AI’s machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing capabilities have proven to be a great advantage in performing various tasks.
Today, AI has become one of the greatest disruptors in the healthcare industry. AI can bring intelligence to medical equipment and identify infection patterns through electronic health records to help medical staff combat antibiotic-resistant diseases. AI has already found its way into many processes in the Healthcare industry but its potential uses that researchers are examining are virtually limitless.
Augmented and Virtual Realities (AR/VR)
A lot of people believe that AR and VR technology is suited for games and entertainment. Although true, this is not the only possible application for this new technology. As a matter of fact, AR and VR technologies have already made their way to the Healthcare industry.
VR, for instance, is especially helpful in training and educating medical students on how to perform surgeries. Virtual surgery practices are no longer products of science fiction but an actual reality happening in our time. AR, on the other hand, has also found its use in the Healthcare industry.
In fact, a group of researchers and surgeons at Imperial College London at St Mary’s Hospital managed to combine AR technology with a CT scan to perform a surgery where surgeons could see through the limb while operating.
The position of bones, muscles, and blood vessels were all clearly visible on the screen. AR technology can also help students in learning much about the human body, as well as how to perform complex surgeries with efficiency and ease.
Enhanced learning
What’s interesting is that medical students do not have to rely on schools and colleges as the only source of knowledge and education. Nowadays, there are numerous online platforms that help students learn new things or expand their existing knowledge.
Moreover, this knowledge is available to everyone all over the world. For example, students can attend online courses and obtain both ACLS certification and recertification. This can help them specialize in specific medical fields and find employment wherever they wish.
Such a vast database of knowledge and learning on the Internet is revolutionizing the healthcare industry. Furthermore, students are more motivated to learn as the entire education program has been transformed to suit their needs and meet their demands.
Computer-Assisted Learning (CAL)
It’s no secret that modern technology has helped scientists and researchers in the Healthcare industry achieve some brilliant breakthroughs. The information we’ve managed to gather about diseases, procedures, treatments, and many more factors is vast indeed.
Feeding this information to students through classes and books is simply no longer viable. This is where Computer-Assisted Learning (CAL) technology comes into play. CAL has revolutionized the learning process, thus allowing students, professors, and instructors to develop a modernized way of learning about various medical topics.
The system is designed to provide specialized information and develop a self-paced learning mechanism that students can leverage to their advantage. Many schools and universities across the globe have already started implementing this technology in their learning program.
Wearable technologies
Wearable devices started out as convenience for people, but they’ve quickly found their use in the Healthcare industry. These devices are designed to monitor human behavior, as well as their physical and mental state, while they are active throughout their everyday lives.
This allows medical staff to remotely monitor patients and their conditions. It also allows them to monitor how treatment affects their bodies. This can help students learn much more about patients from a different perspective.
Furthermore, instructors can use these devices to monitor how students interact with patients. Teaching students about behavioral patterns, empathy, word choices, and much more is vital for their growth and development as medical professionals. Students must have people skills aside from technical knowledge to be able to truly help their patients.
The Healthcare industry has greatly transformed in just a couple of years thanks to modern technology. This is especially true for healthcare education. Nowadays, students are able to receive better knowledge, greater experiences, and specific guidance.
