Top Medical Advancements Over The Past Decade

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Amazing things are taking place in the medical field where medical advancements are concerned. Technology is definitely a shrewd supporter of most of these advancements. Researchers are able to use these new technological advancements and apply them to every different specialty in the medical field.

Electronic Medical Records

Removing paperwork from medical genres has turned everyone’s world upside down. It has been a fast and furious transition. Older physicians have had plenty to say about it, but now that the new technology is mostly in place, there have been noted advantages. The availability of information from remote devices makes it much easier to access radiology results, lab values, and nursing outcomes. Making rounds is a breeze since the nurse no longer has to chase down the chart and try to find information on particular patients. Secure computer access reveals everything needed for the physician to make decisions about the patient’s care.

Electronic devices also help the physicians with research. Now, instead of going to the library for hours and pulling out heavy or outdated medical journals, a flip of the finger can bring current and relevant information from around the world.

Human Genome Discoveries

Mapping the human genome has become a race of time and money in the 1990s, with two competitors at the forefront: the government-funded Human Genome Project, which completed its task in 15 years with more than $3 billion in taxpayer money, and a private company, Celera Genomics, which was financed with $100 million and took less than a decade. This genetic research can cut rapidly rising healthcare costs and prevent many types of cancer and other diseases, just by knowing the patient’s genetics.

Reduction in Heart Disease

As recently as 25-30 years ago, patients with myocardial infarcts were simply put to bed with pain medicine and prayer. With advancements in minimally invasive cardiac cath, echocardiograph, and different types of stents and surgeries, medical advancements in cardiac research has paid off tremendously. Morbidity for heart attack is down 40% in the last decade. With more knowledge about nutrition and exercise, patients are able to plan ahead and do everything possible to prevent heart disease. For those unfortunates who do suffer from cardiac problems, there is a much higher chance for survival through these elegant techniques.

Sensors and Wearable Technology

From pain management to pacemakers, medical advancement has increased over 17% in the last decade to accommodate patients with all types of problems.

Chronic pain haunts millions of Americans and with new technology, these types of problems can be addressed without so much dependency on narcotics. Nerve stimulators that can be placed in the epidural space of the spinal cord have changed the course of pain management forever. A small battery is placed in a pocket under the skin and the electrode from the battery to the nerve root blocks the sensory reception to the brain. This is a multibillion dollar industry and worth every penny of it.

Pacemakers, new types of hearing aids, medicine patches, and even bandages that detect ph levels in skin that can detect infectious processes, are all part of medical advancement in the last ten years.