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How Technology Is Changing Health Care

Through digital technologies like robotics and telemedicine, the future of health care is changing dramatically for the better. Technology is not only changing the way patients experience health care in the hospital or doctor’s office, it’s also helping people manage their health at home.

Here are four ways technology is changing health care:

Health Trackers and Apps
Gone are the days when the only technology you had to track your steps was a pedometer. Today’s health and fitness trackers allow you to track your steps, type of exercise, food, heart rate, sleep, water and weight. More and more people are using their smartphones to help manage their health and Tanner has developed several apps to meet that need. Tanner’s iBirth app for new and expectant mothers provides an all-in-one resource guide through pregnancy and the baby’s first year. Tanner also has an Urgent Care app that provides current wait times, a tap-to-call feature and turn-by-turn navigation for Tanner’s urgent care facilities, as well in-app news and links to Find a Doctor and Tanner Careers.

Robotics
Robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery is being used for a wide variety of procedures. Tanner Medical Center/Carrollton has two robotic surgery systems — the da Vinci Xi and the da Vinci Si — that allow surgeons to perform minimally invasive surgeries through a few small incisions. The benefits of robot-assisted surgery include enhanced precision and control for surgeons, faster recovery, fewer complications, less blood loss, less tissue injury, less infection risk, minimal scarring, reduced pain, shorter hospital stays and smaller incisions.

Social Media
Social media is a great way to see what your friends have been up to and share what you have going on in your life. But did you know that researchers are also using the platform to track the flu? An international research team developed a model to forecast the spread of the seasonal flu in real time by using Twitter posts in combination with key parameters of each season’s epidemic. Twitter can also be used to predict heart disease rates, according to a Pennsylvania University study. The best way to protect yourself from the flu, however, remains an annual flu shot, available at any Tanner Urgent Care location.

Telemedicine
Telemedicine is becoming an important part of health care in rural communities by allowing hospitals to tap into the expertise of qualified physicians miles away. With the help of telecommunications technology, healthcare services can be delivered remotely without an in-person visit. At Tanner, telemedicine helps provide patients with bedside or in-office access to specialists, faster consultations, improved quality of care, in-room privacy and shorter hospital stays. 

While health trackers and smartphone apps are great tools for taking charge of your health, they shouldn’t take the place of routine checkups or your doctor’s advice. To receive reminders for health screenings and other periodic exams recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention based on your age and gender, sign up for My Health Reminders at https://tanner.privatehealthnews.com.

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