Over the decades, technology has made life a lot easier for those in the medical field. It’s allowed them to make faster diagnoses, and even let them perform delicate surgery on patients who are on the other side of the world. Those in the legal field have also benefited. Here’s how both have been impacted by recent moves in tech.
Advancements in the Medical Field
Online Records
Technology and the Internet have impacted this field by making it very easy for doctors, nurses, and pharmacists to keep easy-to-access records of their patients. The information is kept in an online database and can be accessed by anyone the patient sees. This can help keep things organized, and there’s a much lower chance of mistakes due to errors from trying to read poor handwriting.
Treatment Options
The advances in technology are important when it comes to care, especially for those who might have dementia. According to ASPE, the demand for a dementia care specialized workforce has increased since the National Alzheimer’s Project Act was signed in 2011. Technology, such as smartphones and tablets, helps patients by providing them with music, videos, and activities that can help with memory loss.
Advancements in technology have also allowed for greater treatment options for those with sleep apnea, which 70 million Americans suffer from. While CPAP machines have long been around, new apps allow medical professionals to track their patients’ CPAP use. New diagnostic tools also enable medical professionals to test patients for sleep disorders using non-invasive techniques, such as electrical impedance tomography.
With greater testing and treatment options, those who are suffering from medical disorders such as these can find care more effectively and reduce the risk of health complications.
Advancements in the Legal Field
Digital Methods
The legal field has also been impacted by technology. In the past, creating documents used to be a long process. Now, it’s simply a matter of clicking on a form and creating it from a template. There are ‘e-signatures’ as well, which can take the place of a real one. This way, there’s no chasing down different parties to get them to sign. They can just get an email link.
Streamlining
Like those who practice medicine, lawyers find that technology can make it very easy to streamline the whole process. A lot of tedious tasks take seconds rather than hours. This allows the lawyers to do more important things, like figuring out the best legal strategy for their clients.
Evidence Gathering
Technology has also made it easier for lawyers to locate cases and past legal reports. Illicit drugs and alcohol play a role in over 15,000 car injury deaths each year, and if a claim has been filed against a driver due to injuring a legal client, that client’s legal team can more effectively locate previous reports filed against the defendant to argue that they have a previous history with reckless driving.
Another advancement, Artificial Intelligence, or ‘AI,’ has made it easier to research case law. It can gather reports in a matter of seconds. There’s still going to be the need for humans to be around to make sure that what the AI finds is correct, but it’s something that’s going to continue to be integrated into the legal workflow.
This is just a small sample of the ways that technology has greatly impacted the world of those who work in medicine and law. Technology will continue to be refined and innovative new methods will be added.
