Ageing is an inevitable part of life for many of us and so are the many health issues that come along with it. While the healthcare industry has made many advancements over the last century, never have we experienced such a strong need to think outside of the box when it comes to aged healthcare.
In the United States, seniors now account for around 13% of the population – a staggering 43 million people with many in a gradual state of declining health. Traditionally, healthcare for the elderly was somewhat routine – regular visits to the doctor and perhaps a full-time live-in carer or regular home visits from a qualified care facility. These measures were enough until independent living was no longer an option because the patient’s health had declined so much that they needed continuous care from nursing and medical staff.At this point, the elderly would be strongly encouraged to enter assisted living facilities, which are well-equipped to give the care needed but meant that a resident had to sacrifice their independence. Now, though, our ageing population is bigger than it has ever been before, and under the traditional aged care model, there would not be enough alternatives to provide adequate care to the elderly.
Once again, though, technology has come to save the day. Advancements in technology have revolutionized healthcare for the elderly. Now, the ageing population can get the healthcare they need with minimal impact to other areas of their lives.
Telehealth
Telehealth, also known as telemedicine, is a fast-growing industry and has been propelled into the limelight since the pandemic began. It uses electronic information and telecommunication technologies to distribute health-related services to people. This style of distribution allows at-risk groups, such as the elderly, continuous access to healthcare and healthcare professionals whenever they need it, and there’s no need to travel.
Healthcare providers can assess the hardships of patients, like the elderly, which could be improved by telemedicine. Hardships that affect the elderly could be a lack of mobility and, therefore, an inability to travel, memory loss impacting presence at appointments, and the loss of vision or hearing. In all these instances, telemedicine can bridge the gap between patient and healthcare provider.
Telehealth and medicine in the digital age focuses on four key areas:
- Store and forward: obtaining medical data and transmitting it to the necessary doctors or specialists for offline assessments
- Remote monitoring: using technology to remotely monitor patients
- Real-time interactive: providing patients with interactive electronic consultations from their healthcare provider
- Videotelephony: providing audio-visual capabilities to conduct consultations remotely
MSPs and the healthcare industry
Because technology is rapidly being intertwined with the healthcare industry, it’s important to make sure your IT infrastructure is up to scratch and can not only seamlessly offer these services but can also guarantee your patients’ protected health information (PHI) stays secure.
There are regulatory standards such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) which must be followed by all healthcare providers, but the laws can be difficult to navigate for an in-house IT team alone. This is where a managed service provider (MSP) can help.
An MSP is an elite team of IT professionals that can either complement your in-house IT team or work independently to make sure your IT environment is functioning at its best and in line with federal regulations. They will provide a thorough assessment of your organization and set you up with the infrastructure you need to provide your patients with the level of care and attention they need – without any of the hassle.
They can seamlessly integrate new technology into your existing environment and help train your staff to ensure best practices are understood and followed. They also have the expertise to help you navigate the ever-changing healthcare and aged care terrain by being able to offer your organization actionable solutions to your technology problems while helping you reduce your overall IT costs.
The Future of Senior Care and Technology
The senior population in America is predicted to hit 72 million by 2030. With this boost in the aged population, the technology sector can provide new ways to combat the issues that many patients and healthcare providers will inevitably continue to face. With an MSP, you’ll be guaranteed that your aged care or healthcare organization will be at the forefront of those changes.
If your healthcare organization is looking for new and innovative ways to leverage technology to connect to your ageing patients, contact the team at Technology Solutions today. Their unmatched experience in the medical and aged care industry can help your business grow in ways you’ve never imagined.
The ongoing pandemic showed us just how paralyzing it feels to not have access to proper medical healthcare. As always, the elderly population is the first one to suffer… Remote monitoring and online consultation should be standard already, we have all the technology required to implement these.
Since a lot of doctors appointments are routine procedures or just trips to renew prescriptions, using technology to save time and money on both parts is the next and logical step.