5 Tools Doctors Use To Make Their Job Easier

The field of medicine is one of the areas that has benefited greatly from technology. These days, health professionals can take advantage of specialized equipment to make their jobs easier. Doctors and health professionals can find various tools for any function they need, from patient care to diagnostic, and analytics.

The following are advanced tools that can help doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers cater to more patients accurately and efficiently:

1. Electronic Health Records

One of the most valuable tools that doctors can maximize for patient care is electronic health records (EHR). This system is the digitized form of medical notes. Not only does this make the process of reviewing a patient’s history more convenient, but it also facilitates record updates in real-time. This way, doctors can avoid making mistakes and miss out on critical information that could lead to detrimental consequences.

EHRs also improve care coordination among clinics and hospitals. For instance, if a patient needs to be rushed to the emergency room (ER) right away, first responders don’t have to worry about going through their entire medical information to the doctor or nurses in charge. They can simply open the digitized records and provide the appropriate diagnosis and medication.

2. Digital Versions of Diagnostic Equipment

Diagnostic equipment is critical for the success of any clinic or hospital. Doctors and nurses need these tools to be able to provide the most accurate initial care for patients. This way, it would be easier and faster to determine the cause of a patient’s health problems and address them accordingly.

However, clinics and hospitals usually struggle to provide diagnostics when there are a lot of people waiting to be serviced. The best course for this is to invest in digital versions of diagnostic equipment.

These are some of the necessary medical tools that have digital counterparts:

• Thermometer – Nowadays, you can get no-contact thermometers that scan an individual's temperature quickly. This is ideal for clinics and hospitals where various patients are coming in. No-contact thermometers allow healthcare workers to get a reading of every patient in the waiting room without the risk of contamination.
• Blood Pressure Monitor – With this device, the patient's arm just needs to be positioned properly before pressing a button. The machine will do the reading.
• Weighing Scale – A digital weighing scale also eases the check-in process since a receptionist can just let the patient stand on the equipment and get the appropriate information.

3. Mobile Medical Cart

A medical cart on wheels serves as a hospital utility storage that can reach patients from various rooms and areas of a large clinic or hospital. It can store and transport various diagnostic tools, medications, and even surgical tools for minor surgeries. It can also work as a one-stop storage for all necessary diagnostic equipment and first aid treatments.

4. Telehealth Technologies

With travel restrictions imposed due to the pandemic, it has been a challenge to reach patients, especially those that need regular check-ups. Fortunately, telehealth technologies—which maximize video conferencing and audio calls—are already available to ensure that patients still receive the care and guidance that they need even without setting foot in a clinic or hospital. Telehealth technology can supplement a caregiver or visiting nurse's services as well.

Telemedicine already existed even before the pandemic, but it was largely underutilized since most people still prefer personal check-ups. But because of social distancing measures, telemedicine and telehealth technology have proved to be more useful than ever. It is also safer and less risky for patients who are immuno-compromised.

5. E-Prescriptions

There are several challenges to written prescriptions because these can easily become lost or misplaced. Aside from that, doctors are notorious for really bad handwriting which sometimes creates confusion and mistake. These problems can be solved by e-prescriptions, which can come in the form of emails, text, and in-app messages.

With this tool, doctors can just type in their prescription to a patient in a centralized system. Then, pharmacies, as well as other health practitioners, can pull up the client's file and dispense the prescribed medication quickly. The system also eliminates the risk of prescription errors. E-prescriptions can be added easily to a patient’s medical record as well.

Conclusion

Technology has improved the process and service of medical practitioners. If you're a doctor and you want to provide the best care to your patients, you can take advantage of digital software like EHR, telehealth technologies, and e-prescriptions. You should also invest in digitized versions of diagnostic equipment and place them in a mobile medical cart to streamline the check-in process.

Hope this article can help you to understand what tools or equipment do doctors use. You can write for us on health if you want to share your knowledge!