Role of modern technology in public health
Technology has taken a vital role in most of today’s sectors and industries including public health. Researchers and experts associated with Brunel University of London are constantly striving to solve challenges pressing the public health sector and utilising healthcare technology is a major component of this endeavour. To find out more about Brunel’s online programmes, be sure to watch our recent webinar for more details: Benefits of Brunel’s Public Health Master’s & Career Options.
Today we’ll discuss the role of technology in healthcare, some of the upcoming new trends, as well as Brunel’s impact on global public health.
What is public health?
The World Health Organisation defines public health as “the art and science of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organised efforts of society.” Advances in public health technology have made a huge impact on global health.
As various issues arise in society, so does the need for different public health solutions. Looking to the future is important in health care. Governments set long-term goals to protect and improve the quality of health of their citizens. The use of technology is important as it can have both risks and benefits to health.
Why is public health important?
Public health is important because it addresses the various health risks which can arise over time throughout populations. The most prevalent of these health risks include diseases, which was recently seen on a global pandemic scale with the COVID-19 virus.
The pandemic has also shown a shortage of skilled healthcare professionals, so it is important to Brunel to provide top-quality education to fill this gap. You can find out more about the advantages of studying your public health master’s online with Brunel here.
What new technologies are emerging in public health?
Some of the new technologies being utilised in healthcare are Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality. This is used usually to deliver staff training so they can experience a real-life scenario in a believable way. This technology is also used to aid in psychological treatments like exposure therapy.
Website information is another way to help educate and share the latest health information. As we saw with the COVID-19 pandemic, research and understanding of the disease changed with each day. The Internet was a way for experts to share information with the public to better protect themselves.
Applications are also being used in healthcare to both support and track patients’ progress through an illness. For example, diabetics can use an application to access their own medical records as well as monitor and manage their medical condition more effectively.
How is technology used in healthcare?
Technology is used in a number of ways to support public health professionals and advance the sector into more effective solutions. Data analytics is another way that we can not only predict health issues in people but also understand how to better tackle issues. Data analytics means introducing new software or medical devices that use information from a patient to deliver a diagnosis or prognosis, allow for earlier interventions, and provide a more personalised treatment plan.
What are the benefits of technology in healthcare?
Data and medical devices can greatly help us understand health on a large scale. The Internet of Things (IoT) can help us understand health factors and how to combat issues in the future in a more preventative way. Scientific discoveries have greatly helped modern medicine advance forward and the impact of technology on public health is extremely significant in improving quality of life for people around the world.
Still have questions about public health? Here are some of our most commonly asked questions:
As far as new technology in healthcare goes, virtual consultations can be extremely beneficial for patients who cannot leave their homes. In some countries, an ambulance ride for a non-life-threatening illness can cause years of debt. When a healthcare provider is able to connect virtually with a patient, they can often diagnose and prescribe a treatment to a patient who can continue to rest and recover without the stress of sitting in an emergency room for hours or waiting days for an in-person appointment.
Yes! That is one of the benefits of using AI in public health. With the use of machine learning, we can better predict and prevent trends associated with communicable diseases.
One of the more notable challenges facing the adoption of modern technology in public health is the rapid spread of information. In the case of social media, it can be a great tool to get information around quickly, but it can also be used to spread misinformation about a particular public health issue. This is still a controversial topic around the COVID-19 pandemic as the fear and panic of this disease led to many different theories spreading around just as quickly as the disease itself.
Telemedicine was already around before COVID-19, but it has continued to grow out of the need for social distancing. People have fears of going to a clinic where their risk of being infected or infecting others is higher than at home.
Some of the digital tools used for disease surveillance, or tracking the spread of diseases, include special software, data sharing agreements, online population surveys, sensors, and more.
Brunel University of London is one of the top schools in public health research in the UK. We are dedicated to bringing high-quality education to students around the world, offering 5 online postgraduate degrees in public health and healthcare, including Health Economics & Health Policy MSc online, Master of Public Health (MPH) online, Public Health & Health Promotion MSc online, Public Health & Behaviour Change MSc online, and Global Public Health & Social Justice MSc online. If you are interested in learning more about our programmes, be sure to visit our page where you can download a free brochure today: Advance Your Career with Brunel University of London’s Online Postgraduate degrees
To find out more about how you can join our upcoming intake, be sure to take a look at our page about Fees and Funding Options.
If you have any questions about online learning or the application process, feel free to contact our educational advisors for more information at (+44) 203 535 1404, or email us at study@online.brunel.ac.uk.