Here are six common uses for computers in healthcare.

1. Medication and treatment

Healthcare professionals review and prescribe medications using electronic health
records. They also use apps and software programs to manage patient records. This
technology not only boosts staff efficiency, but it also helps to prevent human error.
After a medical facility has assigned an identification number to a patient, staff can
retrieve all information about that patient from a secure database. Computers can also
document treatment, medication, and care recommendations.
Mobile device apps help nurses update patient records using treatment and diagnostic
codes, as opposed to whiteboards and paper charts.
2. Patient diagnosis
Doctors use computers to manage and record patient information, which can help them
to make a more accurate diagnosis, especially if multiple doctors are working with the
same patient.
Nurses can also use technology to perform routine health checks such as EKGs,
oxygen levels, and blood pressure. Results automatically save to an electronic
database, ensuring that they are both accurate and readily available for other staff
involved in the patient’s treatment.
3. Telemedicine
There are thousands of people in the United States who do not have access to
adequate healthcare. Technology has bridged the gap between low-income patients
and doctors.
Telemedicine enables people to discuss their health concerns with a general
practitioner over the phone or via video. These doctors can then advise patients on
whether to seek help at a medical facility.
Telemedicine is also helpful for the disabled and the elderly who may find it more
difficult to travel to their doctor. Telemedicine systems also enable doctors to record and
store information electronically.
4. Surgical procedures
Surgeons carry out many advanced surgical procedures using a computer. This process
is known as Computer Assisted Surgery, or CAS, and is quickly becoming popular in
the medical field. CAS combines computer intelligence with medical expertise to assist
surgeons during complex operations.
CAS systems create and analyze a virtual model of the patient before surgery.
Surgeons then use this image to simulate the surgical procedure. In some cases, the
surgery is either performed or assisted by a robot.
5. Communication and sharing information
Computer technology can also help to communicate and share knowledge between
medical practitioners and patients. Sharing updates and research within the medical
field is made more efficient by computers and the internet.
Doctors also use the internet to offer or obtain advice. Medical practitioners from all over
the world discuss issues on medical forums, write articles about the latest advances,
and contribute to the information contained in medical journals.
6. Medical imaging
Advanced medical imaging equipment can now create three-dimensional images of
body parts. Use cases include mammography, ultrasonography, magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI), and 3D x-rays. Medical staff store these images in a computer
database, making them easy to retrieve later.