Technology in Healthcare

Social construct of healthcare is studying the different social ways of healthcare.

Social theorists look at three main social constructs of cultural knowledge, illnesses

experience, and medical knowledge (Openstax 2015).  When it comes to the social

construction of healthcare with medical knowledge you can see a gap in the different social

communities based on who has the finical needs to hold it. This may not be so common in

areas or countries that have more money. Social construction of illness can be seen that

behind a computer a person has more say over how much is being shown. They can hide

problems easier if a person takes on the mind set of it will be fine eventually, or just doesn’t

like the doctor. They have an easier chance to skip blood draws and imagining, because they

aren’t already out. The cultural meaning of illness can have cultural that just don’t believe in

doctors and prefer natural healing methods, or they may feel like it is impersonal. Social

imagination is shifting from different points of views of connecting larger social events back

to the individual (Wikipedia 2021). Telehealth growth due to the pandemic, and easy access

has allowed us to have shorter wait times, get faster diagnosis, and save money is where I

see the sociological imagination coming into play. Telehealth is faster, convenient, and

eliminates long drive times (Patterson 2021).

When looking at how technology has impacted healthcare, I decided to look at

telehealth. Telehealth is a wider scope of health services and is not the same thing as

telemedicine (Kelly 2021). Telehealth has started to become increasing popular throughout
the COVID pandemic. It can play a major role in reaching more rural spaces (Scott 2021). It

lets doctors see patients all over and there is a less likely chance of a wait, upping patient

satisfaction and lower cost (telehealth). An issue with telehealth though is if a patient has no

internet access or phone, they won’t be able to access it. “We were concerned that

telehealth would become more available to people who could easily access it and that is

what happened”-Gary Butts (Scott 2021). People are starting to look for new ways to save on

health cost and devices in the home are making that possible (Kelly 2021). Telehealth use

has gone up 52 % from 2005-2014 then up to 2361% by 2017(Kelly 2021). In the town of

Saskatchewan 1.7 million happen between March-December (Patterson 2021) Some of this

rise is because of the COVID pandemic doctors started to use it more to lower the person-to-

person contact. But while lowing the patient to doctor contact it seems like you lose the

personal interaction of a physical meeting.

I feel like telehealth has allowed more rural places and countries to get health care

that they wouldn’t be able to otherwise have. But, for “one in five families” have a problem

getting internet uses and not all doctor offices use telehealth to reach doctors out of reach

(Neighmond 2019).  Lower wealthy nations have one tenth of the doctor access we have

(Openstax 2015). Pediatrician James Marcin believes that telehealth allows the cost of

normal day to day care be more in reach or rural spots (Neighmond 2019). To be able to

keep up with telehealth our government policies need to be able to as while right now they

are about 15 years behind the recent technology causing insurance hurdles (Neighmond

2019). Outside of that telehealth is making a different that allows one person to see multiple
doctors at one time, causes better patient care and use of resources causing it to be more

uniform. Getting different opinions at one time allows for a more cohesive treatment plan.

Functionalist see health as an important and needed part of our society. They feel like

sick and healthy people have their own roles and that they are both needed to keep a

balance. That if a person is sick and a doctor has confirmed this, but they are willing to get

treatment and help then they are still about of the daily society and not a hindrance

(Openstax 2015).  Functionalist would see this as another way to keep society balanced. They

welcome changes if it seems to be for the better. Telehealth is being able to reach different

places and allowing doctors to help across the globe while never leaving an office. Conflict

theorists tend to think the opposite. That by giving doctors all the power that is creating an

unequal balance in society. That they government or the people with money have more say

over what is allowed, and what insurance will cover. They see how poorer countries won’t

have the access that a wealthy community may have. How people still are affected by

sexism, racism in the social world. This keeps the system from ever being truly fair. Conflict

theorist may see telehealth as only allowed by the dominant wealthier groups while the

lower societies don’t get that chance. Symbolic imagists see it one a smaller scale, how it

affects a person’s everyday life and their peers (Openstax 2015). How having an illness

affects their jobs, does it cause a stigma is they have a chronic illness? They may see

telehealth in a more positive note, since there is a chance of less stigma involved. How a

person is more easily able to access what they need, which can help with medications, job

notes, and allowing them to be able to see people.

 Works Cited

Kelley, Claudia L., and Doug Roberts. “Smart Home Technology Used for Health Care and Its

Potential Tax Benefits.” Journal of Financial Service Professionals, vol. 75, no. 3, May

2021, pp. 35–43. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=rkh&AN=150050984&site=eds-live

Neighmond, Patti. “With Rural Health Care Stretched Thin, More Patients Turn to

Telehealth.” NPR, NPR, 7 July 2019, 8:09, www.npr.org/sections/health-

shots/2019/07/07/737618560/with-rural-health-care-stretched-thin-more-patients-

turn-to-telehealth.
OpenStax. Introduction to Sociology, 2e.OpenStax College: Houston, TX. Retrieved August

1,2021 (https://openstax.org/details/books/introduction -sociology-2e

“Sociological Imagination.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 30 June 2021,

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sociological_imagination.

Patterson, Dayne. “Sask. Doctor Says Virtual Appointments Could Be Here to Stay | CBC

News.” CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, 23 July 2021,

5:00, www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/saskatchewan-virtual-healthcare-

telehealth-1.6113660.

Scott , Jordan. “#ATA2021: Telehealth Can Improve Access to Care in Rural and Urban

Communities.” Technology Solutions That Drive Healthcare, HealthTech, 6 June 2021,

healthtechmagazine.net/article/2021/06/ata2021-telehealth-can-improve-access-

care-rural-and-urban-communities.