SECTION 1

I. NTRODUCTION

Health technology is defined by the World health organization as the application of organized

knowledge and skills in the form of devices, medicine, vaccines, procedures and systems

developed to solve a health problem and improve quality of live (WHO, 2015). Health

technology encompasses a wide range of healthcare products/equipments used to treat

diseases and medical conditions affecting human. Such technologies are intended to improve

the quality of healthcare delivered through earlier diagnosis, less invasive treatment option

and reduction in hospital stays and rehabilitation times.

The use of computer in health care began to emerge in the early 1970s through the use of

share system after medicine reimbursement legislation was enacted; it wasn’t until the late

1970’s when minicomputers began to become available, that computers began to be widely

used in healthcare. During a pre-digital era, patients normally suffered from inefficient and

faculty clinical system processes and conditions. Many medical errors happened in the past

due to undeveloped health technologies. Also with investment in health technologies fewer

medical errors transpired. Outdated paper records were replaced completely by electronic

health records (HER) in healthcare. This major change has brought a lot of positive impacts

on healthcare. Drug administration also improved due to o efficient and secure operations.

Healthcare providers can now access to medical informant easier, provide better treatments

and faster results, build relationship with patients and save more costs.

In today’s world, technology plays an important role in every industry as well as in our

personal lives. Out of all the industries technology plays a crucial role in health care, and it’s

definitely essential and most important. This merger is responsible for improving and saving

countless lives all around the world. Medical technology is a bread field where innovation

plays a crucial role in sustaining health. Areas like biotechnology, pharmaceuticals,

1
information technology, the development of medical devices and equipments and more have

all made significant contributions to improving the health of all around the world “small”

innovations like: adhesive bandages and ankles braces, to larger more complex technology

like MRI machines, artificial organs and robotic prosthetic limbs, technology has

undoubtedly made an incredible impact on medicine (Anthony, 2016).

In the healthcare industry, the dependence on medical technology cannot be overstated and as

a result of the development of these brilliant innovations, healthcare practices can continue to

find ways to improve their practice from better diagnosis, surgical procedures and improve

patient care. Health technology has made significant contributions on our world, namely in

the medical industry. With the increased use of electronic medical records (EMR), telehealth

services and mobile technologies like tablets and smart phones, physicals and patients are

both seeing the benefits that these new medical technologies are bringing. Health technology

has evolved from introducing doctors to new equipment to use inside private practices and

hospitals to connecting patients and doctors, thousands of miles away through

telecommunications. It is not uncommon in today’s world for patients to hold conferences

with physicians to save time and money normally spate on travelling to another geographic

locations or send health information instantaneously to any specialists or doctor in the world

(DAP, 2020).

With more and more hospitals and practice using medical technology like mobile devices on

the job, physicians can now have access to any type of information; they need from drug

information, research and studies, patient history or records and more within more seconds

and with the ability to effortlessly carry these mobile devices around with them throughout

the clay, they are never far the information they need. Also medical technologies like

minimally – invasive surgeries, better monitoring system and more comfortable scanning

equipment are allowing patients to spend less time in recovery and more time enjoying a

2
healthy life (Pai, 2014). The integration of medical equipment technology and telehealth has

also created robotic surgeries, where in some cases; physicians do not even need to be in the

operating room with a patient when the surgery is performed. Instead, surgeons can operate

out of their own hometown eliminating the hassles and stress on health-related travel. With

other robotic surgeries, the surgeon is still in the room, operating the robotic devices, but the

technology allows for a minimally – invasive procedure that leaves patient with less scarring

and significantly less recovery time (Lee, 2014).

Through the use of technology in medical research, scientists have been able to examine

diseases on a cellular level and procedure antibodies against them. These vaccines against

life-threatening diseases like: polio, measles, fellow fever, meningitis and in order to prevent

the spread of the aforementioned diseases and save thousands of life all around the globe

(Huana, 2014). Health technology innovations in the healthcare system continue to provide

physicians with new ways to improve the quality of care delivered to their patient and

improve the state of global healthcare. Through technology integration with areas like:

disease prevention, surgical procedures, better access to information and medical

telecommunications, the medical industry and patients around the world continue to benefit

(Moore, 2020).

2. Leaning Objective

At the end of this seminar, the audience will be able to:

1 know the concept of technology in health care system

2 know the roles of technology in health care system

3 know the benefits of technology in health care system

4 know the factors that mitigate the use of technology in health care system

3
3. Types of Health Technology

 Electronic medical records;

Electronic medical records or electronic health records (EHRs) consists of digital

summaries of a patient’s medical records. They include: diagnosis, lab reports and details

about hospital stays, surgical interventions and prescriptions. They offer an overview of a

patient’s health permitting a more accurate diagnosis and improve patients care. These

electronic records facilitate the easy sharing of information and collaboration between

labs and specialists without the time and resource expenditure on physical transmission.

EHRS provides healthcare professionals with information about patient’s allergies and

intolerance and anything else they may be relevant, particularly important if the patient is

unconscious.

EHR protocol can also help increase accountability and reduce malpractice. Electronic

records are easier and less time to consume to create and maintain. They make life easier

for medical account able and reduce the chances of mistakes being made.

 Mobile App technologies in the medical field:

Not only do patients have access to click on accurate medical information using their

hand held device, but they can also use apps to keep track of doctor’s appointments, get

reminders to take their medications. Health and fitness apps help people get healthier by

tracking their food intake and activity levels and offering customized solutions. These

apps can also help physicians in high – stress jobs by reducing time spent in the filing,

record maintenance and other routine tasks. Mobile apps provide access to drug

information to help prevent side effects and interaction, solve problems and improve

diagnosis. Doctors can communicate directly to their patients, records their vital signs

accurately, maintain logs about visits and consultations also achieve greater procedural

efficiency.

4
 Big data and the cloud:

Big data is a buzzard in different industries, including healthcare. This is because the

generation and collection of huge amounts of data from a number of different sources in

the healthcare field are now possible epidemics and ultimately preventing death.

Cloud storage of data improves efficiency and accessibility, while reducing wastage. This

also helps in research and development of new treatments protocols and lifesaving

pharmaceuticals formulations. In fact, cloud services can be invaluable for medical

research, providing vast amount of research, analysis and facilitating efficient wealth

information exchange. The cloud recovery features, but without the hassle and cost of

maintaining additional server hardware.

 Tele-medical/telegraph

Telemedicine takes the digitization of healthcare to its logical step, letting patients with

specialist practically anywhere in the world. This is technology applied to the healthcare

system to overcome distance barriers and facilitate critical care in emergency situations,

and potentially saving lives. Telemedicine has made it possible for patients to use tele-

medical devices to receive home care and support using various applications and videos

telephony. In telemedicine, the store and forward features helps transmit bio-signals,

medical images and other data to specialist to facilitate a synchronous consultation. This

can significantly reduce waiting time for patients, speeding up treatment delivery process.

Telemedicine facilitate remote patients monitoring by healthcare professionals. This can

help manage chronic conditions effectively and economical with the help of various apps

and videos. Additionally, real time interactive services make it possible for patients to

consult electronically with healthcare providers. This is essentially video conferencing

that helps with diagnosis, management, counseling and patient monitoring.

5
 Online patients portals:

Online patient’s portals offer patient’s way to access their health records, schedule

appointments and make payments. It allows them to more activity engaged with their

healthcare which has a bigger benefit than simply impressing them with the technology.

This type of technology allows patients to become more closely involved and better

educated about their care. In addition it increases access and availability of medical

information (Bate, 2010).

 Mobile health:

Mobile health is freeing healthcare devices of wires and cords and enabling physicians

and patients alike to check on healthcare processes on a go. Physicians and services

providers can use mobile health tools for orders, documents and simply reach more

information when with patients.

 Self-service kiosks

Similar to portal technology, self-service kiosks can help expedite processes like: hospital

registration. Automated kiosks can assist patients with paying co-pays, checking

identification, signing paperwork and decrease strain on human resource and speeds up

the intake process so patients have shorter wait before their appointments.

 Information and communication technology

However, development in information, communication and technology care constantly

improving and streaming how the healthcare functions and how patients interact with

their care provider. Medical expert have access to comprehensive research as well as

diverse care outcomes. (Hand, 2016).

Care providers care compares patient data with many other patients, identify risk factors

and suggest preventive treatment using this new technology. This technology has given a

huge boost to medical tourism, making it possible for patients to get in touch with

6
specialist in practically any part of the world for consultations and second options,

regardless of where they are located.

 Wellness Wearables

Another way to incorporate technology that can help patients get more involved with their

healthcare is by promoting wearable device that monitors wellness. Wearable’s are

technology tools that patients put on their babies to monitor and track their wellness. The

functions of these tools can track and monitor heart rates, sleeping patterns and exercise

habits among other vital signs and activities. They also offer options for sharing data, so

patient could connect their information with a provider to share key insight about their

health and wellness.

 Digital way finding tools:

Another way to greet patients with a technology is by placing way finding tools near the

entrance of your facility. Digital way finding is a tool that enables viewers to browse

directions and search for their destination. It then provides custom direction that tells the

user exactly how to get to their destination from their current location. This type of

technology is useful for any large property or building. But it’s especially useful in a

healthcare setting because many people who are visiting a healthcare facility are feeling

sick, nervous or on edge the last thing they need is a struggle to find the right room o

office; and staff often loses efficiency having to give the same directions to patients

throughout their way. Digital way funding tools keep stress level down by making it easy

for patients and their loved ones to navigate a facility.

 Digital wait boards

Technology decrease stress and frustration in patients and their loved ones in another

way, when healthcare offices display engaging and relevant digital signage content in

their waiting room, they can both ease stress and decrease perceived with times. Digital

7
wait boards in a health care office help patients takes their mind off their current situation

and pass the time. When digital signage is present in a waiting room, it can make a wait

feel up to 33% shorter. So a patient waiting for 30 minutes will only feel like they waited

for 20 minutes.

This improved experience keeps frustrations level down, while creating an opportunity

for you to connect with patients. Digital content is also a great platform for sharing

important message with patients such as; information about health care initiations, your

staff and your processes.

8
 SECTION 2

4. Concept of Technology in Health Care System

Technology innovations in healthcare have made it possible for health care

organization and patients to communicate with each other. It is now easier for doctors and

scientists to educate people about various diseases or scientific advancement (Chao, 2014).

Technology has placed at the disposal of the health care community various potent tools to

improve patient care. Since EHR are easily available to physicians, they can access complete

medical histories of patients and makes the most well considered medical decisions. Doctors

can quickly identify possible medication errors. They can do it by using apps such as barcode

scanners and patient’s safety improves as a result.

RFID (Radio-frequency identification) technology also helps to enhance patient care

by providing information about the patient vital signs and temperature. It facilitates real time

tracking of location, communication and identification. There are other ways in which

technology has to improve patient care. 3D printing is now used to create prosthetics,

customized dental devices and hearing aids.

Virtual reality devices and apps ease symptoms of depression and anxiety in order

people and patients with mental illness and care also help people with their post-operative

recovery process. The augmented reality now helps surgeons and their team performs

complex operation virtual and augmented reality devices can also help improve health and

fitness outcomes among patients. With the availability of procedures like robotic knell

replacement and the use of gene therapy in cancer treatment it is evident that the role of

technology in healthcare is bound to give exponentially in the time to come.

9
5. Roles of technology in health care system

 Improving efficiency and quality of care:

Monitoring the health of the patients and ensuring their wellness is now easier than before.

There are instruments and tools to carry out a hassle-free surgery and machines which aid in

the complete diagnosis of a disease.

 Developing new drugs and treatments:

A number of industry analysis have observed that increased accessibility of treatment is one

of the most tangible ways that technology changed healthcare. Health technology have open

up many more avenues of exploration and research which allows experts to make health care

more driven and effective than it has ever been.

 Improves healthcare and disease control:

This resource allows medical professionals and researchers to track, retrieve and utilize

valuable data in the fight to control disease and provide better healthcare outcomes in

general.

 Easy availability of medical information:

The internet has united the entire world; scientist and researchers across the globe can now

connect with each other and share their knowledge.

 Enhance research:

Understanding a disease or its root cause has been made easier with the improved techniques

and technologies. Fields like data science allows researchers to utilize data and derive useful

insights pertaining to health and diseases.

 It’s easy to reach out:

Ever wonder, how people had to stand in long queues to get appointment with the doctor But

now there is no need to wait, patients can easily visit websites and books an online doctor

appointment. Also, the patients can get online consultation from the most experienced doctor.

10
  Reduced risk and recovery:

Technology advancement has improved the safety of medical procedure. Due to technology,

innovations such as laser treatments, medical procedures are now less invasive and pose

fewer risks. The use of technology has significantly reduced recovery time, in some case

from several weeks down to a couple of days.

 Increased platforms among physicians:

Digital platforms have redefined the social sphere and new technology has made it easier than

ever for physicians to connect with one another in order to share information. New apps have

reached the market, but allow physicians to post recent findings and initiate conversations on

their mobile devices, which reduces the amount of time needed to get in touch with

colleagues.

6. Benefit of Technology in Health Care System

 Faster results: in the past, getting results of medical test took weeks or even months.

With the improved technology, it is possible to get the results when the lab is finished

with your sample. Nowadays, many hospitals and clinics offer web portals. This

allows you access to results with hours or days.

 Improved medication safety: Technology has brought a host digital checks and

balances that alert clinicians when they are about to prescribe medicines that could

interact, or that patients are allergic from computerized physician order entry systems

to the alerting features in EHR, technology features have replaced books and human

memory with automated safeguards that save lives (Bates, 2010).

 Higher quality communication and connectivity: technology has also made it

possible for physicians and care managers to communicate with patients between

doctor visits and after hospital discharge. For instance, some apps send automated

reminders that ask patients to answer questions after surgery or during healing and

11
 algorithm. Driven alerts identify patients risk for hospital readmission or infection.

Patient portals give patients online access to their medical record and medication,

histories and provide features such as registration, online scheduling and bill payment.

And tele-health platforms allows clinicians to conduct post-up visits, follow-up after

hospital discharge, or discuss medication adherence issues, all without requiring the

patient to come in to the office a advantage for patients who have mobility or

cognitive issues, or who live in rural areas. (Van, 2020).

7 Factors that mitigate the use of technology healthcare system

 Digital eye strain: When we gaze at the screen for long periods of time, we often

forget to blink. In fact, research has shown that digital eye strain reduces or blink rate

by half, which means the tears that protects our eyes evaporate without being

replaced. Additionally, reading the smaller font on smart phones or other portable

devices can intensify the strain. As a result, nearly 60% of adults can report symptoms

of digital eye strain, which include: dry eyes, headaches, blurred vision, burning

itching, difficulty focusing and pain in the neck or shoulders.

 Sleep Disorders: We love devices so much that many of us when we sleep with them

one study found that 71 percent of smart phones owners keep their phone next to their

bed at night to ensure they don’t miss a thing. Another study found that over 40

percent of bedside smart phone user wakeup from noises or lightening from

notifications coming from their device. Late night technology use can interfere with

your ability to sleep. For instance, many accidents are caused because of frequent use

of technology e.g. smart phone by the drivers which lead to sudden deaths and serious

injury etc.

 Mental Health: More than three billion people interact with each other over social

media every day. While many of our exchanges are generally harmless, overusing

12
 these services can impact our well – being. Social media addition is linked to a rise in

mental health disorders like: depression suicidal ideation, particularly in teenagers.

Researchers made that correlation highlighting how platforms like: facebook,

instagram and twitter place higher social pressures on young people and adults that

can lead to instance of cyber bullying increased need for approval and general feeling

of discontent.

One study showed that teens that spent five or more hours a day on social media were twice

likely to experience depression-related symptoms. It also indicated that females using social

media at the same amount were more likely to show signs of depression compare to males.

 Physical inactivity: When were using technology like: computers, video or IVS, we

generally aren’t exercising. That’s why there’s an increasing body of research linking

the overuse of digital devices to decreasing exercise and fitness levels. Spending more

time on the cough and watching TV or playing video games reduces the time you

speed staying active. However, the link between obesity and gaming is marginally

associated to weight gain in adults, with exposure to unnatural blue link from a TV

and smart devices being more associated with obesity.

 Medical technology minimized health care: In some cases, health care providers

lean too heavily on this technology and don’t spend enough time getting to know their

patients as individual instead; they spend their time interpreting with the equipment.

Because of this, they could up missing a symptom that may not necessarily fall into

the “black and white”, areas of the electronic medical records. It may be an

underlying symptom that could indicate that something else is wrong in addition to

the diagnosis or perhaps could indicate an entirely different diagnosis altogether.

 Negative results: While it’s true that many technology advancements have been life-

radiation or chemotherapy can be very beneficial for cancer patients. However, it can

13
 also have some very negative effects. Of course, this is true even of the simple

medical procedures, such as aspirin when it’s inappropriately used. Still when it

comes to technology, you should always weigh the risk versus the rewards.

 Increased costs: Advances in medical technology can also lead to much higher

patient cost due to the amount of research and the money for marketing to bring it to

the public, as well as to profit the one who created and manufactured it. As

technology moves forward the cost typically goes up especially, due to the fact that it

offers a solution that may not have available previously. While it’s a blessing that

these are available for conditions that may not have been treatable before, the

technology advances will lead to additional and long-term costs.

 Electronic medical records invasion of privacy: With new technology, patient

records are kept electrically through electronic medical records. With EMIR patient

information is managed and shared both with the patient as well as with other health

care professionals. The medical history that is shared can include: results of testing,

any medications you’re on, four billing information and so much more. While this is

truly convenient, it also offers the possibility of misuse, which can result in a loss of

personal data as well as privacy (Eldin, 2013).

14
 SECTION 3

FACTORS AFFECTING THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN HEALTH CARE

SYSTEM

These factors include: the internal factors and the external factors. The internal factors are

as follows;

 Technology infrastructure: Lack of adequate infrastructure for health technology is

a major problem in health care system. There is no infrastructure to support the

electrical health record and other technology usage in the hospitals. A lot of

technologies such as, computers, noble and monitoring devices are required to

implement health technology. This is one of the major challenges being faced by

hospital where the infrastructure to support the e-health system are not available.

Without the required infrastructure a hospital is rendered incapacitated to implement

the e-health system for the betterment of the health service delivery.

 Lack of technology skills and knowledge: A number of doctors do not have

beginner’s category of computer literacy. Such kind of levels has impeached the

proper utilization of technology in health facilities. There is a need nowadays for

every mechanical doctor to be conversant with technology that support healthcare

because in the medical field technology is now the way to go. Medical personnel do

not take the time to properly become familiar with the available health technology and

then, train to use it. More so, there are no techno training sessions being done at

hospitals. Without these training the levels of technology knowhow remains low.

Inadequate technology skills and knowledge among the medical doctors in the health

sector explains the low adoption of technology in public and private hospitals. Hence,

they may not be able to embrace the use of health technologies. This evidence

15
 suggests the need for the lecturers and health educators to educate doctors, enabling

them to become technology literate.

 Security concerns: Technology is susceptible to security and privacy breaches which

negatively impinge on their adoption in health sector. This is because user’s

technology wants to be sure that the use of technology in healthcare will not result in

unauthorized disclosure of information. Security of patient information is one of the

ethical values in the medical field. Data privacy, confidentiality and security concerns

have been mentioned as among the factors influencing the adoption of technology in

healthcare system. The implementation of such a system may result in the violation of

doctor – patient privacy. The anticipation is anyone with credentials can enter the

system and access any medical records. This takes the information to anyone who

wants it.

 Demographic factors such as age: By its very age is a source of digital device

because the adoption and use of technology is correlated to age. For instance, senior

doctors are troubled by the computers and their smart phones, an intensive electronic

system might be one way to make their lives at work highly burning. Also old doctors

lack the enthusiasm to work in an environment that is embedded in technology. This

shows that age is an important factor in the adoption and use of technology. There is

greater ease of use of technology among young doctors than their older counterparts.

 Resistance to change: The adoption of technology has the possibility of considerable

change in work process, procedures and interaction. This is because many mechanical

personnel were trained to use short hand, so if they are to use health technology it

takes away their time with the patient. Also health technology is more difficult to use

than paper-based records. This makes medical personnel become resistant to the use

of technology owing to the perceived negative impact on workflow.

16
External factors

 Health policy: Lack of suitable health policy is another factor affecting the use of

technology in health sector. If the ministry of health and child welfare happens to

improve health technology system implementation health policy should be aligned

with technology innovation in medical field. This evidence indicates that the

government lacks a clearly defined policy to support the use of technology systems in

public hospitals. There is no clear well coordinated mechanism in place where

technology implementation is organized. An absence or inadequacy of legislation,

policies and liability concerns may hamper the implementation of technology system

at the organizational and health professional level. Since health technology cannot be

implemented in isolation, to health technology growth in the public sector an attentive

policy needs to be considered. Hence, health policy should compel public – hospitals

to implement technology system.

 Funding: The ministry of health is faced with lack of enough money to equip health

institutions with modern technology because of little budgetary allotment to the health

sector by the ministry of finance. This indicates that funding of the health sector

determines adoption of health technology. It is not easy to implement health

technology due to low funding of health sector. In turn, it is difficult to apportion a lot

of money for purchase of technology needed in health system. Implementation of

electronic health infrastructure is costly and this calls for increased funding in the

health sectors.

 Bureaucracy: The systems of authority found in the health sector are very stringent

and not flexible. The utilization of technology in hospitals is determined by the

ministry itself. Hospital has no right, especially district and central hospitals, to

17
 institute health technology system at their level. This has a negative impact on the rate

of diffusion of innovation in health care system.

9. Ways to improve the use of technology in health care system

 Guiding biomedical development: additional funding for certain research and

technology development improves health standard and treatment of diseases. The

emphasis on the biomedical model has resulted in what Lewis Thomas has called

“half way technology.” This is technology designed to make up for disease, or to

postpone death. Examples are transplantations of heart kidney, liver as well as

artificial organs. Focusing on the development of such technology has led to a lack of

resources for research on nutrition, epidemiology, social science and prevention.

Chronic disease can be more effectively controlled with new knowledge from this

non-traditional health discipline. We also favour additional funding for the evaluation

of medical technology.

 Improving medical education: Improving medical personnel helps to ensure the

effective use of technology in health system. Physicians are largely responsible for

technology use, and it is their behaviour that must change. The current training of

physicians emphasized use of the latest procedures and equipment for diagnosing and

treatment of diseases. So, physicians, health personnel suspected to be trained on how

to use modern technology for the betterment of health care system.

 Developing information on efficiency, safety cost and social effects:

Nevertheless, decision concerning appropriate use of medical technology depends on

information about the efficacy and safety of medical technology. Such information is

necessary to physicians and to all those who must make decisions about medical

technology, including hospital administration, government regulators, consumers and

public/private third party payers. It has long been stated that physicians act as agents for

18
their patients because people have insufficient. It is being increasingly recognized that

even the medical profession lacks knowledge about the effects of medical technology

both new and existing.

With the growing appreciation that resources are limited, it is necessary to develop

better information on costs and cost-effectiveness. The applicability of this

information to the level of the individual physicians and patient is uncertain. Some

would argue that it is the role of physicians to do all they can for the individual

patient, and it is the role of the overall society to make resource allocation decisions.

Even for the individual patient, much of the use of medical technology is

discretionary. Life or death makes up only a small part of medical practice.

Furthermore, physicians and hospitals do not provide technological services to all

who might benefit. Better information and more informed decisions could increase the

benefits and reduce the harm to the population.

 Provision of electricity:

Government should provide electric light in hospitals, health centres etc., adequate

provision of electric light in health care system helps in refrigeration of vaccines,

lightening for emergency surgeries at night for charging of phones and other uses. In

addition, electricity can enhance social connectivity between health personnel and the

patients. It also helps in sharing of experience through radio, television and cellular

phones.

 Effective Leadership:

Effective leadership increases the health care facility operation and technology

performance. A good leader encourages the followers in health care system to use the

modern technology in accessing the health record, diagnosis and treating of patient.

19
10. Implications for public health:

Technology is an important tool that serves the specialized needs in public health. Systems

developed with public health information knowledge can help a country’s health staff to use

surveillance data to estimate the number and doses of vaccines, needed for diseases outbreak

(Cooke, 2015) like measles, fellow fever, polio etc. technology makes it easier for regional

planning commission to integrate census, surveillance and hospitalization data project. It

assists an epidemiologist in collecting and analyzing data to study. Malnutrition among

homeless children and the impact of nutrition programmes in different regions of Nigeria and

facilitate a health educator’s use of multimedia to communicate in a compelling fashion, new

knowledge to professional and audience.

It develops innovative ways to use inexpensive and powerful computers, online data bases,

the capacity for universal connection of people, computers and multimedia communication to

support the mission of disease prevention and health promotion. Synthesized knowledge can

be easily communicated to the public through specialized voice and video system (in addition

to standard radio and television).

Technology are used during early warming, system, via short text messaging or even

availability of mobile phones in remote villages can be used to call for help in the event of a

difficult labour thereby preventing maternal or infant mortality. Mobile phone is being used

to track distribution of bed nets by malaria programmmes. In the global, adult tobacco

surveys, hardened devices or PDAs used by health care workers to collect and collate survey

data, and to transfer data to central location in no time, such a facility can be used by in other

similar field surveys without use of the printed forms. Also, text messaging information in

new cases of influenza from hospital setting as a part of online surveillance or alerting

patients with diabetes or stroke through messages regarding their medicine intake, conducting

information sharing sessions through video-conferencing and teleconferencing thereby

20
reducing the number of face-to-face interactions/meetings, using email for fast and non-

bureaucratic means of communication, risk mapping through the use of geographic

information system and geographic positioning system; social networking such as face book

and twitter for news gathering, updating of an emerging or an outbreak and carrying out

clinical or bedside e-consultations regarding patients in remote or rural sites as a part of tele-

machine are some of the application where modern technology can modernize health care and

bring efficiency and quality (Musen, 2020).

21
 SECTION 4

11. SUMMARY

Technology in health plays a significant role indentifying medical errors and treatment of

diseases. It improves the practice from bad diagnosis to better diagnosis, surgical procedures

and improves patient to communicate with each other. It also now easier to doctors and

scientists to educate people about various diseases for scientific advancements (Bates, 2010).

In remote villages, technology advancement helps in reducing maternal, child and patients

death. It helps in proper storage and maintaining exact temperature of vaccines etc, it protects

and promotes the potency of drugs action. Adequate provision of infrastructure for health

technology in the hospitals and health centres helps in treatment of diseases. Government

should provide electric light in hospitals, health centres for adequate refrigeration of vaccines,

lighting for emergency surgeries and other uses. Health leaders should encourage the follow

health workers to use the modern technology in accessing the health record, diagnosing and

treatment of diseases.

12. Conclusion

The quality and performance of technology helps hospital employees to perceive its

usefulness. Therefore, health care practitioners should provide support and good quality,

through service and information technology that perform data processing well. They should

feel the perceived usefulness of healthcare technology. Some healthcare systems do not have

a large enough budget for these technologies. They can choose support through performance

expectancy factors. Healthcare participants must support and provide equal services for actual

healthcare users to develop excellent technical skills and a sufficient basis in healthcare

technology.

Eventually, healthcare in Nigeria will reach the goal of operating in an international level.

22
13. Recommendations

- Government should provide electric light in hospitals, healthcare centres etc.

- Government should provide adequate technology infrastructure in hospitals and health

centres

- Health care providers or physicians should undergo training on how to make effective

use of modern technology so as to save countless life.

23
 REFERENCES

Anthony, J., (2016). Using information technology to reduce rates of medication errors in

hospitals Biomedical Journal. 320: 788-91.

Bata D W, (2016). Health care informatics: New York: McGraw-Hill.

Chao, P.J., (2014). The research of information technology acceptance model of electronic
patient record system in health care industry’s employers examples of central and
southern. Taiwan Journal of Health Management. 5: 243-69.
Cooke, P. (2015). Medicine prices, availability and affordability in development and middle
income: A secondary analysis lancet 373(9659), 240-249.
Dap, A.M., (2020). Telemedicine technology and clinical applications. Journal of American
Medical Association. 273, 483-488.
Eldin, A.S, (2013). Evaluation of electric health records adoption in Egypt. Lateral journal of
English Resource. Appl, 3, 1131-1134.
Hand, C.W, (2016). Ambulatory prescribing errors in health technology. Journal of
American Medical Information Association. 19: 644-648.
Lee, D., (2014). Evaluation of an automated dispensing system International hospital
pharmacology.
Musen, E.C, (2019). Factors affecting patient satisfaction and healthcare quality.
International Health Quality Assurance. 22: 366-81.
Pai, F.Y, (2014). Applying the technology acceptance model to the introduction of health
care information system. Technology Forecast- School of Computer. 78: 680-60.
Van, B.J., (2020). Handbook of medical information, New York, Springer.
WHO, (2015). Importance of technology in health system: Adoption in Nigeria.
Moore, T. (2020). Health Care Innovation system and working system. American Medical
Information Association. Vol. Pp. 960-71.
Huana, R., (2014). Measures of preventing diseases published by American Health
Associations.

24