Out of all industries to benefit from innovative technology, healthcare would be near the top of the list. Medical technology is evolving at a rapid rate, helping both healthcare providers and patients alike. However, if you were to consider some of the best tech advancements in pediatric nursing, those below would be among the most noteworthy:
Online Education
In the past, many nurses who could achieve great things in pediatrics chose not to study further to become pediatric nurses because it was too hard. Trying to learn while still working as a registered nurse was often too much to manage.
However, online pediatric nurse practitioner programs have become a game-changer in this respect. Technology allows nurses to work full-time while studying for a Doctor of Nursing degree in pediatrics. They can enjoy 100% online programs and arrange their busy working schedules around the on-campus components.
Child Health Monitoring
Children can find it much harder to communicate their symptoms to healthcare providers to help diagnose problems. There also used to be much guesswork regarding babies and their immediate needs. That has changed in recent years with significant advancements in child health monitoring technology.
We can now learn a vast range of health-related data through wearables that track sleep, heart rates, respiratory rates, temperature, vital signs, and more. We have a number of wearables at our disposal, like headgear for babies, smartwatches, and wearable garments.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence has been helpful in many industries, and pediatrics is no exception. In the proper context, AI in pediatrics may improve healthcare providers’ ability to provide evidence-based, individualized care for children.
Studies have also found that it can help predict mortality rates, preterm births, and chances of survival. The more advanced AI becomes, the more helpful it might be in pediatric care in the future.
Disease Diagnostics
The sooner that healthcare providers diagnose pediatric diseases, the faster they can treat those affected and put them on the road to recovery and management. The latest technology has paved the way for innovative diagnostics solutions like genetic testing, AI, and imaging tech. Rather than relying on a process of elimination or waiting for symptoms to worsen, pediatric nurses and doctors can perform a number of tests and scans to confirm diagnoses.
Electronic Health Records
When healthcare providers only had access to paper-based records, there was plenty of room for error. You couldn’t always confirm at a glance that a child had a health history of a particular illness or was allergic to specific drugs.
Electronic health records make such information available at the tap of a screen. Pediatric healthcare providers can now use artificial intelligence to look for patterns and trends in patient records to quickly identify illnesses.
Some companies have gone one step further by giving families control of their children’s healthcare data through digital health journals. They can upload crucial information about their children’s health and share it with medical professionals.
Technology is evolving in all healthcare sectors, but it’s hard to deny the significant advancements in pediatrics. If you’re considering studying to enter pediatric care, now might be the ideal time to brush up on new pediatric technology that might make your job much easier and more satisfying.
Picture: Hush Naidoo Jade Photography
