Developments in healthcare technology have the potential to revolutionize the healthcare field. New technology can improve patient access and dismantle barriers to medical care. However, new technology needs to be led by those who will use it the most — doctors and other healthcare providers.
Prevent Burnout
Technology is supposed to make people’s lives easier. However, for many doctors and healthcare providers, technology has added to their workload. Many doctors report burnout after responding to patient messages off the clock, spending hours managing patient records, and more.
If doctors are too burned out to provide accurate care, patient health will suffer. Thus, healthcare technologies need to be designed so that they do not add to doctor’s workloads and respect medical providers’ boundaries.
Improve Usability
Developers who make medical technology are brilliant, but often they do not understand the challenges that users face when using their technology. What works in development may not work in a fast-paced medical office where doctors have to manage hundreds of cases at once.
If doctors are involved in the development process from the beginning, they can flag usability issues. This will prevent the chaos that happened during the rollout of EHRs, where many doctors resisted the new system because it was so difficult to use. Improving the usability of healthcare technologies also prevents doctor burnout.
Solve Actual Problems
Healthcare technology cannot revolve around innovation for innovation’s sake. People’s lives and health are at stake, so technologies that take up a doctor’s time that could be spent with patients cause more harm than good.
Doctors have a unique insight into the medical system and can pinpoint issues that technology needs to fix, as well as situations that should be left alone. They can also identify problems with existing technologies, such as the prevalence of misdiagnosis via telehealth.
Healthcare technology can revolutionize healthcare only if it keeps the needs of patients and doctors in mind. The best way to do so is to involve doctors when developing new technology.