Recent Advancements in the Medical Assistant Field

The healthcare industry is growing in the USA

As big as it is, the healthcare industry is still growing in the United States. Considered as a basic right, having access to healthcare is crucial regardless of the person’s age, gender, race, social status or upbringing. At this very moment, health professionals are seeking ways to solve some of the world’s biggest health problems, with investments made amounting to billions of dollars worldwide. From that aspect alone, it’s safe to say that the healthcare industry is growing, and will continue to grow in the foreseeable future.

Healthcare exerts a big effect in the US economy. Given that maintaining health is essential, it is not surprising that people would be spending massive amounts of money for both health products and services. This is especially so with people who are in advanced age and/or who are dealing with rare and/or advanced diseases.

According to economists, rising health care spending can be detrimental to the economy due to its effect in lowering economic growth and employment. However, increased spending in healthcare does have its benefits. Due to improvements in the healthcare system, healthcare costs are actually decreasing, and the productivity and quality of life of people who otherwise would be afflicted by disease are improved.

Trends to Look Forward in Medical Industry

The medical industry is continuously evolving at this very minute. With the industry looking for innovative ways to improve the health of the general public and have solutions to some of the biggest healthcare problems, this industry is continuously growing. This growth has given rise to a number of trends. Here are 3 trends that should be watched out for moving forward.

Augmented Reality in Health Education

Considered as one of the most promising innovations in the healthcare industry in recent memory, augmented reality is expected to revolutionize healthcare education in the future. In theory, it should improve medical practice, which will significantly help both patients and the medical industry. Augmented reality is defined as “a technology that superimposes a computer-generated image on a user’s view of the real world”.

This is usually done thru an electronic device such as a mobile phone, a headset, or a digital contact lens. AR is different from virtual reality (VR) because in AR, the person is not completely detached from reality and it places information at a much quicker pace.

There are multiple ways in which augmented reality can help in improving health education and practice. AR can be used for seeking essential healthcare items/services such as defibrillators. It can also help in bridging the gaps in doctor/patient interactions, allowing for improved history taking and diagnosis.

AR can also be used for medical education as an educational tool as it can help students better appreciate even the most minute details of the human body. It can even prove helpful in teaching clinical skills, ranging from seeking veins for injection to identifying important landmarks for surgery. In many ways, augmented reality can be extremely revolutionary.

Human Head Transplant: A Future

The news of the first head transplant scheduled to be done in December 2017 by Italian neurologist Sergio Canavero has made waves in the healthcare world. While there are many people (both healthcare professionals and laymen alike) are skeptical about both the efficacy and ethics of such procedure, the success of this procedure can prove to be a revolutionary moment in medical practice. Essentially a product of more than a century of research and medical advancement, head transplants could become the next big thing in medicine if it proves to be successful.

While there are legitimate concerns about the execution of such an unheard-of and seemingly impossible medical procedure, there are some distinct advantages that can be had if this procedure does prove to be a successful one.

First, it allows people whose bodies might have betrayed them for one reason or another a new lease in life (ex.: completely paralyzed people and those with diseases that cause wasting of their body). Second, and probably more important, is that it can open up more innovations that can save lives moving forward. Aside from hastening the development of technologies such as cloning, it can possibly help people “live forever”.

Advanced Pacemakers

Cardiovascular diseases are still considered as among the most common causes of morbidity and mortality. Usually, when the heart fails, death is expected to be imminent. One of the most common measures done to keep the heart running is with the use of pacemakers.

Used to regulate the speed and rhythm of the heart’s beating, these devices are a lifesaver when the heart’s own intrinsic measures for self-regulation is broken. Of course, these machines have its limitations that limit the patient’s quality of life and odds of survival. Improving on these limitations can prove to be revolutionary.

There are different kinds of artificial pacemakers available, and each of them can be recommended depending on the patient’s health status. Some of them can be used temporarily or permanently depending on the health of the patient’s heart. The pacemakers of today can now perform more efficiently, and some of them are made incredibly small so that it won’t interfere with the person’s daily activities. Future pacemakers are being developed to become more than just interventional; the vision is that these devices can someday become therapeutic, helping the heart regain its intrinsic regulatory properties.

Future of Medical Assistant Field

In many ways, the medical industry is still growing. As such, the demand for highly-qualified healthcare professionals such as medical assistants is still expected to grow moving forward. If you want to become the best that you can be, you should take a medical assistant program at Coyne College.

With years of experience in the industry and a long list of successful graduates, we can set you up to a successful career in the industry thru up-to-date educational modules, the most competent educational professionals, and the best facilities. Located at the heart of Chicago, IL, let us here at Coyne College help you reach your potential as a fully qualified medical assistant.