Wearable Technology and Sensors

Question: Identify and describe at least three advancements, achievements or significant events that have been accomplished because of increased exposure, awareness or interventions from public health initiatives. Answer: Primary prevention and health promotion are the basic components in public health nursing, population and community. Many significant events, achievements and advancements have been accomplished in the public health care due to the interventions, awareness and increased exposure from public health initiatives (McGregor Harris, 2014). Those advancements, achievements and significant events are described below: Advancements: Three advancements are described below: Wearable technology andsensors: According to a Transparency Market Research report, the market of medical devices is growing at the rate of 16.4 percent a year. These sensors and wearable medical devices help to collect the medical data, which is the main purpose and aim in healthcare. An example of this sensor is a bandage, which can inform about the infection in the wound through changing in skin pH level (Park, 2013). An older patient can send alert to the care provider with the help of this sensor within a fraction of second. There are many wearable tech products, which utilize multiple digital health sensors. These sensors are composed of ambient sensors and other body worn sensors, which are integrated into sensor networks. A smart sensible chip is inserted in these devices. Therefore, the healthcare people get to know about medical information with these data points. The main target of the wearable technology in healthcare is to make profitable and big market by 2020. Geospatial Technology: Geospatial technology has multiple functions in healthcare. But the main aim of this technology is to make the public health better through providing information. In this technology, the data are collected, analyzed and then the result is displayed through a multilayered map. Virginias GeoHealth Innovation is a company with this technology (Patel Patel, 2016). The chart of this company was made based on social factors, youth and adult health risks, mortality rates, infant and mental health, which influence the population health. The community and professionals get information about health care after seeing this multilayered map in the International Journal of Health Geographics. This helps the medical professional to improve the health system in that area. Self-service kiosks: Self-service kiosks are certain devices which simplify the hospital registrations of the patients. Patients can do this registration without talking to anybody. These automated kiosks help the patients in registration requirements, signing paperwork, checking identification, paying co-pays etc. different tablets are there with this technology which are used for the bedside patients and outpatients (Booth, 2015). But, the people also have to keep in mind that human communication should not be eliminated completely. Achievements: Three advancements are described below: Vaccination to lower down epidemic diseases: Infectious diseases like, pertussis, diphtheria, measles, smallpox were widely spread at the emerging of the 20th century. The death rate was increasing due to its adverse effects (Mobini et al., 2013). Both the promotion and development vaccinations to lower down these diseases have resulted in dramatic fall in mortality and morbidity. Such example is eradicating small pox. Increased travel safety: The research shoes a significant fall in death rate due to travelling. Over the years , it is observed that annual death rate due to risk in motor vehicle travelling has decreased by ninety percent (Druss Dimitropoulos, 2013). Some of the interventions with enforced and developed regulations are booster seats, child safety, pedestrians, young drivers, alcohol-impaired drivers, safety belts etc. Safe work atmosphere: According to National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and National Traumatic Occupational Fatalities, the death rate of the people due to work issues has fallen down from 28% to 48% decrease (Tompkins Smith, 2013). This is a good indication for the workaholic people to do their job safely. Significant events: Three significant vents are described below: Healthy People 2020: TheUnited States Department of Health and Human Services has set a program named Healthy People, whose main goals are disease prevention and heath promotion. This program was first established in 1979. The first issue described a report whose aim was to lower down the controllable health risks for ten year plan (Srinivasan et al., 2014). In its nutrition sector, reports about diet with less red meat, poultry and fish, more complex carbohydrates, sugar and salt, cholesterol, less saturated fat, were recommended. This Healthy People issues were revised with updated goals. Those issues are Healthy People 2020, Healthy People 2010, and Healthy People 2000. The main aim of the Healthy people 2020 for immunization of the infectious diseases is rooted in community and clinical services and activities for the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases. The new goals of Healthy People 2020 will emphasize on technical advancements and ensuring that nongovernmental organizations, local pub lic health departments and states should become strong partners. This attempt will be made in the nation to control the spared of the infectious diseases. The aim of 2020 reflects a more mobile society and the diseases will not stop at geopolitical borders. Awareness of disease and completing treatment and prevention courses remain essential components for reducing infectious disease transmission. Remote monitoring tools According to Market and Research report, 2.8 million people are taking advantage of home monitoring system by the end of 2012. Unnecessary visits to the doctor and cost are reduced due to this home monitoring system. Cardiac cast is such a system, which is associated with pacemaker. It transmits the data from patients body to the remote centre (McGregor Harris, 2014). The patients will be informed immediately if any wrong thing happens. The family members of the patient can monitor through this system. This system is very important for chronic and serious illness patients. The research studies have showed that these, monitoring tools have lowered down the readmission rate of the heart patients. Affordable Care Act: Finally, Affordable Care Act (ACA) was introduced into the law after yearlong, intense debate. This act addresses a series of comprehensive health insurance reforms including medical coverage for adults under 26 years old, free preventive care, creation of health insurance market places etc (Druss Dimitropoulos, 2013). It helps the older people to get medical coverage in very low cost. The ACA was introduced to increase the affordability and quality of the health insurances and to lower down the uninsured rate. This is achieved by reducing healthcare costs for government and individuals and by expanding private and public insurance coverage. The introduced mechanisms are insurance exchanges, subsidies, mandates etc. According to the law, the insurance companies will offer the same rates regardless of sex and pre-existing conditions. It will also cover all applicants within new minimum standards. In the conclusion, it is stated that there are many achievements, advancements in primary health care practice over the years. Still, there are many cases, where these advancements failed. Due to these advancements, the systems are becoming automated. It leads to unemployment. The researchers are focusing on these advanced systems to get the best result out of this. References: Booth, R. G. (2015). Informatics and Nursing in a Post-Nursing Informatics World: Future Directions for Nurses in an Automated, Artificially Intelligent, Social-Networked Healthcare Environment. Nursing leadership (Toronto, Ont.), 28(4), 61-69. Druss, B. G., Dimitropoulos, L. (2013). Advancing the adoption, integration and testing of technological advancements within existing care systems. General hospital psychiatry, 35(4), 345-348. McGregor, J. C., Harris, A. D. (2014). The Need for Advancements in the Field of Risk Adjustment for Healthcare-Associated Infections. 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