Medical technology is advancing at a spectacular rate across the country, from innovations such as new ways to screen for cancer to full face transplants. However, the relationship that doctors have with technology is moving forward at a similarly exponential rate.

As medical innovations ramp up, doctors have to stay abreast of all the technological leaps being made.

In some cases, some of this medical technology is actually replacing the role of the doctor. The future of doctors and technology in Australia is a bit of an unknown, but it is definitely interesting to look at how things might progress.

Phasing Out Doctors?

A great deal of the work being done by doctors currently – medical check-ups, diagnosis and prescriptions – is slowly but surely being done by technology. What’s more, it is being done to a more accurate level. It is estimated that anywhere up to 80% of the workload currently undertaken by doctors could soon be handed over to technology.

The role of the doctor will always be pivotal in healthcare treatment, however much of the grunt work can be handed off to the medical tech. In a diagnosis example, machines can accurately measure a patient’s health exam results, but it takes a doctor to disseminate all of that raw data to make a diagnosis. In short, the 80% of work that may soon be done by machinery will free up doctors, allowing them to focus on more pertinent patient issues.

How Technology Can Help

There are a great deal of emerging medical technologies that are looking to completely revolutionise how patients and doctors interact. Some of the most exciting medical innovations on the horizon include:

●     Remote Health Management – Doctors currently have to visit their patients or vice versa to perform any sort of check-up or diagnosis. Remote health management will allow doctors to check in on patients, monitor blood pressure, check blood sugar and much more from a remote location. This means that patients don’t need to leave their home and doctors can work much more flexibly.

●     3D Printing – One of the biggest innovations in modern times is 3D printers. With their ability to print out solid objects from a template, the medical community is already looking to do some incredible things with the technology, such as better medical instruments.

The relationship that doctors have with technology, particularly in developed countries such as Australia, is one of incredible gains. Doctors and patients both look to benefit massively from the emerging medical innovations that are on their way. Ultimately, new medical technology always has the potential to completely change the world, but only if doctors are involved.