ICT has improved very many things in health and social care. Compared to ancient times, the modern times have experienced the improvement of virtually all areas in these sectors due to massive ICT developments. All activities are done more easily and quickly compared to previous decades. In addition, both the caregivers and service users can access any type of information depending on their needs. In brief, the benefits of embracing ICT in the health and social care sector are very numerous. Among them include storing, transferring and accessing information, improved communication between institutions, among nurses and, sometimes, with their patients and continuous professional development.
Storage, Transfer and Access to Information
The advancement in ICT has made it possible for anybody to access any information within very short periods. Caregivers can store their patients’ information in computers. Information stored in computers is safer than that stored in paper files. The caregivers will also be able to access such information more easily whenever it is needed. In addition, both the caregivers and their clients can easily find information about their illnesses on the internet.
ICT has also made it possible for caregivers and their institutions to easily transfer information from one place to the other. For example, institutions may want to share information about certain illnesses with other health and social care institutions for the purpose of handling them better. In such cases, they may make calls or send emails to the relevant institutions. Contrasted to earlier periods, such communication receives instant feedback. Hence, problems are solved within shorter periods.
On the same note, automated information systems in health and social institutions have made the handling of patients very easy. Caregivers can carry out tests using the computer; they can monitor the recovery process and even get notifications whenever their patients are in dire need of help. As a result, it takes very little time to diagnose even the deadliest diseases and treat them before they develop into chronic cases. It was very difficult to carry out such activities without the inventions that exist today in the ICT sector. Caregivers used to spend too much time waiting for laboratory results before they could attend to their patients.
Communication
In modern times, almost everybody has a mobile phone and other ICT-related gadgets. Such gadgets have helped ease the process of passing on information from one person to the other. In the health and social care sector, ICT has helped the caregivers to easily communicate amongst themselves, especially when sharing out responsibilities or trying to solve different crises. Therefore, they take less time communicating information on duties and crises compared to periods before health and social care institutions had embraced ICT.
Professional Development
Apart from communication, ICT has substantially fostered continued professional development. Many caregivers can register for online courses for the purpose of advancing their knowledge as professionals. This is a very good way of furthering their professional knowledge without interfering with their daily responsibilities as caregivers. At the same time, they can surf for any information on the web whenever there is need for it. Eventually, they become more skilled and knowledgeable than those who joined the profession before them. This also means they handle their clients better than their predecessors.
In a nutshell, ICT has greatly improved the performance of health and social care providers. Their services are faster and more accurate than those in the past. ICT has also improved communication between institution and service providers.