Technology in healthcare

JUST A few short years ago, the average patient would have noticed very few indications of the use of technology in healthcare.

True, they may have been asked to check into their medical facility via a touchscreen. They may then have noticed their GP checking their patient notes on a computer. But all consultations were face-to-face; prescriptions were issued on paper and the date and time of follow-up appointments were usually written on a card.

But all that has changed since the pandemic. Since the outbreak of COVID it has become commonplace to speak to one’s doctor over Zoom. People are reminded of their appointment time via text or email, and all patients’ notes are digitalised. 

Even some of our hospital wards have now become “virtual” facilities. Virtual wards are springing up all over the UK, allowing patients to receive hospital-grade care in their own homes. Patients are remotely monitored by a dedicated team of medics who keep tabs on their patients with the aid of apps, wearables and other medical devices. 

For example, a virtual ward in Leeds is currently providing co-ordinated rapid care to up to 40 elderly patients experiencing frailty issues, while a virtual acute respiratory infection ward Wolverhampton is supporting 120 patients suffering from conditions such as COPD, asthma and pneumonia.

Adopting high tech systems

The use of technology in healthcare has been growing exponentially - and in many different directions. For example, robotic-assisted surgery is advancing rapidly and is said to be helping to improve patient outcomes. According to medical experts the use of robots in some procedures can increase surgeon visualisation, accuracy and performance while also reducing incision size and blood loss. And as a result it can reduce the length of the patient’s hospital stay. 

Computers are also increasingly being used in healthcare for diagnostic purposes. Recent research published in the Annals of Oncology reveals that skin cancers can now be diagnosed more accurately with a computer than with the naked eye. A computer primed with images of skin cancers has managed to achieve a 95% diagnoses detection rate in trials compared with a human detection rate of just 87%.

And hospital cleaning is also going increasingly high-tech, with robot cleaning machines being increasingly deployed to clean and sanitise patient areas. For example, a robot joined the Royal Surrey NHS Trust team in 2021 and quickly gained positive feedback from patients and staff. The machine was found to improve cleaning quality and consistency while also allowing human operatives to concentrate on critical areas for infection transmission such as handrails, door handles, lifts and doors to wards.

Later the same year, Chloe the floor-cleaning robot joined the team at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. The humanoid robot proved particularly popular on the hospital’s children’s ward on account of its expressive “eyes” and its banter.

And in 2022, Akara’s new decontamination robot was trialled at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Hospital rooms need to be left vacant for several hours after certain medical procedures but the Akara robot is said to be able to reduce this downtime to 10 minutes, allowing more procedures to be carried out.

Healthcare applications

Technology has an important part to play in healthcare, particularly in light of today’s staffing shortages where robots and computers can take some of the strain away from human care-givers. And it had a vital role during the global pandemic when it helped to compensate for absent staff members while also facilitating social distancing.

For example, hospitals in Egypt pioneered a remote-control robot capable of testing patients for COVID-19 as well as being able to draw blood and perform EKGs and X-rays, with the results being displayed on the robot’s chest-screen. 

Meanwhile, engineers in Taiwan developed a robotic arm capable of performing nasal swab tests autonomously. And a robot dog named Spot was employed in the US during the pandemic for taking patients’ pulse and temperature readings. A tablet mounted on Spot's “face” allowed doctors to speak to patients from a distance so that those who needed immediate care could quickly be triaged.

Sensor technology and the Internet of Things are also playing an increasingly important part in healthcare cleaning. For example, sensor technology can be used to monitor footfall in a particular area and inform cleaning teams when an extra service check might be required. This technology can also be used to alert teams to spillages so that action can be taken before they become a safety hazard.  

Sensor technology is also being used to keep hospital washrooms well stocked with essential products such as soap and paper since hand hygiene is extremely important for staff members, patients and visitors. 

For example, Tork Vision Cleaning uses people-counters and connected dispensers to provide real-time data on cleaning requirements. This allows healthcare teams to stay ahead of the game and use a smartphone, tablet or computer to remotely check on which dispensers are running low and which washroom cubicles are receiving high levels of traffic. They can then anticipate situations in which enhanced cleaning or extra checks might be required.

The importance of training

Good training is vital to ensure that healthcare workers and cleaners understand the importance of proper cleaning and hygiene. And here again, technology plays an important role.

Essity offers a number of training modules for healthcare workers. Tork Clean Hands Training invites users into a digital world where they are confronted with a series of scenarios in which hand hygiene needs to be carried out. 

Trainees take on the role of a nurse, carer or doctor in a hospital or care home where they are tasked with caring for several patients. The trainee’s results are assessed on how far they comply with the World Health Organisation’s 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene. Tork Clean Hands Trainings are also available as virtual reality apps.

Surface cleaning is also vitally important in any healthcare setting, but cleaners need to be taught how to sanitise all patient areas in the most logical and hygienic way possible. 

Essity’s Tork Interactive Clean Hospital Training takes staff through various real-world cleaning scenarios in a virtual hospital. It incorporates modules on daily cleaning in occupied patient rooms as well as discharge cleaning protocols, and a module is also available for care homes. 

The rise of technological solutions is gathering pace, and new healthcare breakthroughs are occurring all the time. Scientists have now come up with a “smart pill” that records when the patient has taken it, for instance. 

Each pill contains a tiny sensor that sends information when ingested to a patch worn by the patient. This is then sent to a smartphone, enabling doctors or carers to ensure that the right dose is being administered at the right time. This solution is said to particularly useful for patients who are forgetful or suffering from a mental condition.

Meanwhile, researchers from the University of California have come up with a device that diffuses disinfectants into a breathable mist. The equipment atomises disinfectants such as triethylene glycol so that these are dispersed into the air and pathogens in the atmosphere are destroyed.

And a novel mixed reality device in the form of a hologram is being used to train student medics in Australia and New Zealand. Students are able to walk around the HoloPatient, checking its vital signs and listening to its breathing before making a diagnosis. 

Technology is proving to be a massive aid in the healthcare sector – and this is only the beginning. Over the next decade and beyond it is likely to go from strength to strength as it continues to enhance efficiency, reduce infection risks and free up staff members for other tasks. 

Liam Mynes is public health manager at Tork manufacturer Essity

For more information visit tork.co.uk/healthcaretrainings