By Ahmad Nur Azam Ahmad Ridzuan

Every technology is born of purpose. Search engines, for example, were created to sort massive amounts of online data. With each new upgrade technology, existing technologies are compounded to create something better than what had been used before. And it goes on and on. It's no wonder many people have struggled to keep up with the rapid pace of technological evolution. The scope of technology's expanse is great, and it is practically impossible to wrap everything up into a single blog post.

Computer technology includes a list of different software programs and devices under development. Computer technology is the activity of designing, constructing, and programming computers, according to Dictionary.com. Computer technology is in direct correlation with IT. Computer technology is also a very common degree program offered by many colleges; this degree program appears to concentrate on learning current operating systems, training software/hardware, and repairing computers.

Healthcare technology

In the digital era, healthcare technology is a tool or software to increase hospital and organisational productivity, provide new insights into medicines and treatments, or improve the overall quality of healthcare provided. Nowadays, the digital generation depends more on healthcare technology to stay healthy.

Digital generation is the group of people whose generational position positions their birth and developmental experiences during a time of widespread access to digital computing technologies, and whose exposure to and experience with these technologies led to technical comfort and knowledge with those technologies that exceed those of previous generations. The health sector today is at a crossroads, at 2 trillion dollars. Currently, the industry is being weighted by crushing costs and bureaucracy in almost all imaginable areas.

In every step of our medical care experience, technology-infused tools are integrated to counter two critical regions of trouble: quality and effectiveness. The way we buy healthcare becomes increasingly accessible through insurance technology, sometimes known as “insurgency” to a broader group of people. Patient waiting times are declining, and hospitals are more efficient thanks to artificial intelligence and predictive analytics. The ultra-precise robots that help surgery and make specific procedures less evasive reduce even surgery and recovery times.

The positive impact is when the widespread adoption of electronic health records has resulted in significant savings in healthcare costs as well as improved patient health and safety. In more healthcare facilities, patient files are being kept in databases that can be accessed from anywhere in the facility. Minimally invasive surgeries, especially within the disciplines of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, have also become more prevalent in recent years. The development of better instruments and more advanced technology has allowed surgeons to perform procedures in minimally invasive ways that just wasn't possible a few years ago.

Side effects

However, all good things have a side effect of their own. Through evolving technologies, our abode has changed dramatically. Modern construction methods and urban planning mean that we live in cavernous mega-structures which are highly segregated. When we're at home we rarely have to move further from the TV to bed. With mobile devices proliferating, there is now an app for anything. Taxis, dry cleaning, massages: they've got it, you name it. You may think, how dangerous is that?

In addition to the appearance, concerns surrounding a sedentary lifestyle, such as obesity and diabetes due to inadequate nutrition and lack of exercise, we do need to recognise the impact of urban living spaces on our mental health. Knowing we are a community-oriented species, could isolated dwelling and fractured communities explain the increasing levels of depression and anxiety that we are witnessing? It appears like tech deliberately promotes social isolation, in an environment where we can order food, listen to music, and engage in group conversations, all from the convenience of our mass-manufactured modular sofas.

Speedy Internet means the workplace is coming to us and more people are now working from home; this is good for the workers and may be positive for the economy, but what about ourselves? The Internet provides a cheap and “easy” way to avoid going to the doctor. However, in the long term, it may wind up costing you much more than you ever expected. Websites like WebMD can be an excellent resource for living a healthy lifestyle, but they should never replace your physician. Far too often, a simple ache can be misconstrued as something much more severe.

Extensive scope

In conclusion, each technology has its origin, and it's continuing and continuing. It is not surprising that many people have strived to maintain the speed of technological development. Technology’s scope is so extensive; it is virtually impossible to include everything in a single blog post.

Besides, in the health sector, technological tools are integrated to counteract two critical areas of trouble. Through artificial intelligence and predictive analysis, waiting times are decreasing, and hospitals are more efficient. Ultra-precise robots that help operations and less evasive special procedures reduce even services and recovery times. The way it buys healthcare is increasingly accessible to a broader group of people through insurance technology use.

-- BERNAMA

Ahmad Nur Azam Ahmad Ridzuan is Senior Lecturer at the Department of Actuarial Science, Faculty of Computer & Mathematical Sciences, Tapah Campus, UiTM Perak.