Introduction
Health technology is a broad term that covers the technologies that can be used to improve human health. The technological development of the healthcare system goes back several centuries in history, but especially in recent years the development has gained momentum. New health technology solutions are being used both in hospitals and in private homes. This happens, among other things, in the form of telemedicine, where doctors and other healthcare professionals use digital video communication to treat patients over long distances, so that they do not need to meet physically. During the corona pandemic, both telemedicine and technologies to collect data on people's movements have gained traction. Many, especially young people, today use smart watches that can measure heart rate and sleep rhythm, and development is progressing rapidly in most areas. But experts warn that that the technology can overshadow important ethical considerations. For example, whether healthcare technology should be used at all costs, if only it can make the workflow in healthcare more efficient, or whether human care and nurturing can sometimes be a better solution than using technology.
Video clip about how health technology will affect our daily lives in the future. English. Produced by The Economist, 2019.
Introduction to Health Technology
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What is health technology?
The World Health Organization, WHO, defines health technology as "the application of knowledge and skills in the form of devices, medicines, vaccines, procedures and systems with the aim of solving a health problem or improving the quality of life". This appears from the WHO report " What is health technology? Resolution on health technologies” from 2007 (see sources). Put another way, the term covers technologies that can be used to improve human health. On the WHO's website, you can read that since 1948 the organization has defined health as follows: "Health is the state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity" (see sources).
Health technology is a broad term that can be divided into several subgroups, including telemedicine and welfare technology, which is elaborated further below.
How has health technology developed historically?
There are examples of health technology long before the term itself was invented. In the textbook "Grundbog for sygepleje", for example, visualization technologies such as microscopy and X-ray are highlighted, which have been an integral part of healthcare work since the 1800s (see sources). Since then, development has brought a large number of new technologies into the healthcare system, and many of these have had a major impact on the development and practice of nursing. The textbook mentions "hospital beds, bed pots, leg braces, bandages, wheelchairs, injection needles, thermometers, antibiotics, IV treatment and scanners". Later, various forms of telemedicine have also come, for example in the form of video consultations or communication through apps. In addition, welfare technologies such as flush toilets or GPS systems for tracking are highlighted.
What opportunities does health technology offer?
Thanks to modern technology, certain healthcare tasks can be performed faster, with greater precision and more efficiently than if a human were to perform them. According to Lexicon for the 21st century, technology is "a means that man uses to create, recreate and develop his living conditions, both material and non-material" (see sources). Today, there are many examples of health technology – a number of them are detailed in Part 2.
What is telemedicine?
Telemedicine is a collective term for healthcare services that are delivered over a distance using digital technology. In this way, the patient avoids having to go to hospital if it is not necessary. This appears from the Danish Regions' description of telemedicine, which can be found, among other things, on the Central Jutland Region's website. Here are some examples of telemedicine solutions: "Patients can follow the development of their own illness by measuring, for example, blood pressure, infection rates or weight. At the same time, the hospital can check the measurements and advise the patient. The goal is for the patient to become better at handling life with a chronic illness and achieve greater security.
It may also be that the patient can come home from hospital a little earlier because he/she is monitored digitally for a period after discharge. Telemedicine can also be guided self-help programs, where patients learn strategies to get better” (see sources). In 2017, Danske Regioner published the report "Five megatrends challenging the healthcare system of the future". In this it is outlined that in future there will be more elderly people and more chronic patients, but fewer hands to treat them – not least in the outlying areas. For that reason, telemedicine must be prioritized, reads the conclusion. "The purpose of telemedicine is to eliminate the physical distance for a treatment. The goal is also for the patient to be more involved in the treatment process and thus become a central actor. This should ultimately make the patient an expert in their own course of illness" (see sources). that in the future there will be more elderly people and more chronic patients, but fewer hands to treat them – not least in the peripheral areas. For that reason, telemedicine must be prioritized, reads the conclusion. "The purpose of telemedicine is to eliminate the physical distance for a treatment. The goal is also for the patient to be more involved in the treatment process and thus become a central actor. This should ultimately make the patient an expert in their own course of illness" (see sources). that in the future there will be more elderly people and more chronic patients, but fewer hands to treat them – not least in the peripheral areas. For that reason, telemedicine must be prioritized, reads the conclusion. "The purpose of telemedicine is to eliminate the physical distance for a treatment. The goal is also for the patient to be more involved in the treatment process and thus become a central actor. This should ultimately make the patient an expert in their own course of illness" (see sources). that the patient is more involved in the treatment process and thus becomes a central actor. This should ultimately make the patient an expert in their own course of illness" (see sources). that the patient is more involved in the treatment process and thus becomes a central actor. This should ultimately make the patient an expert in their own course of illness" (see sources).
What is welfare technology?
Welfare technology is a concept that arose in the late 1990s and quickly became a key concept within the public sector in Denmark. This appears from a description on the organization Welfare Tech's website. Welfare technology is defined here as "user-oriented technologies that provide or assist users with one or more public or private welfare services and products" (see sources). In continuation of the above-mentioned challenges for the healthcare system of the future, welfare technology is often mentioned as part of the solution. According to Welfare Tech, it involves technological solutions and services that "solve the societal challenges associated with care and care, disease treatment (life science/biology excepted), self-care, prevention (including nutrition) as well as opportunities associated with construction within the area".
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