Ask anyone, and most people will say legacy is your family’s celebrated history, your impact on society, or the values you teach others. Not many think of health as a legacy. But imagine how our approach will change if we look at health as a reflection of our life’s story.
Healthcare technology that can enable you to take charge of your health narrative
During a recent tech exhibition, Dr Leslie Saxon – Executive Director, Professor of Medicine and Clinical Scholar, USC Center for Body Computing – said, "health is the most important story any of us can tell". What did she mean by that? Simply put, living the life you want – despite health conditions – inspires people to strive for the same.
Being diagnosed with a chronic condition can throw a spanner in your life plans. Getting diagnosed with a chronic illness can be overwhelming as you may need to make sudden lifestyle changes. You may need to re-evaluate how you carry out day-to-day activities or start paying attention to small things you may have never given much thought to earlier. Maintaining good health while managing chronic conditions like diabetes or heart diseases can be tricky. But what if you could get insights into your body’s response to the lifestyle changes, diets, treatment plans, etc.? Having direct visibility into your body’s signals anytime, anywhere can help you cope with the many effects of chronic health conditions.
Med-tech is making this possible for thousands of people with innovations like wearable continuous glucose monitors, minimally invasive insertable cardiac monitors, pacemakers, etc. These devices can empower you with flexible access to accurate health data for a better understanding of your body and also enable medical professionals to make more informed decisions around your treatment plan.
Improved doctor-patient engagement is one of the vital outcomes of these technologies. In case of sudden or extreme changes in your vitals, your doctor can be alerted immediately with the necessary information to provide more effective, personalized care, reducing the chances of severe health events. This open line of communication with your body and doctor can transform how you live with and manage chronic disease and empower you to be the narrator of your health story.
Enabling people to tell the story of their health
Med-tech puts the power to control your health in your hands, making you more accountable and responsible. By improving communication with your body, technology also helps you understand the impact of your actions on your health and recognize moments when it needs physician intervention. Dr Saxon’s research was the first to show how an implantable defibrillator, when connected to the internet to enable continuous data sharing, improved survival among people with heart failure. This becomes possible by identifying the earliest warning signs of a serious health event which can then be treated or mitigated before it happens.
Innovations in healthcare technology enhance human experience and health through autonomy and awareness. They enable a life lived with more confidence and lesser limitations. A person who has diabetes can go out for a run without worries today, knowing their wearable will warn them if their glucose levels start to drop. The sense of comfort and confidence that comes from this knowledge is probably one of the most empowering aspects of technology in healthcare. The support that tech provides is more than health data; it is the ability to live life on your terms and inspire others around you.
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