Waiting rooms are associated with one thing: misery. There’s no getting around it. Even the name itself invokes dread — it’s literally a room that’s sole purpose is to wait. But as any physician, dentist, or nurse can tell you, a grumpy patient is bad company. Plus, stress and negative emotions have a proven impact … Continue reading Makeover Your Medical Waiting Room
Sadly, not all hospitals are equal, and not all regions come with the same problems and solutions. Rural patients and rural hospitals have always had challenges, but the data says that lately, they’ve been suffering more than ever before. How can we help rural areas improve the quality, quantity, and accessibility of their healthcare? What … Continue reading Battling the Unique Challenges Faced by Rural Hospitals
The fitness tracker and smartwatch industries are booming — CCS Insight, a research company, estimates that 140 million wearables will be sold every year by 2022. But what impact does it have on healthcare, both for the individual and for their doctor? Are companies like Apple, Samsung, and Fitbit angling to replace doctors, ECG machines, … Continue reading Do Smartwatch ECGs Stand up to Doctor Scrutiny?
The truth is, there is no perfectly objective method to determine the “best hospital.” But, there’s no denying that the highest ranked hospitals have a few qualities in common: innovation, patient care, and communication above everything else. But how do they do it? How can we apply those lessons to hospitals around the world? Embracing … Continue reading What Makes a Top Hospital?
Transitioning from a standard dental office to a fully digital practice causes many dentists to balk. The initial cost is high, the learning curve can feel extreme, and the constantly-mutating nature of technological progress can make some clinicians wonder if what’s here today is going to be gone tomorrow. So, is the transition necessary? And … Continue reading Surviving the Transition to Digital Dentistry
According to the “World Population Prospects” report published by the United Nations, Earth may play host to 9.7 billion people by 2050. With hunger already a problem in both developed and undeveloped nations (though at differing levels), how can food production match food needs over the next 30+ years? Can technology like GPS, drones, industrial … Continue reading Can Smart Farming Solve the Food Crisis?
An explosion of new medical inventions is great news in all but one respect: asset management. A wealth of cutting-edge devices helps patients and staff, but it also means keeping track of a flood of new gear. Unfortunately, storage space and logistical systems don’t always get the same level of attention as the shiny new … Continue reading Medical Asset Tracking: How to Get Started
“First do no harm” is a guiding principle for many doctors and clinicians, and its meaning holds extra weight in an operating room. Almost everything in an operating room could be harmful, from the surgical implements to the power running through the heart monitor to the germs in the very air. That being the case, … Continue reading How to Improve Patient Safety in the Operating Room
You may have heard that blockchain is “the next big thing.” And while “next big things” seem to rain from the sky in the tech world, there may be some truth in this particular case. Blockchain came on the scene in 2008, the brainchild of a still-anonymous person or team of people called “Satoshi Nakamoto.” … Continue reading Is Blockchain Right for Healthcare?
Whether you’ve never fully embraced asset tracking, are looking for a new method, or just want to save on paper, it’s time to look into a digital asset tracking system for the most important equipment in your facility. Asset tracking is different from inventory tracking, though they are commonly confused. Inventory tracking is the tagging … Continue reading How to Streamline Asset Tracking with Industrial Grade Tablets