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Introduction to Medical Technologies. Introduction. Medical technologies are devices that extend and/or improve life. They can reduce pain, injury or a handicap as well as increase the effectiveness of patient care. Introduction.
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Introduction • Medical technologies are devices that extend and/or improve life. • They can reduce pain, injury or a handicap as well as increase the effectiveness of patient care.
Introduction • It is important to realize that medical technologies do not just refer to devices, but also to advancements in care such as operating rooms, rooms for labour, ambulances, biopsy labs, etc… since they help improve and extend life and improve patient care as well.
The Benefits • Medical technologies are beneficial for 4 main reasons: • Earlier detection of problems • Less invasive treatment options • Reduction in hospital stays • Reduction in rehabilitation time
Subcategories • Medical technology has four subcategories: • Medical Devices • Medical Research • Training Devices • Information Technology
1) Medical Devices • The Canadian Food and Drug Act defines a medical device as a “health or medical instrument used in the treatment, mitigation, diagnosis or prevention of a disease or abnormal physical condition.”
1) Medical Devices • They are further subdivided by risk of injury to the patient if the device is misused.
1) Medical Devices • Low risk deviceswould be things like a thermometer or a breast pump, which if used improperly, could cause minor injuries to a patient.
1) Medical Devices Medium risk devicesinclude things like Ultrasound machines or Surgical drills, which if used improperly could seriously harm a patient.
1) Medical Devices High risk devices include things like Anesthesia Ventilators and Incubators, which if used improperly could kill a patient.
2) Medical Research • It is simply any research that has increased the body of knowledge in the field of medicine.
2) Medical Research • It can be done to test and find new surgical techniques such as microsurgery.
2) Medical Research • It can be done to find and test possible new cures for diseases. • Examples of the fruits of this research are penicillin to treat bacterial infections, human insulin for diabetics and vaccines to combat harmful viruses.
2) Medical Research • There are many challenges ahead for medical researchers to solve. • The two main ones at this moment are the appearance of antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria (MRSA and C. difficile) as well as general worldwide obesity.
3) Training Devices • These are simply devices doctors and nurses in training would use that help them develop their skills without the potential harm to a living patient. • Examples are practice Epi-pens and Virtual Patient websites.
4) Information Technology • This is simply a co-ordination of all the patients’ medical records together in one place/file. • It is basically the Maplewood for hospitals and other Healthcare facilities. • Beneficial to keeping track of patient medical allergies and their current medications.
Homework Questions • What are medical technologies and what are its four main subdivisions? • What is considered a medical device in Canada? • Provide two other high-risk, medium-risk and low-risk medical devices that were not given. • In your opinion, what is one area you believe medical research should be focused on? Why? • Give an example of a training device and the risks involved if someone did not go through the training process.
