Technology: Then and Now

Posted: February 21st, 2020

Technology: Then and Now

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Technology: Then and Now

Overall, technology has imposed drastic improvements on the life of every individual. Since the advent of the personal computer at the turn of the 20^th century, the lives of people, as well as the environments they occupy, have illustrated considerable augmentations, especially in their respective fields. Additionally, consistent advancements in the respective technology have facilitated the performance of routine obligations in all kinds of workplace settings. The healthcare setting is not an exception. The inculcation of technological advancements in different areas within the respective setting has led to the improvement of healthcare provision. Areas that were once deemed separate such as healthcare administration and management have become integral to the success of any healthcare organization due to the implications of a consistently evolving technological environment. Moreover, breakthroughs in the collection of information, communication, and research treatments have provided care providers with new measures and techniques that are beneficial in the practice of medicine. One particular area that has asserted useful implications to the field of healthcare involves computer science. With an emphasis on the significance of health-based informatics, computer science has become fundamental in a broad range of functions that span the scope of the healthcare sector.

Changes in Application of Computer Science Concepts over the Years

The various concepts applied in computer science have been used in the field of healthcare for a while. Over the years, different ideas based on this form of computer technology have become widely integrated into the provision of healthcare services. In this context, the concepts of computer science have become a significant part of health informatics. For instance, nursing informatics has combined computer science with nursing science to administer and communicate information, data, and knowledge in medical practices. Additionally, concepts in computer science have become integral in the application of information technology for the aim of ensuring improved patient results, administration of care facilities, research, and education. At one point, documentation, especially among nurses, was a difficult task. Even though the respective process is still vital to the healthcare setting, it is much easier presently due to the integration of computer science concepts (Staggers & Thompson, 2002).

The progression of knowledge has been considerable within the last forty years because of the novel approaches of learning discovered particularly about the field of computer science. Different fields within the scope of healthcare have achieved positive benefits due to the application of computer science concepts. Nursing offers a formidable illustration of such implications. Accordingly, the integration of computer science ideas has enabled the discovery of better and more novel measures aimed at the improvement of patient care. One aspect that has been affected positively involves the patient record. In the past, the documentation of patients posed a considerable burden for nurses as well as physicians. Paper forms were used considerably in documenting significant patient information. However, the transition to electronic flow sheets has enabled proper assemblage of information based on the patients.

Principles of Computer Science in the Healthcare Industry

It is impossible to deny the positive implications that computer technology has imposed on the healthcare sector in general. In particular, computer science has evolved into a valid resource for most care providers. This is attributed to the wide variety of operations that the field has contributed in an effort to guarantee the healthcare sector’s successful going concern as well as the gratification of the needs for clients accessing healthcare services. However, for computer science to contribute immensely to the goals and objectives of any healthcare provider, certain principles must be implemented.

Binding

The integration of computer science in the healthcare industry aligns with the principle of binding. This is based on the numerous programs that have been developed in an effort to guarantee the quality provision of healthcare services to clients. The field of computer science facilitates the creation of sequential processes within a particular time and place. Such processes are aimed at the resolution of real-time problems. For instance, most care providers will require computer scientists to establish programming projects, which focus on the development of good back-end structures for the management of information as well as better software aimed at the diagnosis and treatment of patients accessing hospital services. Additionally, fluency in computer programming languages enables individuals experienced within the respective field to focus on the creation of conceptual processes that enhance the provision of better healthcare services within care providers.

Complexity of Substantial Problems

Another principle that guides the field of computer science involves the disproportionate rise in complexity in relation to the growth of a problem. This functions as an imperative dimension in differentiating and choosing approaches that scale towards various data sizes, program sizes, and problem spaces. In application within the healthcare sector, the respective principle is evident in the establishment of massive programming projects. Individuals proficient in the respective field are required to come up with programming projects that eventually lead to the development of better and effective systems within the healthcare institution. For instance, computer scientists have engaged in the development of large algorithms that assist in the resolution of different issues that presently the healthcare system. Projects such as those aimed at the mapping of genomes in human beings were based on complex algorithms (California Medical Association, 1968). Additionally, mechanisms such as pattern recognition and image processing technology constitute instances of non-linear boosts in complexity in connection to the growth of a respective problem.  

Conceptualization and Formalization

The field of computer science is defined by the tenet of conceptualization. Accordingly, computer scientists are required to engage in various approaches that involve the formalization, characterization, and visualization of a concept or an issue. As such, computer scientists are capable of constructing abstract processes that eventually function as viable solutions for problems that affect a particular setting. An illustration of the application of this principle in the healthcare sector is based on the integration of data mining processes and applications (Durairaj, & Ranjani, 2013). Such applications are effective particularly in the extraction of useful data. Additionally, the processes are applicable to the prediction of ailments and illnesses (Srinivas, Rani, & Govrdhan, 2010). Despite the challenges encountered during the incorporation of such conceptualization models, data mining applications considerably decrease the time and cost constraints in respect to proficiency as well as human resources. In this respect, the respective models comprise valid illustrations of the principles of conceptual as well as formal representations.

Application of Programming Languages in Healthcare Today

The foremost principle of computer science within the healthcare sector involves acknowledging the significance of reinforcing a process. The concept of binding calls for the fortification of abstraction in order to make them significantly concrete. This involves connecting supplemental properties with a respective process. Illustrations in a general computer science context may involve associating a procedure with a processor, instantiation within logic programming, associating an object via the use of object-oriented language, associating a particular type with its variable name, and developing concrete examples from abstract descriptions. The principle of binding is imperative to the field of computer science due to its inclination towards abstract properties. Simply, computer scientists develop programs and sequences based on abstract ideas and concepts. In this respect, the application of computer science allows for a significant emphasis on abstraction.

As asserted in the principle of binding, computer science acknowledges the development of ideas out of abstract ideas. This usually involves the inculcation of object-oriented language in an effort to assert the abstraction of imperative and complex processes. Programming languages are imperative in the creation of abstract processes as well as construction of procedures aimed at the fruition of ideas and concepts. Java, as a programming language requires experience and knowledge normally evidenced by software consultants and engineers. Despite this, the respective programming language has been imperative in the performance of research, medical-based education, as well as clinical practice. On the other hand, SQL programming language has been imperative in the establishment of databases aimed at the immense collection of patient information. In order to assert privacy and confidentiality, the respective language has been dominant in establishing massive yet secure information databases for healthcare providers.

Conclusion

In summary, computer technology has enabled the advancements within the field of healthcare industry over the years. Accordingly, the healthcare setting was once subject to problems that arose from the consistent inculcation of conventional processes. However, new paradigms such as computer science have facilitated the evolution of the healthcare industry. Through principles such as binding, conceptualization, and the recognition of a problem’s disproportionate complexity, computer science has facilitated the development of programs and processes that facilitate the provision of quality care to patients accessing healthcare services. Additionally, programming languages such as Java and SQL have been instrumental in the development of processes that cater to the needs of patients. As the world progresses, computer technology will continue assuming an imperative role in the progression of the healthcare industry.

References

California Medical Association. (1968). Computer science and the health care industry. A report of the Bureau of Research and Planning, California Medical Association. California Medicine, 109(6), 504-8.

Durairaj, M., & Ranjani, V. (2013). Data mining applications in healthcare sector: A study. International Journal of Scientific & Technology Research, 2(10), 29-35.

Srinivas, K., Rani, B. K., & Govrdhan, A. (2010). Applications of data mining techniques in healthcare and prediction of heart attacks. International Journal on Computer Science and Engineering, 2(2), 250-255.

Staggers, N., & Thompson, C. B. (2002). The evolution of definitions for nursing informatics. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 9(3), 255-261.