Generally speaking, the healthcare industry relies heavily on “pull” information. From actively collecting data directly from patients in facilities to wearables that send information to patient files, the movement of data is primarily oriented to a single point: patient records. However, technology capabilities are making the “push” concept more viable in the medical sector, and it could reshape patient treatment.
Pull technology does support data collection, but it doesn’t create the same opportunities for proactivity when compared to push technology. Here’s a look at push technology in healthcare, including what it is, how it can benefit the medical industry, and whether this could be the year healthcare embraces push technology.
Push Technology in Healthcare
What Is Push Technology?
In the simplest sense, push technology allows information to distribute to specific individuals by relaying it to personal devices, such as smartphones, tablets, or laptops. An application that receives information that requires distribution or is given an instruction to send out data notifies relevant users of the broader system through an alert.
That alert, according to IBM, contains a short message, appearing as a pop-up on an appropriate device, such as a desktop browser or smartphone home screen. The notification provides necessary details that let individuals know new information is available for review.
Most people are familiar with push technology in a general sense. It’s the same tech that produces notifications on smartphones. However, in a healthcare setting, its potential uses benefit patients by allowing for proactive care based on newly received data as quickly as possible.
How Push Technology Benefits Healthcare Providers
In medical settings, reactive approaches relying on pulled information aren’t always ideal. For example, having nursing staff collect patient vitals at scheduled intervals and add them to medical records does ensure data is gathered and stored, but it doesn’t inherently lead to its optimal use. In most cases, other practitioners on the healthcare team won’t take action until they choose to review the information, potentially after a significant delay when compared to the collection time.
With push technology, members of a care team can immediately learn that new patient data is available through a notification on handheld devices, such as facility-provided tablets. That allows them to immediately review the information to see if more urgent action is needed. If that push technology is coupled with advanced data collection methods, such as automatic vitals recording with connected wearables, care teams can catch patterns or anomalies that could indicate emergencies.
Ultimately, push technology could revolutionize patient care by keeping providers informed at all times. In turn, medical professionals can make care decisions based on the latest data and how it relates to what’s previously collected far quicker than usual. With that strategy, patient care improves dramatically as proactive approaches become more viable.
Is 2023 the Year Healthcare Moves to Push Technology?
Technically, push technology is already making its way into healthcare facilities, though generally on a small scale. Many hospitals are embracing push technology in ICUs, for example, as proactivity is particularly critical for those patients.
However, implementing push technology broadly within a healthcare facility is wise for supporting improved patient care. It can streamline emergency room operations by notifying providers of incoming labs or imaging results. Readouts on vital data collected through connected wearables can send out notifications should a patient’s condition change, allowing providers to step in before emergencies occur.
Push notifications could also support the ongoing care of patients. For example, with conditions that can be monitored via wearables, healthcare providers could receive notifications if data collected while a patient is at home requires immediate attention.
Ultimately, push notifications eliminate unnecessary delays that can cause risky situations to become emergencies. In turn, proactivity can become the norm, leading to improved patient care and overall outcomes.
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