There are many ways that computers have helped out medical professionals. Firstly and probably the most important is the introduction of the use of MRI machines and CAT scanners. An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) machine is used in radiology to construct detailed internal structures. MRI machines provide a good contrast between the different soft tissues within the body which makes it very useful for looking at the brain, heart, muscles and cancers. This is compared to other scans such as CT or x-rays.
Technology has also been used during surgery as it can be used to show an image further into the body than a Doctor can go on their own. This way, specific and complex surgical procedures can be done a lot easier and with fewer complications. Computers have also been very useful in helping to monitor patients’ conditions. If a patient’s heart rate or blood pressure suddenly increases then the medical staff will be notified of it immediately so that they can respond to it. They have also proven to be fantastically useful when it comes to analyzing symptoms and eventually diagnosing patients.
Computers have also helped to make life in the hospital more convenient for staff such as doctors and nurses as it is a lot easier to have all medical records on files in computers and backed up rather than on paper where things can be easily lost.
Computers have also been very useful in helping future medicine. Without them, we probably would not be able to do the research and testing of new revolutionary drugs that could save many lives. All of these advantages listed above are just a handful, they haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of the many benefits that computers and technology have had on the medical field.