Tech Tips for Healthcare Workers

When you look back on the history of healthcare and the medical industry, you may be surprised to find items that were considered on the “cutting edge” for their time period. Thankfully, we no longer consider leeches to be a common treatment method and anesthesia and antiseptics have made operating rooms much safer than they were a hundred years ago.

But what about the here and now? What can current healthcare workers do to be more technologically savvy?

Here are a few tips for how to appropriately incorporate technology into your life and career:

• Be safe — One of the biggest issues that comes up with healthcare technology is the security factor. Make sure all of your passwords for signing in to your work platforms are secure. This means they should be a minimum of eight characters and a random mix of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Don’t use a password that’s an actual word or something easily guessed. Also, never open emails from someone you do not know and if someone you do know sends you a suspicious link, be sure to inform your IT department so they can investigate. These are all techniques for trying to steal your password information. Once that happens, your patient’s personal data could be exposed, and you could be held responsible.

• Get a communication tool — Another tech tip is to use electronic communication to talk with your patients. Many people won’t answer the phone because they’re busy during the work day. But if you wish to follow up with your patients, then an automatic email app is the perfect choice. This way, you can answer any questions they might have or even simply remind them of upcoming appointments or procedures.

• Get comfortable with apps — You’re definitely going to need a smartphone and/or a tablet in order to stay current with technology. A tablet gives you the extra functionality of being able to read medical texts and journals online so you can stay current with the profession. They have tons of apps including those that help with anatomical knowledge all the way to drug handbooks helping you stay up-to-date on new FDA guidelines for medications.  You can also add a few personal care apps for meditation, meal planning, exercise or even one to remind you to take deep breaths through the day.

Healthcare is a field that thrives on technological advancement and as a worker in this field, you should not shy away from being technologically savvy. These simple tips can help you to stay safe and up-to-date with your technology use, be it in a private practice, a clinic, or hospital.