The Tools of Modern Technology Have Made Surgeons More Effective and Efficient

Technological advancements impact today’s surgeons in many different ways. Technological tools have changed how surgeons perform surgery, how they communicate with their patients and colleagues, and how they keep and review medical records. These advances have reduced the costs of surgical procedures, making them accessible to more patients. They have also made surgery safer, reducing risks and, ultimately, saving lives. 

Technology has transformed surgery, making it more precise and economical.

In years past, a surgeon’s chief tool was the scalpel. Today, it is arguably the computer. Surgery has rapidly changed with technology, and is continuing to evolve in new directions.   

With technological advances, laparoscopy continues to improve. Surgeons have started to use three-dimensional cameras in place of the current standard two-dimensional surgical cameras. A study conducted by doctors at the Washington University School of Medicine shows the differences between 2-D and 3-D visualization in laparoscopic surgeries, and how the increased perspective provided by the new 3-D technology has resulted in higher levels of efficiency and accuracy. Overall, 88 percent of participants in the study favored 3-D over 2-D laparoscopic surgery.

 

Dr. Alan Kravitz is a prominent general surgeon in Rockville, Maryland who has adopted laparoscopy and other new techniques into his practice. Dr. Kravitz describes how these technologies have benefited his practice:  

 

Consistent with Dr. Kravitz's observations, a fact sheet issued by the Advanced Medical Technology Association points out that minimally invasive surgeries such as laparoscopy saved $8.9 billion in U.S. health spending in 2009. These techniques also reduced patient recovery times, saving an additional $2.2 billion across the country. If all patients had participated in these procedures, another $3 billion would have been saved.

Technology has improved surgeons' interactions with their colleagues and patients by facilitating communications and organizing medical record-keeping.

Smartphones, personal computers, and the Internet have changed how surgeons interact with their patients. Doctors now receive a text message when it’s time to enter the operating room, and are in regular contact with their patients via text, email, and even social media. Medical professionals can do significantly more work from home, including viewing x-rays and patient records. Many medical practices are adopting websites, with 55 percent of all practices currently online.  Websites generate greater feedback, making doctors more in-touch with their patients and responsive to their treatment needs. 

Dr. Kravitz discusses how technology has affected his work, including his day-to-day interactions with other medical professionals:

The innovations discussed by Dr. Kravitz have been developing for some time. A study published in 2001 in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association talks about how adopting new technologies can help improve medical care. The study described common medical errors and recommended greater use of technology in medical practices to increase patient safety. It urged adopting technology to add safeguards and facilitate communication between medical systems. One of the recommendations in the study that we see widespread today is the use of bar-coding on hospital devices, medications, and even on patient identification bracelets. 

 

Another key application of medical technology is the introduction of electronic health records (EHRs). As discussed on the Healthcare IT.gov website, EHRs improve care by providing doctors with quick access to patient records, ensure accurate coding and billing, and lead to safer, more reliable prescribing. Seventy-four percent of patients say that they saw enhanced care with the use of EHRs, and 75 percent of healthcare providers agree that EHRs help them to deliver better patient care. In light of those benefits, the U.S. federal government has been funding efforts to help the conversion of patient records so that they will be in use across the country.

  Doctors acknowledge the benefits of electronic records. Dr. Michael Oppenheim, vice president and chief medical information officer for North Shore Long Island Jewish Health System in Great Neck, N.Y., was interviewed in a recent U.S. News and World Report article describing how electronic record-keeping streamlines medical data. Dr. Oppenheim pointed out that EHRs "eliminate handwriting errors, and help with planning and caring for patients with chronic medical problems." Indeed, 90 percent of doctors keep their electronic system once it has been put in place. In addition, 79 percent of doctors report that EHRs help their practice run at a higher level of efficiency. While conversion from traditional paper records is difficult and time-consuming, there has been a sustained growth of EHR use across the United States, with the number of doctors that use EHRs having doubled from 2005 to 2011.

Looking to the future, technology should continue to improved medical practices, both in out of the operating room.

With technology continuing to advance, the prospects look bright for continued medical improvements. As an example, technicians are currently designing the next generation of minimally invasive surgery: miniature robotic devices that can enter incisions as small as 15 millimeters to conduct procedures. Surgeons will direct these devices to carry out specific actions, monitoring the results by miniature camera. Outside the operating room, many see universal medical record keeping as the next goal in improved patient care. These records would allow every hospital and medical office in the country secure access to every patient’s medical records. Universal records would alleviate many problems with medications and treatments that occur when patients don’t keep track of or can’t remember their medical history.

New surgical techniques, better communication, and improved record-keeping have all combined to make surgery faster, safer, and less expensive than ever before. Since 1980, medical technology has cut the number of days that patients spend in hospitals by 59 percent, and this trend is likely to continue. New tools have helped doctors become better caregivers. But these tools have also challenged doctors to adapt to rapid changes in their practices. Technological advancements will only increase, and the doctors of the future will have to adapt at an even greater pace. If they can successfully meet this challenge, we will all benefit from the better health care that new medical technology promises.