Software can help doctors spot early signs of autism and schizophrenia. And it could soon monitor people’s health from the comfort of their living rooms. Picture a world where intelligent software automatically records video footage from cameras in your home, scanning hours of family life to detect changes in behavior that might indicate early signs of mental illness or other medical conditions. That’s not as far-fetched as it might sound—a handful of research groups, including one at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles, are now testing how such programs might catch the earliest signs of autism and schizophrenia.
Veterinary Software
Smarter software could also be used to fine-tune the treatment of animals. A team at the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Vet Working Dog Center, for example, is training dogs to sniff out ovarian cancer in urine. It recently won a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that will let it put more dogs through their paces—each one takes about 18 months to train—and will allow it to move beyond urine samples and onto tissue samples as well. The advantages of using vet software are endless. Vet software allows you to track the medical history of your animal, so you can tell if the diet or care has been effective over time. Vet software keeps a schedule of appointments, vaccinations, and other medical information for your pet. It can also be used to manage medical records, so you’ll always know where to find those important documents.
Nowadays, vet clinics can choose from several different types of pet health care software. Some are designed exclusively for large animal practices and others are geared toward small-animal vets, but most are much like their human counterparts. They run on computers hooked up to elaborate laboratory equipment and incorporate electronic medical records systems—the same basic tools used by human hospitals around the world. A decade ago, most pet software was limited to billing and appointment-scheduling tools. Now, veterinary practices normally use the same kind of software as human hospitals—patient records management systems that help vets manage and share information about their patients and integrate with laboratories and imaging technologies. The use of veterinary software has quickly spread over the last couple of decades due primarily to advances in medical technology—advances that made it possible for animals to be treated like humans in many cases.
Computer Software
Software programs help clinicians manage patient care. For example, Electronic health records (EHRs) assist physicians in documenting patients’ diagnoses and treatments, while practice management software helps them keep track of their daily schedules and finance reports. Computer software enhances patient care by ensuring that accurate information is accessible to all appropriate practitioners who are treating a patient; it also reduces paperwork, which allows doctors more time with their patients.
Software Information
More than half of all U.S. hospitals use some form of computerized physician order entry (CPOE) to manage medication administration. When not used properly, however, documentation errors can result in serious patient harm. Such errors commonly lead to patients receiving the wrong medications, the wrong doses of medication, or no prescribed medications at all. This is why it is essential for medical professionals to use CPOE software correctly.
Medical Billing Software
It’s no secret that having your own practice or working as a private contractor can be lucrative–if you know what you’re doing. Without the right kind of tools, it becomes nearly impossible to keep track of patient care, billing, payments, and coding without losing money. The last thing any healthcare provider wants is to lose even more money on needless errors that could have been prevented with better management tools. That’s why many practices today are turning to medical billing software programs like ClaimForms.
Autism Screening Tool
Some software programs are designed specifically for autism screening and behavioral assessment. These software programs allow clinicians to compare an individual’s responses with standardized scores that indicate the presence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends using behavior-based tools to diagnose ASD before 3 years old; it also recommends using two different tools if possible. At this age, subtle differences in test performance may result from language level, cognitive level, and the tester’s interpretation of the child’s behavior.
Biofeedback Monitoring Systems
Some researchers have developed computer-based systems that monitor stress through indicators such as heart rate variability (HRV), brain electrical activity (EEG), skin conductance level (SCL), pupil diameter, respiration rate, facial electromyography (EMG), galvanic skin response (GSR), and body temperature. Productivity is an important factor considered in most workplace settings. Some companies even offer financial incentives for employees to wear and use wellness programs at work.
Clinical Decision Support Systems
The idea behind computerized clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) is that they can provide clinicians with the information needed to make the best possible decisions about patient care. CDSSs can be either general purpose or designed specifically for a particular professional group, such as physicians or nurses. For example, some software programs help pharmacists decide which medications are appropriate for specific patients by prompting them to enter parameters—such as age, weight, drug, and other health conditions—and then providing the most appropriate option. EHRs are computer systems that provide all of a patient’s relevant clinical information electronically and can be stored online, so it can be quickly accessed by health care providers who are treating the patient.
These days clinics can make use of innovative clinical technology software solutions to improve their care and increase productivity. For example, software that allows for electronic physician order entry can help reduce medication errors. Then there are special programs designed specifically for autism screening and behavioral assessment, to name but a few examples. Software programs designed for autism screening and behavioral assessment are readily available today. These tools allow clinicians to compare an individual’s responses with standardized scores that indicate the presence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
If you operate a business or have a home office, you might find that there is more than one type of software available to meet your needs. That’s why it’s important to learn about all the different types of software development companies and what they offer before making a decision. There are many different types of software out there that can be used for a variety of tasks. Whatever your needs are, it’s important to find the right tools for the job so you get the most out of them.
