Before the days of computers, a simple blood sample that had been drawn to determine if an infection existed had to be placed under a microscope and the technician had to physically count the number of white cells that were visible in the microscope’s viewing field.
That figure was then multiplied to determine the quantity of white cells in the sample. If the number of white cells exceeded a specific baseline number, it meant an infection was present. This was tedious, time-consuming work that left a great potential for human error.
Today, computers make it possible for this and other information to be extracted from a blood sample in a very short period of time. And, not only does the printout give the number of white cells that are in the sample, it can also provide information on what the normal range should be so that medical personnel can quickly determine how severe the infection is.
This is only one way that computers have enabled those in the medical field to take advantage of the many advances that have occurred. Among these advances is the ability to communicate with other health care practitioners around the world. Doctors in different countries can share their techniques for fighting diseases. The information that is passed between the doctors can be used as they see fit to achieve success in the same or similar areas. Doctors and colleagues are able to remote view each others desktops with open source software like Tight VNC and can use PuTTY, another open source program to secure connections. In this way they can view data and collaborate together without having to send vast amounts of data to and fro.
As technology continues to expand both the virtual and real world, so too will the advances and advantages for the medical field expand. The ability to instantly communicate with colleagues will allow doctors to receive new information faster, which they can use to start the necessary treatment sooner. Who knows…Perhaps someday there will be cures for some diseases, or at the very least new and improved ways of treating them.