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Technology has grown leaps and bounds throughout the years. These days, we’re able to bank, communicate, and learn with ease. While technology has obviously impacted our day-to-day lives, it’s also made huge changes in many different industries.
Here are five industries that have been radically changed by technology:
1. Healthcare
The healthcare industry has changed leaps and bounds in the last few years. Technology is used for many different purposes including data consumption, improved communication, and increased accessibility to healthcare providers. In the healthcare industry, data drives daily business. Doctors must analyze diagnostic reports and keep track of patient treatment data. These days this data is being entered into super-computers in hopes that physicians can make more accurate diagnoses and better treatment options.
Technology also offers improved communication between doctors and patients. Not only are doctors busy with limited schedules, they also have to follow HIPAA regulations which controls what type of information can be shared. Today, there are applications and medical portals that are HIPAA compliant that allow patients to interact with their doctor.
Healthcare availability and accessibility depends on many factors, but for those who are unable to seek traditional medical treatment, there are now alternate options. Thanks to technology, a patient in one country can talk to a doctor in another country. E-healthcare is booming, especially for elderly and disabled patients who require routine visits to the doctor but are often unable to make their appointments.
2. Pharmaceutical
With so many advances in the healthcare industry, it’s no surprise that technology has also helped the pharmaceutical industry. In the past, picking up your prescription typically required a trip to the doctor, who then wrote you a prescription. After leaving the doctor’s office, you then had to wait in line at the pharmacy to pay for and pick up your medication. The process can take hours out of your day, requiring you to cancel plans or even miss work.
But thanks to technology, the days of having to take off work to go to the doctor and standing in line for your prescription are things of the past. Instead, there’s this awesome new service known as online prescription delivery. With this online based service, not only can your doctor write a prescription online (which means no trip to the office), you can fill your prescription and have it delivered to you the very same day.
There are many companies that offer online prescription and delivery services, including Medly Pharmacy. The convenience of being able to fill and receive your prescription medications without ever having to leave your home is convenience at its finest.
3. Travel
In the days before the Internet and travel sites, booking travel required a travel agent or a lot of phone calls and free time. Travel continues to be a huge industry and will continue to be for the foreseeable future. Thanks to technology, how we book travel has drastically changed. In just a few clicks and taps on the keyboard, you can:
- Book flights
- Find a hotel
- Rent a car
- Find vacation packages
There are even websites that compare prices, ensuring you get the best deal on your next family vacation or weekend getaway. With the help of technology, pre-vacation stress has greatly diminished. With complete control in the palm of your hand, traveling is now convenient and maybe even a little fun to plan.
4. Farming
When you think of farming, you likely think of tractors, livestock, and other traditional items used for agriculture. These days, agriculture is changing to provide more efficiencies and standard practices across the industry. Smart agriculture and high-tech farming are a reality. While robots are unlikely to replace farmers, technology has made life much easier for those who live and breathe farming.
Today, farmers have access to drones and sensors that can be used to monitor livestock, plant growth, and even soil health. Remote monitoring and statistics make it much easier for farmers to have a holistic understanding of their livestock and crops, allowing them to meet global food demands.
5. Manufacturing
The Internet of Things has greatly affected the manufacturing industry. From electronics to automotive, the entire industry has reaped the benefits of smart devices and the Internet. These days, manufacturers can use high-tech solutions to monitor control rooms, track assets and inventory, and access data from predictive maintenance systems.
Smart manufacturing has already improved the efficiency and productivity of plant operations around the globe. Sensors and other smart devices bring equipment into the 21st century. Automotive plants use robots to put cars together. The options are endless when it comes to improving and modernizing the manufacturing industry.
Conclusion
Technology has done a lot more than bring us social media, online shopping, and access to billions of hours of video. While we often reflect on how technology has negatively impacted society, the fact is that tech improvements have made huge and positive changes to many industries.
What are some other industries that have been greatly affected by the the modern digital age? Leave a comment with your thoughts in the section below.
