Beneficial and Detrimental Impacts of Technology on People's Health - Essay Example

Student Name: Tutor: Title: Beneficial and Detrimental impacts of technology on people’s health Course: Introduction The development of human society has been very swift. All over the world, different technologies have been development in all spheres of life with different consequences. Technology is the modification and adjustment of the natural environment so as to satisfy human wants, it is the application of science for industrial, commercial, health, food production, and telecommunication and energy and construction purposes. Technology touches on all aspects of human life and influences it either positively or negatively. It can be said that the health of individuals depends on the available medical technology. Technology in the health industry does not only involve the equipment, hardware and software used but also the drugs, biologics, medical procedures, surgical procedures and support systems. As technology continues to develop to be more advanced and effective, the cost associated with medical technology has also increased significantly. When new technology is developed, the potential positive and negative impacts should be assessed and analyzed before it is commissioned. This is because; often technological development overruns the available scientific knowledge that is associated with the determinants of health. This report will seek to look at the beneficial and negative effects of technology on people’s lives and seek to take a stand on whether technology does more harm than good. Benefits of technology on people’s health Advances in medical technology both in diagnostic and therapeutic methods and equipment have been revolutionized healthcare. Use of technology in assessing, diagnosing and treating a wide range of ailments ranging from cancer to physical injuries is made possible by advancement made in technology. Health technology is utilized in prevention of diseases, screening, diagnosing treatment and rehabilitation. Technology is essential in the prevention of diseases. It is effected in reducing its risk to occur or/and minimizing the spread of a particular disease. Prevention measures include immunization, provision of treated water and hospital infection control. All these were not possible without improved technology and point towards the benefits towards health that are provided by technological advancements. Screening for diseases is possible with the available technology. Serum cholesterol testing, tuberculin sound, Pap smear and mammography can all be accomplished with the advances in technology. It is now possible for disease and abnormality detection in symptomatic individuals to be carried out. Identifying the cause, nature and extent to which a disease has spread in an individual is also possible with technologically advanced diagnostic equipment. These diagnostic tests include electrocardiogram, serological test which is for determination of typhoid and different types of x-rays for fractures and broken bones. Different complicated forms of treatment have also been made possible by technology. Antiviral therapy has been accomplished; coronary bypass graft surgery is also possible while psychotherapy and drugs for cancer are available (Tan and Ong, 2002). Information technology has had a massive effect on people’s health. Computer technology has enabled improved record keeping in health centers and provides information and analysis of prevailing health conditions at the click of a button. Electronic health record keeping is now possible with technology. This makes it possible for health records of individuals to be compiled and stored in the system since their inception into the system and over their lifetime. Electronic health records are a huge boost in the fight against death and have gone a long way in preserving the health of individuals. For example, anybody who is in the system and has travelled a large distance from where he/she normally accesses medical help can do so without having tests that had had already been done repeated. Doctors can gain access to the records of the individual in question and make themselves acquainted with the past medical history of the individual. It enables greater effectiveness in the accessibility of patient information and incase of an emergency it enables faster transfer of medical information and history. This may be of great value in the saving of the patient’s life and also aids in the collection and analysis of data important in providing information on possible epidemics or pandemics. The elimination of repletion of tests is responsible for the reduction in the costs suffered by the patient. The clinical decision support system is an information technology advancement that enables physicians and nurses to access diagnoses and treatment recommendations. This IT program offers alerts, prescription of drugs, protocols and clinical pathways. The automated dispensing machine is used for distribution of medication hence helping in disease treatment. The mental wellbeing of individuals has also been enhanced by developments in technology. Stress associated with work have been reduced or completely eliminated with adoption of new technologies that improve working conditions. A research carried out at University in New Mexico showed cases of stress relief when modifications were made medical equipment like syringes and intravenous therapy (Kettwich et al, 2005). The physical and mental health of patients can also be improved by use of technology. Post stroke exercise programs, devices for assisting speech impaired individuals and hearing aids for those with hearing impairment are all possible using technology. Information technology has benefited the human population. People can access information about lifestyles, types of health practices and food that enable them to live a healthier lifestyle. The advent of the computer error also brought with it the internet age where information concerning healthy eating and living practices can be obtained. Advice on eating habits and dietary information can be found easily on the internet. Scientists have developed web based games for the prevention of diseases. These games include those that facilitate exercises such as Wii games. This game educates users on how viruses work and the resources needed for containment. They aim to prevent spread of epidemics (Nohr and Aarts, 2010).These commodities of health care have been made available by advances in technology and play a large part in maintaining people’s health. Computer games and programs are also used in creating interactive and fun experiences in setting goals to improve on their diets and physical activities. These programs are aimed at individuals suffering from or about to suffer from chronic diseases caused by inactivity (Locke and Latham, 2013). Technology has made it easier and more convenient in tackling strenuous, risky and hazardous enterprises. Machines in industries have made work easier hence reducing cases of injury to health that would have otherwise occurred without technological advancements in safety practices. Industrial accidents have declined over time with continued advancements made in the safety engineering department. Improvements in design have reduced risks of accidents that occur due to poor machinery (Shetty, 2013). Telemedicine is now possible because of improvement in communication technology. It is a method of healthcare where the delivery of diagnosis and treatment is done physicians who are distant from the patient. Technology has made possible these advancements made in this particular field of health care. The development of communication infrastructure and the decrease in data transmission cost have made telemedicine possible. Full networks of telemedicine systems offer a wide range of clinical services ranging from medical education to prevention of diseases (Tan and Ong, 2002). Detrimental impacts of technology Most technology procedures, innovations and equipment have levels f risk attached to their use. Advanced technological equipment in the telecommunication, health and industrial sector that use micro waves are known to cause diseases like cancer. Diagnostic equipmenthave several risks associated with their functionality. Diagnostic equipment that use radiations, have massive side effects if not well used. Radiation damage to the fetus of a pregnant woman, germ cells in the gonads can be damaged by diagnostic radiography while use of the mammography technique may induce cancer (Forster, 1985, Preminger, 2011 & Campeau and Fleitz, 2009) Direct side effects, misinterpretation of clinical results, miss performance and nonfunctioning of the equipment are some other risks of diagnostic equipment to human health (Wa, 1986). A rise in chronic diseases in the earth’s population due to lack of physical exercises and activities has been caused by use of vehicles, elevators, the remote control and other technologies that minimize the amount of movement made by individuals. These diseases include hypertension, chronic body pain, obesity and heart diseases. High blood pressure leads to heart attacks and eventual death. Therapy aimed at reducing high blood pressure is usually unsuccessful. Lack of exercises is the highest contributing factor to high blood pressure. Changes in lifestyle are essential for reduction in weight that is largely caused by technological advancements. Hypo kinetic diseases are the term used in the medical field to describe illnesses that are caused by limited physical activities. The world health organization reports that chronic diseases cause 60% of deaths in the world and recommends a change in lifestyle and a reduction in dependency on technology. Use of technological devices and machinery has limited the amount of physical activity by people and hence benefits of movement and physical activities like a reduction of; stroke, osteoporotic fractures, diabetes (type 2) and heart diseases are not experienced (Hoeger and Hoeger, 2012;Rohman, 2011). Technology has also led to a change in nutrition which has had a detrimental effect on human health. Technology has made Fatty foods, alcohol, sweets and tobacco available. These are poor dietary substances with negative healthy impacts. Diet plays a significant role in cardiovascular diseases. Obesity, smoking and alcohol all play a role in the spread of these dreaded diseases. Smokers are at a higher risk of contracting and dying from heart attacks than people who do not smoke (Edlin and Golanty, 2012). Apart from cardiovascular diseases obesity causes hypertension and diabetes. Obesity is caused by a lack of balance in the amount of energy into the body of an individual and the amount of energy out of the system. It is caused by intake of a lot of calories (Bhargava and Guthrie, 2002; NIH, 2012). Alcohol consumption in excess leads to diseases like liver cirrhosis, dehydration and leaky gut syndrome and negatively affects the brain by causing difficulty walking, slowed speech and an impaired memory. Al these are because of advancements in technology that enabled the construction of industries for their production or production of constituent components. Technology has increased pollution. Levels of environmental pollution have significantly increased with advancements in technology. Vehicles, machinery and manufacturing industries have all contributed towards these. Pollution is detrimental to health. Air pollution causes global warming, acid rain and direct health effects like cardiovascular diseases, and pulmonary diseases, diabetes and lung cancer to the human body. Carbon dioxide which is one of the major wastes of technology is a serious health risk. Large amounts of carbon dioxide lead to global warming. Global warming leads to the destruction of the ozone layer; this lets in harmful rays of UV light that causes skin cancer.Vehicles exhaust systems emit a lot of carcinogenic chemicals. These chemicals are some of the major causes of cancer in the world. Vehicular emissions provide a great risk to the human population. They include carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and particulate matter. Small amounts of benzene, formaldehyde and diesel are also produced with varying levels of toxicity that affects the health of people. Particulate matter from industrial engines and motor vehicles is proved to be one of the causes of heart diseases. It also causes an inflammation of the lungs. Diesel exhausts contain a group of 40 different hazardous components to human health. They cause asthma and other lung diseases (Wargo, 2006). Accidents on roads, in factories and in offices have technology in common. This is because when technologically advanced equipment fail loss of life is inevitable. The number of deaths caused by traffic accidents is estimated to be around 1.3 million people every year. Millions of individuals are reported to suffer serious injuries that lead to disablement. The world health organization (WHO) provides these statistics that prove the detrimental effect technology has had on society (WHO, 2009) these organization further lists toxic chemical accidents as one of the main global threats in the 21st century. This shows that together with road accidents, these technological creations have played a large part in the decimation of the human population. Radio nuclear accidents are also listed in the list of global threats to public safety (WHO, 2007). The nuclear explosion at Fukushima in Japan endangered life and caused the evacuation of over 10000 people from their residential places. The Fukushima nuclear accident showed a case of where technology can go horribly wrong and negatively affect the health of people. Alvarez (2006) argued that nuclear energy is neither the solution to climatic change nor is it safe and clean. He pointed out the fact that nuclear energy can, even though a great technological advancement,possess serious risk to human life through its use as both a source of power and also as a weapon. There have been reports of cases of cancer being clustered around nuclear reactors especially among children (Alvarez, 2006). Conclusion The positive effects of technology on human health far outweigh the demerits. The use of technology especially in the field of medicine has far reaching results on both patients and service providers. The usage of technology in diagnosing and treating the various types of cancer, treatment of heart attacks using bypass surgery and telemedicine provide a picture of what the human population will surfer without technology. It is not the advances made in technology that are to be held responsible for the adverse effects mentioned above. Diseases like hypertension, pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases can be easily prevented by adopting healthy lifestyles and eating right. It is time people stopped seeing technology as the disease but instead view it as the remedy but there is a need to come up with ways to minimize the demerits of technology on health. References Alvarez, R., 2006, False promises: Debunking nuclear industry propaganda. New York: Grace energy initiative Bhargava, A. & Guthrie, J.F., 2002, Unhealthy eating habits, physical exercise and macronutrient intakes are predicators of anthropometric indicators in the women’s health trial: feasibility study in minority populations. British journal of nutrition. Retrieved from < http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=909032 > Campeau, F. & Fleitz, J., 2009, Limited radiography. Belmont: Cengage learning Edlin, G. & Golanty, E., 2012, Health and Wellness. Massachusetts: Jones & Bartlett Forster, E., 1985. Equipment for diagnostic radiography. New York: Springer Hoeger, W. K. &Hoeger, S. A.,2010, Fitness and wellness. Belmont: Cengage learning Kettwich, S.C. et al, 2006, Patients with needle phobia? Try stress-reducing medical devices. The journal of family practice, 55 (8). Retrieved from < http://www.jfponline.com/pages.asp?aid=4324> NIH, 2012, What causes overweight and obesity, Retrieved from Rohman, R., 2011. How lack of exercise causes heart disease. Available on < http://www.livestrong.com/article/311713-how-lack-of-exercise-causes-heart-disease > Shetty, M., 2013, How to reduce industrial accidents. Available at http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/2374/how-to-reduce-industrial-accidents Wargo, J., Wargo, L. and Alderman, N., 2006, The harmful effects of vehicle exhausts. Available at Tan, L. &Ong, O., 2002, The impact of medical technology on healthcare today. Hong Kong journal of medicine, 9(4), p. 231-235. 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