There’s no shortage of bad news out there. But it’s important to remember that humans are improving in a variety of ways that also matter. For instance, a higher percentage of the world’s population now goes to schools, and you are also less likely to be the victim of a violent crime than at any point in history.
Healthcare is certainly improving. The quick, collective response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw a vaccination rolled out in record time, could not have been possible at any other point in history. Certainly, healthcare is on the rise. Here’s why.
Expanding research
We are not only standing on the shoulders of giants. We are making it taller. Some of the most brilliant medical research in humanity’s short time on this earth is taking place right now. For instance, researchers looking into the link between camp lejeune water contamination heart disease will enable doctors to find a treatment to help people that suffer from the issue. By current estimations, a whole host of issues could be eradicated — or at least mitigated — within the next decade, most notably many forms of cancer.
For most of human history, a specific illness nearly always meant the end. With research improving all the time, we’re nearly at a point when that’s just not the case.
Better organization
You would much rather go into a hospital in 2022 than in 1922, for a number of reasons. The most obvious reason is that medical treatment back then was pretty brutal. The other reason was that it was often a disorganized mess.
It’s hard to keep track of everyone when all you’ve got is paper lying around. Today, practice management software means that patients can get a seamless experience from beginning to end without them even realizing it. Appointment reminders, payments, clinical notes, and other key pieces of information are kept securely online, helping to deliver a top-class patient experience.
Patient control
It’s much better to prevent a problem rather than treat it. The general public does not have the medical qualifications to manage every aspect of their health, but they’re getting pretty close. Wearable tech helps patients to take a proactive approach to their well-being in a way that would not have been possible in previous decades. Patients can seek help concerning heart rates or other issues before they become problematic.
Treatment of patients is also done in a more holistic, caring way than in the past. It’s more likely to take into account a person’s personal background and preferred treatment methods rather than just a stock treatment.
Global access to healthcare
It’s easy to take for granted if you live near a hospital with good healthcare, but that hasn’t always been the case, not in the United States and certainly not in other parts of the world. Global access to healthcare is at an all-time high, and that has far-reaching benefits.
For one thing, it simply immediately helps people in a direct way. On a longer-term basis, it helps to elevate living standards. There’s a direct link between the quality of healthcare and educational rates. Just by making healthcare available, we’ve increased the chances of someone reaching their full intellectual capability.
