I asked my friend what comes to her head when she thought of the health field. Her response included, hospitals, doctors, patients, medicines, ambulances etc. However the word engineer never came up. Personally, I never gave much credit to engineers when I thought about the health care field as well, but since joining The Health Science Scholars Program I am more aware of all the possible variety in the Health care field.
Engineers create easier and more efficient ways for hospitals to function. Engineers have come up with inventions that allow for things such as an EEG ,or Electroencephalography, which detects electrical activity in the brain. One new breakthrough in medical technology is Robotic Check-Ups. These “medical robots” are quicker and more efficient in patrolling hospitals and making rounds, attending to other patients. Other inventions that engineers have created include the Sapien transcatheter aortic valve. This invention reduces the physical burden that a patient may undergo while having heart surgery. Another invention, the Cefaly, is a new piece of technology that treats migraines instead of using medication to relieve the pain. The innovative minds of engineers help create methods in the health care field that reduce cost, stress, and induce creativity for hospitals and for patients.
Engineers are huge for the structure in the health care field. They provide new and better methods of treatments and provide hospitals with more efficient care. Engineers are greatly needed to improve care later in the future. As technology improves, engineers are keeping the world to date through their inventions.
Questions to Think About:
What future inventions are engineers proposing to institute into the future of health care? Are things such as cross species genetics in humans actually possible (Could you create an idea like Spider-Man?). Should there be more interaction with engineers and patients?
Sources:
https://www.asme.org/engineering-topics/articles/bioengineering/top-5-medical-technology-innovations
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20860254_2,00.html
Your blog post was extremely eye opening! I too have often overlooked the dynamic role that engineers can play in the healthcare industry and beyond! This is especially ironic since I have always felt that pre-pharmacy students like myself are constantly underrepresented. But your post has shown me that engineers have a much more prominent role than one may initially believe. It would be amazing to see how engineers utilize the principles of genetics to induce certain characteristics in our offspring! Maybe one day we will have a Spiderman figure lurking about! Until then, I will be sure to value the role that engineers play in the assembling of prosthetics, artificial organs and even more!
ReplyDelete