Computers in Medicine UPSC

Computers are being increasingly used in medical profession. Computer techniques have tremendous applications in medical field, where it has the largest amount of social impact.

The application of computer techniques in various fields of medicine are:

1. Health Information system (Registration, admission/transfer/discharge, billing, medical record, index, wards, operation theater scheduling, stores/inventory, pharmacy, diet, CSSD, bio-medical maintenance, payroll, accounts, etc)
2. Data Analysis in Medicine (Calculation of standard deviation, standard error, application of tests of statistical significance like Z Test, unpaired and paired t test and chi-square test)
3. Laboratory computing (Blood chemistry, photometry etc.)
4. Computer Assisted Decision (CMD) making (Support doctors to make judgment with computer’s vast memory, reliability and processing capabilities)
5. Care of critically ill patients (Entry, integration and reporting of all vital signs, medications, intake and output volumes and laboratory values)
6. Computer assisted therapy (Planning, monitoring and adjusting dosages regimens of powerful and potentially toxic drugs)
7. Computer assited surgery (ROBOTIC SURGERIES)
8. Medical Imaging
9. Telemedicine

LIMITATIONS

• Lack of decision making power (Not sensitive like human brain)
• Data Entry (Major hindrance for using computers by medical professional)
• Computer virus (Destructive computer programmes)
• Costly
• Limited to urban settings
• Operational difficulty