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Advances in Healthcare

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With the implementation of health care reform, an increase in the delivery of healthcare was introduced that brought about new technologies and medicine for providers and consumers. These advancements in healthcare has increased access while the quality still remains questionable. Many new technologies in healthcare brings challenges for both providers and consumers that should be measured as for the quality they provide and regulatory provisions that are needed.
As healthcare understands the advantages of social media, there are disadvantages as well. Social media is becoming the way healthcare consumers choose to research and share medicine today. The convenience to research acute and chronic diseases has allowed consumers to become empowered with medicine for better communication with physicians. As a result, better treatments and outcomes can develop with decreased readmissions or visits to the ER. However, Social media can also reduce the quality of healthcare as well. Facebook, Twitter and health blogs presents an open environment for discussion, but at the same time can be misleading. Information obtained in social media lacks relevance as it pertains to individual experiences and outcomes that is subject to bias. For physicians, this information may inhibit the quality of care that should be provided. Thus, it is necessary for consumers to discuss any health information obtained from social media with physicians.
Smartphones has brought about the revolution of EHealth for consumers to engage and manage their own healthcare. As the healthcare industry is changing to focus more on the consumer, many forms of Apps for smartphones are being created to monitor and educate consumers. The convenience of these applications for consumers to utilize eliminates the need to make physician visits to monitor acute and chronic conditions. Monitoring conditions such as

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