Epidemiology Software

Why Medical Establishments Should Invest in it?

It was Hippocrates who first brought to light the link between medical ailments and the environment of the patient. A very basic example of this is staying outside in the cold will increase your chances for catching the common cold. This was the first step in what would become modern medicine and epidemiology. Epidemiology is the study of health in relation to the environment. Understanding patterns and groupings and using that knowledge to progress medical science.

Epidemiologists are usually spearheading disease prevention and combating outbreaks. However with so much medical knowledge and so many people, the numbers would be next to impossible to crunch without technological help. That is where computers save the day with ever evolving software to manage the incoming storm of data. This adds an incredible power of organization to the doctors who prevent outbreaks of potentially dangerous viruses and diseases. With that organization, infection patterns and case studies become much clearer, aiding the medical professionals and ultimately saving lives.

Most of the software designed for clinics and hospitals are purely administrative, used for managing patient files to try and shorten wait times. However, we are seeing some new, multi-faceted programs emerge through the woodwork. From programs that randomize patient files for case studies (complete with manageable settings such as eligibility, blinded or unblinded testing and built-in reports) to systems that survey vaccine safety.

Having good epidemiology software is critical for hospitals and medical institutions who wish to maximize efficiency (a major issue in Canada’s medical system). As technology advances at a startling rate each year, it begs the question where we will be in 10, 20 and 50 years. The children of the next few generations are bound to find the systems we have in place today archaic, and that bodes quite well for medical science.