The Internet, Diet, Machines, and the Internet

I believe that the Internet is such a powerful piece of technology in decreasing the cost of health care that I listed it twice in the title. The Internet is both widely accessible and hugely useful as a large database that can be contributed to by many, many people. Getting treatment, help, or simply just advice online can reduce health care costs by preventing costly doctor visits or appointments. Naturally, the best kind of online care is one provided by professionals; there are already services that provide this kind of help on the Internet. Expansion and refinement of this technology would be very helpful towards reducing health care costs for all individuals with access to Internet. People’s diets are such an important part of their health that I think it’s important that technology be used to reduce the unhealthy eating that many individuals (particularly in this country) have. Obesity, high cholesterol, and general “overweightness” is not simply a small problem, it is scientifically proven to have a high correlation between many different types of complications and problems, both in the short and long-term. Technologies involving chemicals and foods that humans consume can be modified to produce tastes that are in high-demand but not so bad for your body, such as the calorie-free sugar (but without any potential side effects). My last idea is probably the most indirect one of all, but technology could also reduce health care costs by improving safety conditions of machines used by humans. A good number of people are injured in some way by machinery, whether it is everyday objects like cars or more specialized technologies like factory machines, and by striving to keep these things safe, accidents and thus health care costs will go down. Whew, I’ve finally come up with ten ways; it’s a lot easier once you get started because the ideas are so closely linked that one often leads to the next. Here is the last few posts in list form for easier reading:

Ways Technology Can Reduce the Cost of Health Care

1) Cheaper and more efficient drugs and vaccines

2) Cheaper and more efficient machines (such as diagnostic machines or prosthetics)

3) A universal, standardized database for patients

4) Computerized mapping and tracking of infectious and common diseases

5) Promoting, teaching, and advocating a healthy lifestyle by distributing information

6) Improve emergency responsive health care

7) Remote monitoring technology

8) Online health care

9) Engineering of food and consumed chemicals to improve public diet

10) Improving safety of common machines that can cause accidents and injuries