Why patients must seek medical advice instead of relying only on tech
Patients should consult doctors for advice on which technolgies can give the best treatment results instead of deciding on their own, Vimut Hospital deputy CEO Suwanich Triamchanchuchai said on Thursday.
He said digital technologies are playing an important role in people's daily lives.
"For instance, digital watches enable people to check their blood pressure instead of seeing doctors," he said.
However, he cautioned that the emergence of new technologies had not really enabled people to live longer and there was a lot of fake information on the internet.
"Hence, people should use technologies properly," he advised.
He said Vimut Hospital applies digital technologies to meet patients' demands and to enable the hospital to keep up with digital trends.
He explained that low-emissivity glasses set up in the hospital enabled its building to remain cool, reducing the use of air-conditioners.
Patients who do not like to wait for doctors can make an appointment via the hospital's website and smartphone application, he said
He said the hospital uses artificial intelligence (AI) for diagnosis, such as reading X-ray films. AI's precision was very high, and it could indicate abnormailites in patients, he said.
However, it depends on the doctor about providing treatment, such as going for surgery or using controlling devices, he said.
He said many kinds of drugs had been developed to improve people's quality of life and facilitate medical staff operations.
For instance, people who have diabetes now can receive insulin injection once a week instead of every day, he said.
These innovations are a big help to medical staff and prevent people from developing diseases, he said, adding that telemedicine could help facilitate people to see doctors.
However, even though technologies have advanced, people should not rely on technologies alone, as doctors are better qualified to give advice on the appropriate treatment, he added.
