Technological Adoption and Trends in Health Sciences Teaching, Learning, and Practice

The use of technology in health sciences has a direct impact on health outcomes, as well as on the quality and the safety of healthcare processes. In addition, the use of new technological developments in medical education has proven to be greatly effective, as it allows to create realistic learning environments to experience with procedures and devices that will become common in medical practice. However, bringing in new technologies into the health sector is a complex task. Different actors such as health and care practitioners, technological solution providers, health organizations and regulators and governing bodies, are involved in care provision. Thus, from the point of view of the technological research and development community it is important to have a comprehensive vision of the health sciences ecosystem (encompassing many different areas of research). This book provides an overview of the technological trends within the health sciences ecosystem, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the research presented to date and depicting the possible future research directions within education and practice. Healthcare technologies are a highly valued tool for improving and transforming healthcare. As they are being adopted by the health community, there has been a reduction in the number of cases of human error, an improvement in clinical outcomes, easier coordination, and more efficient clinical practices. This book has an impact on the different levels of the health sciences ecosystem. It allows developers of medical technologies to broaden their perspective for the creation of future medical technologies and applications, and on the other hand, allows practitioners and medical educators to gain insight into emerging technological research within the health sciences.