By Sandra Quinn

Harking back to the origins of medicine, things were very primitive, basic and simple with the use of herbs and natural remedies and nothing was kept track of.

If you compare this now to a modern hospital filled with machines, high tech equipment and all of the sensitive patient information being held on internal networks, these two scenes are worlds apart.

Technology often brings with it a list of positives and negatives and while there have been incidents of hacking, which has led to patient information being compromised, the modernisation of medicine means that advancements are more frequent and cures are being found.

Two decades ago, some surgeries came with a barrage of complications or were simply too dangerous – now these are being done laparoscopically or robotically with minimally invasive procedures.

Innovations like the magnetic surgical system have revolutionised the way surgery is performed.

With technology, there is often a fear that the human will become obsolete and the robot will rule the roost, but with medicine the human will always be necessary, while the robot and the technological advances simply make their work safer, quicker, more efficient and easier.

We are now living in a world where innovation is at the heart of the healthcare industry, where 3D printing can save a patient’s life, robotic aids can make previously impossible surgeries commonplace, video communications improves access to healthcare and new data collection technologies make communications between GP’s, hospitals and specialist clinics much quicker and easier.