Medical supplies have improved in quality and have expanded in possibility each year. Highly technological devices are certainly contributing to this growth in quality and potential, but low-tech supplies and equipment are also being improved, while remaining "low-tech". Use this article as a resource to link to deeper information about some of the most prevalent medical supply categories.
1. How Health IT Can Help You
Category: High-Tech
Learn the basics of how mobile health technology, connected health, and the electronic health record systems are improving healthcare quality, improving healthcare accuracy, and improving patient compliance.More »
2. How to Avoid Infection in Your Hospital and Doctor's Office
Category: Low-Tech
Infection prevention relates back to the essence of the Hippocratic Oath, "First Do No Harm." When a patient, patient family-member, or staff member enter a healthcare facility, whether it be a hospital or outpatient clinic, one of the primary goals should be to prevent that person from acquiring an infection or other unhealthy condition while in the environment of care.
Hospital acquired infections not only violate the essence of the Hippocratic Oath, but also add tremendous cost to the healthcare delivery system. The expenses for treating these healthcare acquired conditions need to be paid for by someone. The cost has historically been spread across facility owners, insurers, companies who provide health insurance benefits to their employees, and of course, the private individual as patient, insured employee, and tax payer.
Fortunately, there are some readily available, low-tech and low-expense techniques and supplies to help prevent healthcare acquired infections.More »
3. 12 Respiratory Aids for Home Health Care
Category: High-Tech
Learn more about the various medical supplies and equipment that have been invented to improve breathing ability, restore blocked airways, and clean the air for those who need it.More »
4. Medical Supplies and Equipment for People with Special Needs
Category: Low-Tech
Special needs is a broad category. There are several resources now on this website where you can learn about the new chairs, seating systems, positioning systems, and reaching and gripping tools that are designed to improve the quality of life for people who need these types of aids.More »
5. Medical Supply Inventions that Improved Diagnostics
Category: High-Tech
Although they are not electronic, the stethoscope and opthalmoscope are diagnostic devices that required an excellent understanding of technology and biology in order for them to be invented back in the 1850's.
The glucose meter, which measures glucose (sugar) in the blood so that diabetics can try to maintain their levels within safe parameters, commonly has a digital component to it. These hand-held digital devices accept a small strip known as a glucose test strip that has a drop of the diabetic's blood on it. The digital meter records the amount of glucose in this small blood sample.More »
6. Medical Supplies for Obese and Bariatric Patients
Category: Both High-Tech and Low-Tech
Obese and bariatric patients have needs that can possibly lead them to use both high-tech and low-tech medical supplies.
High-Tech Items:
- Glucose meters
- Sphygmomanometers
- Respiratory aids
- Health IT such as Connected Health Programs and Mobile Health Technology
Low-Tech Items:
- Types of wheelchairs
- Types of walkers and rollators
- Aids to daily living
- Bathroom safety supplies
- Patient lifts
- Creams and lotions to prevent or treat pressure ulcers
7. Electronic Medical Supplies and Equipment
Category: High-Tech
Learn more about how medical software programs, medical technology carts, electronic medical monitors, electronic medication infusion pumps, and powered medical equipment like beds, chairs, and exam tables have improved the quality and accessibility of health care.More »
8. 8 Pre-Packaged Kits for Minor Procedures
Category: Low-Tech
Minor procedure kits are kits of medical supplies packed into a small tray so that nurses and doctors can take them to a specific patient for a specific procedure. When the procedure is completed, the kit is either disposed of or sterilized, reprocessed, and re-packaged for the next procedure. Learn more about the types of procedures these kits can support, and what types of medical supplies are normally found in each kit.More »