Achoooo!  Have you ever started coughing and sneezing and went to WebMD.com to figure out what your sickness was?  This is one simple way that technology has made health care information more accessible.

But not only can the wonder that is the internet help you diagnose your minor illnesses, it might save your life.  That’s right, your life!  Dan Wooley, a man from Florida, used his smartphone to figure out how to take care of his injuries while trapped in rubble from the recent Haiti earthquake.  He used the light and camera from his phone to take a look at his head and foot wounds.  He then followed the instructions form an app on his phone so he could take care of his injuries.

Not only does better technology make it easier for you to take care of yourself (or save your own life!), but it makes your doctors more efficient.  The advancement of e-records  prevents health histories from getting lost in the shuffle and gives “instantaneous online access to lab results.”  Additionally improved technology provides patients and doctors with the option of communicating through online consultations.

Technology certainly has enhanced medical care, but we need to make sure everyone has access to high-speed broadband internet to benefit from these improvements.