Recently, there have been significant changes and milestones in the field of technology. Due to the increased human interaction with technology, the world has experienced significant advancements in technology. The introduction of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Near Field Communication (NFC) are some of the events that mark the milestones in technological advancements, particularly in healthcare. This paper will be addressing, among others, the controversies with RFID, the future of innovation of healthcare-related products, the benefits of nanotechnology, and ethical and legal implications with the development of selected technologies in healthcare.
Controversies
RFID may be defined as the process of using radio waves to identify items uniquely while NFC is a more specific subset of the RFID family that uses High Frequency. However, controversies surrounding their use has also been an issue of substantial debate. One of the significant controversies surrounding the use of RFIDs is its cost. Costs such as those of setting up infrastructure, middleware, and developing RFID tags are high (Graveling, Winski, & Dixon, 2018) . As such, the cost of setting up an RFID system, in general, is high, thereby causing a stir of discussions on its benefits considering its cost.
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Another critical component regarding its use is the issue of information security. Concerning the facts surrounding the use of RFID technology, the question of data security arises and is critical, especially when it is about patient information. Patients will only accept its use if the safety of their information is guaranteed. Indeed, there are questions about the privacy of people's data with the fear that others may access a person's information through tracking and hack into their personal and private information. The need to guarantee the safety of patient information is not debatable. On the same note, misuse of patient’s information also poses a question regarding the RFID use. (Graveling, Winski, & Dixon, 2018) One of the various ways by which information may be misused is through the unauthorized disclosure or intentional misuse by a person who is authorized to access and hold that data.
The other form of threat to patient’s information is about the intentional interception of data in transit by an unauthorized third party. Once the information is intercepted, then major security concerns arise about RFID safety. Also, the other possible risk of safety and data integrity may occur when RFIDs are used to collect health information inappropriately (Graveling, Winski, & Dixon, 2018) . These are some of the most common ways through which data security is threatened, thus raising controversies and a lot of questions regarding the safety of patient information.
The other set of issues pertains to technical issues like reliability, interference, and standards. As a matter of fact, there are no set standards regarding the adherence to medical regulations, such as those of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). More so, the lack of clarity regarding the absence of technical issues that arise from its use (Graveling, Winski, & Dixon, 2018) . Furthermore, there are managerial or operational challenges concerning their use. Chips may pose various health risks during processes such as the MRI scan.
Since patients are not supposed to have any metal objects, including microchips, then the use of RFDIs becomes a challenge. More so, the issues of electromagnetic and electrosurgical interference are influenced by the presence of microchips. Considering the fact that the chips do not stay in a single position, it becomes hard to carry out various healthcare operations. In the event of a medical emergency, locating the chip would be problematic, thereby hindering the speed and efficiency of services.
Innovations in Healthcare
Various forms of innovations continue to occur within the field of healthcare to improve critical areas like service delivery, monitoring, storage of information, and faster and safer administration of efficient healthcare. Companies understand the need for innovations in healthcare and put more significant efforts in achieving that. Regarding the probabilities of human errors and slower healthcare delivery services, companies have opted to form alliances, such as those of manufacturers, to find advanced means of developing better healthcare products and services. This section will give an insight into some of the current and future contributions of companies in developing innovative healthcare products.
Current innovations in the field of healthcare have indicated the potential of more exceptional future changes within specific periods. Better said, the existing innovations have put the platforms for better innovations for which research and more studies are underway (Eisenberg & Price, 2017) . One of the recent technological advancements in medicine is the electronic health record, which revolutionized the mode of storing accessing and using patient information. More so, it set the platform for more improvement techniques of data storage, thereby serving as an essential healthcare tool for the future. Some other contribution of companies includes the mHealth tool, remote sensors technology, and remote monitoring tools, among others.
All these innovations have set the standards for more technological innovations. For instance, some of the significant developments have occurred in the treatment and management of cancer. Significant strides on the areas of early detection, a new vaccine, and even new cancer treatments are some of the current contributions of companies in developing innovative healthcare products (Bhattacharya, Shang, Su, & Goldman, 2019) . However, these are some of the few advancements. More efforts are in place to develop better and proper treatments for diseases such as cancer.
Pharmaceuticals, diagnostic, and medical device industries have all contributed various technological advancements that have helped to alleviate existing situations. For instance, the diagnostic industries have contributed to higher life expectancies, alongside improved life quality concerning issues like cancer. The improved technologies have often resulted in early detection and management of various forms of cancer, which would otherwise be realized at a later stage.
On a similar note, the biotechnology sector has improved several new therapies besides vaccines that have helped to boost the vaccination and treatment of illnesses. Furthermore, other vaccines are in active development, revealing the efforts and the likelihood of even more enormous strides in healthcare. Companies within the healthcare sector continue to play a significant role in developing innovative products. Funding is another critical component in enabling technological advancements (Kelly, 2017) . Regarding this aspect, companies within the healthcare sector are working with other organizations, both governmental and non-governmental, to fund these processes.
Potential Benefits of Nanotechnology
The concept of using nanotechnology has gained a lot of momentum in recent technological developments. The use of nanotechnology has cut across many sectors, including the healthcare sector. Nanotechnology may be defined as the science of materials from the context of a subatomic or molecular level (Joob & Wiwanitkit, 2017) . In healthcare, the use of nanotechnology will be essential in areas like diagnoses and screening, drug delivery, and health monitoring. In diagnosis, for instance, there are several possible uses, including but not limited to nanolitre systems, quantum dots for finding diseases, and antibody-dendrimer conjugates to diagnose conditions like HIV and cancer. These are some of the potential benefits in the subcategory of diagnosis and screening (Joob & Wiwanitkit, 2017) .
Another critical area is that of the drug delivery systems. The systems to be used depends on the drug type and how the drug binds with the particular system. On that note, one of the potential benefits of nanotechnology is the delivery of medications through nanocapsules. Nanocapsules encapsulate the drug being administered and releases it into the body more steadily and slowly, thus providing an excellent form of treatment (Joob & Wiwanitkit, 2017) . Other drug administration modalities in nanotechnology are improved by using liposomes which easily penetrate the membrane, dendrimers which transport the drugs, and buckyballs, which can carry more than one type of medication. These measures allow for managing diseases that can become drug-resistant due to monotherapy (Joob & Wiwanitkit, 2017) .
Still, on the same note, another potential of using nanotechnology is about nanobots. Nanobots can be sent to the blocked body arteries to clear any blockage. As such, these surgeries become more accurate and much faster. More so, injuries can be detected and repaired from one cell to another (Wright, 2016) . Furthermore, damaged genes can be improved, thus reversing the existing genetic conditions. There is a particular number of diseases whose treatment will be enhanced by nanotechnologies like brain disorders and cancer. On brain disorders, the use of nanotechnology is crucial in understanding the human brain because of its ability to cross the barrier known as the blood-brain and accessing remote areas (Wright, 2016) . Scientists can also follow the performance of activities in the brain through nanotechnology's ability to convert these activities into detectable light frequencies.
Regarding cancer, the use of nanotechnology will be crucial in the treatment of cancer. One of the most common cancer treatments is chemotherapy, which works by destroying the cancer cells from multiplying and growing. However, these patients experience challenges of increased susceptibility or vulnerability from the side effects. However, and with the use of nanotechnology, doctors can be able to detect cancer at an early stage (Marta, Luca, Serena, Luisa, & Fabio, 2016) . As such, they can treat or manage cancer successfully before it spreads to other parts of the body.
With nanotechnology, healthy cells are not destroyed in the process of eliminating cancerous cells. Cancerous cells are exposed to laser light through nanotubes that are inserted into them. This technique allows for the destruction of cancerous cells, only leaving the healthy cells unharmed. As such, the direct medication to specific areas is one of the potential benefits associated with nanotechnology (Marta, Luca, Serena, Luisa, & Fabio, 2016) . On health monitoring, the concept of nanotechnology is still essential—the use of nanoparticles and nanotubes as carbon dioxide, cholesterol, and glucose sensors for homeostasis monitoring.
Ethical and Legal Implications of Selected Innovations
The employment of various technological advancements has been of significant contribution in enhancing the delivery of healthcare to patients. However, technological progress also requires proper management, use, and monitoring while administering these essential services to patients. That said, various legal and ethical implications accompany the use of multiple innovations, such as nanotechnology. This section discusses some of the occurring impacts of technology in healthcare.
On legal implications, one of the most crucial elements is about data protection regulation. This concept requires those who are responsible for patients and other relevant information to collect data with proper consent. They also ought to ensure the maintenance and protection of any sensitive data (Graveling, Winski, & Dixon, 2018) . Therefore, the collection of information should be done following the owner's consent, who should also be allowed to withdraw if the need arises. More so, the consent ought to be given freely, unambiguous, and explicit for personal data processing when need be. Another legal consideration is about human rights. Regarding these rights, the extent of data collection should not interfere with an individual’s private life (Graveling, Winski, & Dixon, 2018) .
The other legal implication is about religious discrimination laws where it may be a breach of specific requirements if a person's religious practices or beliefs have been altered with its use. If microchipping does not conform with a person's religious laws, it is considered a breach, and as such, putting a microchip requires similar beliefs between all parties (Graveling, Winski, & Dixon, 2018) . Similarly, there are ethical c oncerns regarding the use of such technologies. One of the most critical ethical concerns is the safety of the patient's data.
Currently, there exists little research on the impacts of the microchip once it is inserted into the body (Jiang & Carmichae, 2019) . For that reason, it is crucial to address the possible impacts and inform the patient about the potential safety and health concerns and any other implications that may result from its use.
The other critical ethical concern is about privacy. Ethicists put a significant amount of attention to the confidentiality of information. An individual is most likely to disagree with the RFID chip implant if he feels the safety of data is threatened (Yasri & Wiwanitkit, 2017) . More so, the holders of this information will have access to monitoring an individual with the implant. In the event of data falling into the hands of an unauthorized person, then there is a risk to the safety of patient information.
As the use of nanotechnology continues to gain significant users, ethical concerns continue to increase. If proper regulations lack or are not adhered to with its use, then adverse impacts may occur. As said earlier, nanotechnology may be applied to several areas within the healthcare sector, including diagnosis and drug development, drug administration, and health monitoring. However, ethical concerns may arise when management bodies use this concept for profit-making (Yasri & Wiwanitkit, 2017) . Therefore, there must be regulations that prevent the use of nanotechnology with hidden agendas. The government or any governing body that is in charge should ensure proper mechanisms of drug administration are followed regarding the use of nanotechnology.
Efficacy and effectiveness are other critical ethical considerations. While administering treatment, it is essential to ensure that the treatment serves its expected role and does not pose additional risks to the patient. Any step of nanotechnology treatment will need to cover incorporate and satisfy these essential steps (Yasri & Wiwanitkit, 2017) . Still, on patient's rights, there is a need for its protection. In a case where the effectiveness of nanotechnology use lacks, it means that there is a violation in the context of informed consent. More so, the safety of a care provider who comes into contact with nano substances must be guaranteed (Jiang & Carmichae, 2019) .
Conclusion
The use of technology has brought about a transition in how healthcare is administered. Companies have and continue to contribute through innovative ideas. However, controversies have developed with the use of some of these ideas, such as the RFID and NFC. Even so, efforts are being made to justify their use. In essence, the impact of technological advancements in the field of healthcare has enabled better delivery of services through fast, efficient, and effective services. More so, more enormous strides are being made to impact on the future technique of healthcare services such as the use of nanotechnology. As such, scientists and researchers are on the frontline to ensure the success of these advancements. All in all, there is a need to address critical concerns for the implementation of innovative ideas and technological advancements.
References
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