How will you educate patients on what nanotechnology is? How does it help in a patient's health?
One can educate patients on what nanotechnology in healthcare is by explaining the meaning of the term and by stating examples of its use in the medical sector. According to Mishra (2016), nanotechnology in medicine is defined as the use of the knowledge of materials at the molecular level to improve healthcare. Unlike human attention, the biological matter has the capability of focusing on particles in the range of protein molecule 10−9 m which is the nanometer (Mishra, 2016). Nanomedicine is based on the philosophy that engineering drug particles in this size increases efficacy and minimizes side effects. In the attempts to upgrade healthcare services by improving drug and vaccine delivery methods as well as ensuring early diagnosis of diseases, nanotechnology has proved to be one of the most promising areas in the medical sector.
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The innovation is used in the diagnosis and screening of malaria, HIV, and cancer. Early detection of such diseases increases the chances of recovery and stabilizing of the patients’ conditions. Nanotechnology also helps in the patients’ health by improving drug delivery; this is because the innovation overcomes the challenges of sustaining the release of the medications in the patient’s body and regulating the amounts of active ingredients per dosage. Examples of drug delivery systems using the technology include smart tattoos, nanocapsules, liposomes, dendrimers, attapulgite clays, and nanobiomagnets (Mishra, 2016). Nanotechnology is also used in health monitoring. Outlining the definition of the term nanotechnology and explaining examples of its use in the healthcare sector is the best way to educate the patients on the innovation .
What common treatments for smoking and cardiac disease might you use to compare smart tattoos (tattoo technology in healthcare in diabetes) to and to explain how its nanotechnology work?
The smart tattoo which is an example of nanotechnology is an innovation where a patient diagnosed with diabetes is implanted with a nascent device within their skin which ensures continuous glucose levels detection (Meetoo et al., 2019). The smart tattoo is similar to the pacemaker treatment for arrhythmia a cardiac disease because, in both treatments, a device is implanted under the skin (Qamar, 2015). If the heart rate is too fast or too slow or the structure and functioning of the heart are irregular due to problems in the heart’s electrical system, then, a pacemaker may be placed in the patient’s body. A pacemaker is an electrical device that helps the heart to maintain a normal rhythm. Both treatments also monitor and ensure the normal functioning of the body. The tattoo technology in healthcare in diabetes can also be compared to nicotine placement therapy (NRT) which aims to reduce the urge to smoke cigarettes (Wadgave & Nagesh, 2016). Both smart tattoos and NRT are placed within the skins of the patients. NRT works by releasing smaller doses of nicotine compared to smoking while smart tattoos work by continuously monitoring and responding to the changes in levels of sugar in the blood. Smart tattoos and other forms of nanotechnology continue to play a significant role in the diagnosis and treatment of patients. With the increased focus on nanotechnology science in healthcare, nanomedicine continues to be one of the most promising branches of medicine with the ability to improve patients’ health.
References
Meetoo, D., Wong, L., & Ochieng, B. (2019). Smart Tattoo: Technology for Monitoring Blood Glucose in the Future. British Journal of Nursing , 28 (2), 110-115. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjon.2019.28.2.110
Mishra, S. (2016). Nanotechnology in Medicine. Indian Heart Journal , 68 (3), 437-439. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ihj.2016.05.003
Qamar, A. (2015). Arrhythmias and Pacemakers. Critical Care Medicine , 27 (7). https://doi.org/10.1097/00003246-199907000-00056
Wadgave, U., & Nagesh, L. (2016). Nicotine Replacement Therapy: an Overview. International Journal of Health Sciences , 10 (3), 407-416. https://doi.org/10.12816/0048737
