Every day, government agencies are using technology to improve the lives of the public they serve. Health care, energy use, pollution control and general well-being of the people in their jurisdictions can all be made better through the use of smart innovations. Government technology solutions like the integrated apps and cloud computing can be crucial tools as agencies seek to better provide services and promote civic engagement.
Health care is one of the fields that can be impacted by smart tech. According to Government Technology, at the 2015 Fourth International SMART Conference held in Belgium, experts presented papers on how these kinds of technologies are helping citizens,, especially those who are elderly and those with disabilities, obtain a better quality of life. For instance, smart tech like activity trackers and heart rate monitors can help health care organizations know how to provide the best care possible to their patients.
“With the flow of more people into cities, the demand for health care is increased,” said Dr. Renata Souza at the conference. Souza presented research at the conference on how geolocation apps improve overall health and well-being.
Souza also noted that the cloud is a helpful tool when it comes to patient medical records. Under an antiquated system, records and transcripts need to be physically printed and handed from the patient to a doctor. However, with the cloud, medical records may be accessed by different doctors no matter the location. In this regard, the cloud also influences the growing use of telemedicine as a way for doctors to see and treat patients who don’t have reliable access to a health care facility.
What are agencies doing to promote smart technology?
When it comes to improving the lives of citizens, agencies need to use every tool in their belts to make that goal a reality. Government cloud computing is part of this equation. The data provided by Souza’s geolocation apps and other health management tools is most useful when citizens, government organizations and health care providers can view and act on it.
According to Wired contributor Sujatha Perepa, the citizen and self services offered by many federal, state and local organizations are ffacilitated by the use of the cloud. In other words, through the cloud and with the kinds of smart technologies mentioned by the conference in Belgium, government organizations can provide vital services to citizens.
“Accessing the status of their service requests – applications, loans, et cetera – and even their medical records along with the informative wiki resources to improve consumer awareness is pivotal for everyone,” Perepa wrote.
Other uses for the cloud and smart tech
Smart innovations and the cloud provide government IT solutions that serve to improve citizen engagement and therefore impact overall quality of life, as well. Government cloud computing is a great way for agencies to share information and IT services, making health care and civic responsibilities easier to manage. The positive impact that smart technologies have on citizens is not something to be brushed off – and effective government agencies will find ways to implement new solutions.