What is Computer Science?

Computer Science, or more precisely Compuational Thinking, involves looking at a problem and figuring out a way that a computer may be able to help solve or simplify that problem. This type of thinking can be applied to multiple areas of industry, such as:

And many more.

So how can it be applied to Medicine?

There are a number of ways in which computer science is not only useful, but is depended on in the medical field so that advancements can continue to be made in the research being done to improve the health of everyone.

Medical Imaging

Medical imaging is a broad term that covers technology used to create images of the human body for study and diagnosis. It includes magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, CT scans and X-Rays. All of these devices are controlled by computers. Even X-Ray imaging, which has been used in medicine since the early 20th century, now uses computers for image adjustment and transfer.

Patient Monitoring

Modern computer-based patient monitoring machines allow heart rate, respiratory activity, blood pressure and other critical vital signs to be collected automatically in digital form. Computer monitoring machines cut down on the time spent on routine tests in doctors' offices. In hospitals, they have the ability to automatically update a patient's chart and notify hospital staff of changes to a patient's vitals.

Computer-Assisted Surgery

Computers are used to assist in planning, teaching and performing many surgical procedures. One of the biggest recent developments in this area is robotically-assisted surgery (RAS), which allows surgeons to use robotic devices and computer software to complete minimally-invasive procedures. The surgeon remains in control and guides the robot device to complete complex operations in confined parts of the body.

These are just some of the ways in which Computer Science is used in medicine and there are many more. It is clear that computer science is a big part in the research currently being done and is vital in the progession of the medical industry. Here is come more information about computer science and its applications in medicine:

Infograph on intersection of healthcare & computer science

University of Illinois at Chicago