Healthcare & Technology

 Venture capitalists have invested $955 million in the healthcare IT industry. The federal government of the United States is planning to invest nearly $29 billion as incentives to motivate hospitals and clinics to digitize their healthcare records.

1. Watson is the name of the supercomputer that the researchers at IBM are developing in order to help doctors make better diagnoses and treatment recommmendations. Physicians can depend on Watson to keep track of the patient’s history, keep abreast with the recent medical research and evaluate treatment options. In the later part of the current year, doctors at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Center in New York will begin testing ‘Dr. Watson’.
2. Science Applications International Corporation or SAIC has developed a translation program for physicians and other professionals in the medical field. It is called Omnifluent Health. The range of products involves a great mobile application which allows doctors to speak into the application. For instance, if a patient suffers from an allergic condition due to penicillin, the message can be translated into another language instantly. Given the fact there are more than 50 million U.S. residents who do not speak fluent English, the program can work as a boon for physicians who require relying on translators in order to communicate with their patients.
3. Can social networking help physicians work together better to take care of their patients? The answer is yes and Doximity has made it possible. It is a social network designed exclusively for physicians. With the help of Doximity, physicians throughout the United States can make an online discussion on different critical cases. This venture has received a whopping $27 million of funding.
4. The connection between doctors and patients is now easier.  Sherpaa, a New York City start-up which provides patients with medical consultations both online and over the phone. Patients can get advice from some of the leading medical specialists of the city. Tumblr is one of the big names who have become a part of this service.
5. Staying energetic, sleeping well and eating good – these three are an integral part of a healthy lifestyle. An increasing number of mobile applications and gadgets are designed to motivate people to make healthy choices when it comes to their lifestyle. Fitbit is a pedometer. It keeps track of daily sleep and activity using social networking and gaming to encourage the users.Lark, a silent alarm clock and sleep monitor tracks and evaluates an individual’s  sleep habits over time. It offers advice on how to get better rest. 

Along with these, there are several other food-monitoring, menu-tracking and calorie-counting applications to alarm the foodies and help the diet-conscious people. 

 The healthcare industry has been waiting for a much-needed boost. The wait is said to be worth it.  Although the implementation of mobile applications and medical translation tools is in a preliminary stage, the technological advancements can upgrade patient treatment and save a considerable amount in health care costs. 

iPhone and Fingerprints

 

Apple reports that the  latest prerelease version of the operating software iOS 7 for iPhones and iPads that will be released later this year contains a folder called “BiometricKit UI”.

The folder contains code that says the phone will display a photo of a person holding an iPhone while touching their thumb on the home button and then will display a fingerprint image that changes colour during the setup process. Apple bought a fingerprint sensor company Authentec last year for $365 million. Authentec makes technology that cannot only identified fingerprints through scanning but also identifies the different fingers, so that each finger can be assigned a different task.

It’s certain whether Apple would use fingerprint scanning as a way letting people log into their phone, rather than type a PIN, or whether it would be linked to an eCommerce transaction system.

Apple so far has not installed Near Field Communication into its phones, which is the wireless communication system preferred by other smartphone makers including Samsung that lets people pay for goods by touching their phone against a scanner.

There also are rumours the new iPhone range will include a budget model that has been labelled the iPhone 5C.

 

 

Policy Research Center To focus On Data Innovation

The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) has established the Center for Data Innovation to better educate policymakers around the world about the economic and social benefits.  The center will focus its research and education efforts on developing public policies that  will increase the potential benefits of data.

Data literate’ policymakers at the national, state and local levels, in order to make smart decisions about how information is collected, managed, analyzed and shared. The center will seeks  make sense of data for those working in government and for those working in data industries.

The center’s first projects will be “Data Innovation Across America,” a component of the Millennial Trains Project. The effort, conducted by ITIF research analyst Travis Korte, seeks to investigate how data is changing communities and industries across the nation and will assist lawmakers in understanding how this transformation impacts policymaking and governance.

In addition, the center will take lead in the organization of Data Innovation Day, which will be held on January 24, 2014. ITIF launched the event in 2013 and the inaugural celebration brought together over 60 organizations from around the world to raise awareness about the benefits and opportunities that come from the increased use of information.

The center will produce a free weekly newsletter to provide leaders in business, government, and the non-profit sector with access to the latest information on big data, open data, data analytics, and data visualization.

 

National Science Foundation’s 911 App

On Tuesday, the National Science Foundation  showcased a smartphone app that allows 911 operators critical insights into what’s going on at the scene of an emergency call. This  app  can relay crucial biometric data to dispatchers, enabling them to gather vital signs and other information that helps them assist victims and assist first responders.

The software, which was developed by researchers at the University of North Texas, led by Professor of Computer Science and Engineering Ram Dantu, offers users a host of features that could be life-saving in an emergency.

These include text-to-speech technology for clear communication; remote control of smartphone cameras to help 911 operators view emergency scenes; and monitors that relay breathing, blood-pressure and other vital signs to emergency responders. In addition, the app even includes a sensor that helps guide someone responding to an emergency through the proper steps to perform CPR.

The software is still in its pilot phase and will be demonstrating it next week at the 2013 National Emergency Number Association conference in Charlotte, N.C. 

The app offers  advantages over traditional 911 calls.

Its text-based communication capabilities, for instance, are -suited for deaf or hearing impaired users.  Crucial in contacting officials during a scenario – a hostage or domestic abuse situation – where speaking aloud could be dangerous. They might also be critical in a mass-casualty emergency. The app’s biometric tools make full use of the capabilities of smartphones. A first-responder can place the phone on chest of victim, relaying the number of breaths per minute to the operator. It also enables monitoring of blood pressure and heart rate. If someone has irregular heartbeats, the operator is able to  clearly see them on his end.

The app was devised on the Android platform, the next phase will be to develop it for the iPhone platform. Next phase an app  store.

Motorola Developing Digital Tattoos and “Smart pills

 

Motorola has wearable, tattoo-embedded, and  swallowable gadgets in the pipeline. Motorola’s Advanced Technology and Projects Group chief Regina Dugan – former DARPA chief – showed up at D11 wearing an electronic tattoo that could be worn on the skin for a week at a time, and used to cut through the numerous authentication processes we go through every day.The tattoos rely on a new, stretchable electronics system that can keep working even as it flexes on the wearer’s arm.

There is also the digital Proteus smart-pill. The  pill contains a “switch” which creates electricity from the chemical processes in the body when swallowed. The result is the switch toggling on and off, and creating an 18-bit ECG-like signal. The pills are safe for human consumption:

Instead of  the user relying on carrying a device, or remembering to strap one on each morning, the technology is temporarily bonded to their skin.

That bond has another advantage, since the responses of the wearer’s skin can also be used to collect health data. The tattoo is made up of various sensors and gages, such as for tracking strain in multiple directions (how the user is flexing), EEG and EMG (electrical impulses in the skeletal structure or nerves), ECG (heart activity), and temperature, as well as light and other factors. In total, it’s a mini-lab for your arm, the side of your head, or anywhere else on the body.

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Whats New In mHealth

 

 

iPatientCare mEHR (mobile EHR) is meant to provide highly mobile healthcare providers with anywhere, anytime access to patient’s clinical records at the point-of-care. This system allows physicians to view a complete clinical summary of patients, write a quick script, and capture charges, while making hospital rounds or visiting hospices.

The digital dashboard is  available to the physicians at their finger tips and allows them to stay connected with the office from wherever they are. All the refill requests, lab results, appointment list, messages are delivered to them in a secured manner and they can perform the necessary actions using a simple touch of a button. What’s more? They get alerted for all the new documents and tasks, even when they are not connected to the system.