Tattoos that Vibrate Could Have Numerous Applications

Tattoos are a pretty polarizing subject.  Most people either think they are awesome, or think they are disgusting and/or desecrate the body.  Personally, I have always thought small simple ones can be very cool but have never gotten one because of the whole permanent nature of the process.

Scientists are now working on a way to make tattoos that can vibrate much like your cellphone.  In fact, that is one of the applications that they are hoping to make work.  According to an article in the Toronto Star, you wouldn’t have to be right next to your phone if you were waiting for an important call.  You could be out swimming or otherwise exercising and when you felt the tattoo vibrate you could retrieve your phone and not miss the call.

There is a whole slew of ideas for applying tattoos in healthcare, many of which have been covered by MedGadget, and like many other ideas this one may still be years away from becoming a reality, but it does get you thinking about the things that have seemed impossible becoming a reality in the not so distant future.

What kind of technology would you like to see become a reality?

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March 26, 2012 I Written By

Filed Under: Gadgets  Health Care  Medical Devices  mHealth  Mobile Health Care
Tags:Healthcare Tattoos    Medical Tattoo  Nokia  Toronto Star  Vibrating Tattoo

Microwork: Will Smartphones Change the way Healthcare is Handled?

Doctors are incredibly busy people.  Their day is filled with seeing patients, reading test results, and filling out paperwork.  EHR/EMR implementation is going a long way to help make their practice more efficient, but there is a new concept evolving that may change the way healthcare is handled.

Bradley Kreit of FastCoExist.com is where I first heard about microwork, a concept that involves breaking down complex processes into simple tasks that are distributed to other people who perform these tasks for a small fee.  This concept is not really developed in healthcare yet, but there is tremendous potential.

While clearly most people are not qualified to perform the tasks of a doctor, there are certain tasks that could be performed by other people.  In developed countries like the US it could help to cut costs and make things more efficient, but in less developed countries it could provide better health and well being.

Like so many things in mHealth the sky is really the limit for microwork.  It is still a relatively new concept, but with time it will be really interesting to see how it gets implemented to make healthcare more effective, and efficient.

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March 15, 2012 I Written By

Filed Under: Health Care  Healthcare IT  mHealth  Mobile Health Care  Smart Phones
Tags:Bradley Kreit  Future of mHealth  Healthcare Efficiency  Microwork  Simplifying Healthcare

The Visual MD: Seeing Your Health Can Help You Improve Your Health

We have all been to the doctor and had tests done.  Usually doctors just say everything looks good.  Now, we are being given more information in terms of what the test results actually were, but unless you are a doctor the numbers and words probably don’t mean a whole lot to you.

The Visual MD is trying to change that by giving you a visual understanding of how healthy you really are.  The video below gives a much better description than I ever could, but I will share some of the things that stuck with me.

Their whole idea is based on telling people a story about their health.  To give them visuals of what it means to have high cholesterol, or how your organs are effected by you gaining or losing weight.  If people can actually see what advice from their doctor means, it becomes much more real for them.

It is all well and good to tell someone they need to lose 30 pounds because they will be healthier.  It is quite another to actually show them how their body will change if they lose that weight.  They can actually see the benefits of their efforts so that they have an incentive to improve their health.

At the end of the video Alexander Tsiaras says that this may have the biggest impact on healthcare since vaccines were created.  That is quite the claim, but I don’t think it is that far-fetched.  Current technology has made humans more visual than ever before, so if we can give people a real visual understanding of their health and what they need to do to change it, they will be much more successful.

 

 

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March 9, 2012 I Written By

Filed Under: Health Care  mHealth  Mobile Health Care
Tags:Alexander Tsiaras  Improving Health Through Technology  Seeing Your Health  TEDMED Videos  The Visual MD  Visual Healthcare  Websites to Improve Health

Aetna Releases CarePass for mHealth Integration

One of the biggest topics for discussion in healthcare right now is interoperability.  It is all well and good to have an amazing app or device, but if it is on an island then it is not as effective as it can be.

Aetna has been quite successful with their iTriage app, but is taking it to the next level with their consumer health platform: CarePass.  Here are some of the main points from their website:

Imagine being able to find the doctor or facility that best meets your needs and preferences, and booking an appointment right on your phone. Imagine being able to access the health and lifestyle apps that are just right for you and have them work together. Imagine the ability to share your medical records and manage your medical conditions by going to one location. Imagine a single tool that integrates your family’s health and fitness information in one place, with one secure password. Imagine one solution that puts the power of health in your hands and provides the help you need at your fingertips.
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With a single secure sign-on, the CarePass platform will enable a consumer to share information across some of the most popular health and fitness apps, and create a personalized, coherent experience to manage their whole health, from getting care to staying well. As consumers face a changing healthcare landscape, CarePass and iTriage will provide important tools to engage consumers, connect them to providers, and help them navigate the evolving system.
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Soon, CarePass will work with third-party developers to unleash their creativity in developing more market-leading consumer solutions. To stay connected to CarePass and other game-changing technologies, and join the conversation.

Using third-party developers is probably the most exciting piece of information.  I understand the appeal of proprietary information, but when it comes to interoperability, third-party development has so much more appeal.  I don’t get the feeling that they are just going to open it up to anyone who wants to develop something, but by taking advantage of other great minds they are creating an opportunity to create something even better.

You can also find a video from Aetna about their products on their website.

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March 6, 2012 I Written By

Filed Under: Health Care  Healthcare IT  mHealth  Mobile Health Care
Tags:Aetna  CarePass  Consumer Health Platform  Healthcare Interoperability  iTriage App  mHealth Interoperability  Third Party App Development

Smartphone’s are everywhere now, and hospitals are no different.  They are used for sending messages, for finding doctors and nurses, and even for updating and accessing patient medical records.  Google is looking to take the whole thing to the next level.

There are with an integrated computer and camera by the end of the year.  I remember thinking that the old Oakleys that had a mp3 player were pretty cool, but this idea is way beyond playing some music.

The mentions a couple of applications this could have in the medical field, but the possibilities are practically endless.  Surgical assist, and mentoring from afar are two of the applications they mention that seem to have the most promise.

There have already been great advancements in these areas with the improvement of cameras and viewing monitors in operating rooms.  Having a computer literally strapped to your eyes would be an incredible asset to any surgeon.  It would also do amazing things in learning environments.

Surgeons would have access to not only x-rays and other images, but they would have access to massive databases of information to perform a standard operation.  Maybe more importantly, they would have that access in those situations that were not expected.

Doctors are incredibly busy people even when they are already occupied with a surgery or other procedure.  Having a device like these glasses would allow doctors to pause and take care of other issues without having to stop the procedure completely.

iMedicalApps is also sponsoring a contest to see who can come up with the most creative use of these glasses.  Of course they are still in development, and mostly a rumor at this point, but it does provide some very interesting opportunities in any number of fields.

I would love to hear about any ideas you may have of how these glasses can be used in any number of industries.

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March 1, 2012 I Written By

Filed Under: Android  Gadgets  Health Care  Healthcare IT  mHealth  Mobile Health Care
Tags:Doctor Assisting Devices        mp3 Oakleys  Surgical Assist Devices