Unbiased Analysis of Today's Healthcare Issues
PwC just released a report on wearable technology. Some findings from the health field include: More than 80% of consumers said an important benefit of wearable technology is its potential to make health care more convenient. Consumers have not yet embraced wearable health technology in large numbers, but they’re interested. More than 80 percent of…
At Boston’s Partner’s HealthCare, the answer is yes. Venture Beat reports: Boston’s Center for Connected Health, a division of Partners HealthCare, launched one of the first ‘connected health’ programs last month. It’s showing early signs of success, according to an article published this week in the Boston Globe. Through the new system, patients can monitor their blood pressure, heart rate,…
Is Google going into the optometry business? You’ve probably heard of Google Glass, but recently Google has built a contact lens. The contact lens would not only improve your vision, but it could also monitor your diabetes levels. From the Google Blog: We’re now testing a smart contact lens that’s built to measure glucose levels…
Currently, robot-assisted surgery today is dominated by the da Vinci Surgical System. The device is highly regarded, but is heavy (weighs half a ton) and expensive ($1.8m). Plus it uses proprietary software, which means that physicians and engineers not associated with da Vinci cannot alter its operating system. Change is on the horizon, however. “None…
How do new technologies affect longevity and health care cost? A working paper by Chandra and Skinner investigates just this question. The authors categorize medical innovations into three broad categories. Category I. These are the home run treatments. The treatments are highly cost effective for all patients with the disease. For instance, the development of…
After purusing through CNet’s Webware 100 winners, I came across the site ZocDoc. According to CNET: “ZocDoc is a doctor and dentist finder. It also lets patients book a time with their doctor online, just like they would when making reservations for a restaurant. Users simply need to drop in their insurance carrier and plan,…
Information technology has the possibility of greatly increasing the efficiency of health care. EMRs can reduce the cost of accessing patient information. New technologies can make medical devices more effective. But is there a cost to increased medical technology? GigaOM wonders “…will widespread diagnostics increase the burden on healthcare? Somewhere between 10 and 50…
Takes All Types uses social networking software such as Facebook to reach out to donors when blood is needed in their local area.
My grandmother is 96 years old and incredibly lives on her own. My mother drops off packages of food she prepares for my grandmother and gets her mail, but my grandmother still does her laundry and gets herself ready in the morning. Bringing in some help for her or moving her to an assisted living…