Traditionally bowel sounds and the ability to pass urine were signs of postoperative progress. Now there’s the smart phone sign. Researchers in this month’s Journal of Hospital Medicine studied 221 postoperative patients. They wanted to know if a patient’s use of a smartphone during the initial clinical assessment by a surgeon could be used as a marker for well-being ... Continue Reading about Smart Phone Sign – A Measure of Well-Being and Suitability for Discharge
npj Digital Medicine – Moving Digital Health from Hype to Evidence
Nature Research has teamed up with the Scripps Translational Institute to launch a new journal focused on digital medicine. The journal, npj Digital Medicine is under the Nature Partner Journal Series and the editorial tutelage of Dr. Eric Topol, professor of genomics and founder of the STSI and Dr. Steven Steinhubl, director of digital medicine at Scripps ... Continue Reading about npj Digital Medicine – Moving Digital Health from Hype to Evidence
3 Points on Potential Uses of Digital Adherence Monitoring
In this week’s New England Journal of Medicine Dr. Lisa Rosenbaum uses digital adherence monitoring to offer an overview of the complexities surrounding medication adherence. In Swallowing a Spy — The Potential Uses of Digital Adherence Monitoring she concludes that technology won’t make up for what doctors don’t have the time to do: For those of us who struggle, ... Continue Reading about 3 Points on Potential Uses of Digital Adherence Monitoring
Quantified Self: Dead or Just Part of the Background?
I hear less about quantified self these days. 6-8 years ago at tech/digital meetings it was the stuff of panels. Not so much any more. Talking about quantified self as a thing is odd because many of us are measuring things about ourselves. Enough to make it less of a novelty than it once was. When cell phones were new we measured how many people had them. When ... Continue Reading about Quantified Self: Dead or Just Part of the Background?
Kardia Band for Apple Watch – 4 Lessons From the Hype Cycle
It’s been an interesting week to watch the news surrounding the Apple Watch. The FDA approved the Kardia Band - a new ECG sensor for the Apple Watch that allows the recording of a single-lead ECG with the capture of conditions such as atrial fibrillation (AF). Apple also announced its entry into cardiac research with the Apple Heart Study. In partnership with ... Continue Reading about Kardia Band for Apple Watch – 4 Lessons From the Hype Cycle
Medical Virtualist – A Specialty with a Tenuous Future
A JAMA article this week proposes the a new specialty, the medical virtualist. But the suggestion that the virtual connection of doctors and patients will be restricted enough to be a medical specialty is shortsighted. The medium does not define the doctor Because the medium doesn’t define the doctor. In fact, it should be the other way around. Communication ... Continue Reading about Medical Virtualist – A Specialty with a Tenuous Future