Health and Technology

Today’s blog entry is about technology, one of my true passions. I’ll begin by sharing some information about a new report on mHealth, the practice of medical and public health supported by mobile devices. Then I will provide an overview of a very unique person and a speech he recently made, and I will close with information about an event I attended in Washington, DC at one of the most impressive technology settings I have ever seen.

A new report on mHealth

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently released a report titled “mHealth:  New horizons for health through mobile technologies.”  This report is based on findings from WHO’s second global survey of its 112 member nations regarding these technologies. The survey found that at least 83% of the member nations report mHealth initiatives in their country, generally focusing on one of six initiative types: 

1.      Communication between individuals and existing health services
2.     Communication between health services and individuals
3.     Consultation between health care professionals
4.      Intersectoral communication in emergencies
5.      Health monitoring and surveillance
6.     Access to information for health care professionals at point of care

For those interested in technology and health, this report is a must-read that has specific illustrations in many different settings globally.

Dr. Daniel Kraft – an innovator for health and healthcare

If you’re a regular reader of this blog you probably know that I enjoy watching great speeches. In April, Dr. Daniel Kraft made a presentation at TEDMed Maastricht entitled “Medicine's Future? There’s an app for that.”  This presentation is as good as it gets in terms of presenting a tightly crafted and cogent overview of the future(s) of technology, health and healthcare. I believe it is well worth a 19-minute investment of your time. Enjoy and imagine!

Dr. Kraft is a physician-scientist who chairs the medicine track for Singularity University with a stated mission to “assemble, educate and inspire leaders who strive to understand and facilitate the development of exponentially advancing technologies in order to address humanity’s grand challenges.”  He is also the executive director and curator for FutureMed – a program that explores the potential of innovative technologies for impact on biomedicine and healthcare.

The Kaiser Permanente Center for Total Health

On June 9, I attended the Health 2.0 Developer Challenge – DC Code-a-thon. This is a one-day meeting that brings designers and developers together with organizations and agencies that have both data for and the need for exciting new applications that have the potential to improve health and health care. The day typically begins with the developers being provided an overview of current issues, tools and data sets. They are then given the rest of the day to design and prototype new tools. They are encouraged to use OpenGov and in particular Data.Gov as resource bases for their activities. This event was only part of a full week of related activities called Health Innovation Week, including:

•  HealthCa.mp/dc - with a focus on understanding the opportunities available in vast arrays of existing data.
• The Health Data Initiative - organized by the Institute of Medicine and USDHHS / National Institutes of Health to encourage innovators to use health-related data for applications designed to raise awareness and ignite community action to improve health.
• The Healthcare Innovation Summit - organized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, Kaiser Permanente, and Vangent. This day was focused on presentations and discussions on how to improve health and health care through innovation.

The Center for Total Health.

Overall it was a great week for people interested in technology innovation and health, and I recommend to any reader of this blog to make an effort in the future to attend one of these events.  They are held several times a year in a variety of places throughout the country. Before I leave this topic I would be remiss in not congratulating Kaiser Permanente for creating the Center for Total Health – which was the host site for most of the week. The Center is located in Washington, DC near Union Station and contains exciting displays and technology demonstrations related to health and health care. The same technology gurus that helped develop the interactive displays at the Newseum and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum designed it. 

The Center for Total Health is a must see. When you walk in the door you see the largest interactive touch panel display you’re likely to experience anywhere now. It is an 80-foot exhibit entitled “Every Body Walk.”  Remarkable exhibit, remarkable location. The Center features many interactive exhibits, displays and a conference center, which makes it a public place to gather around health and health care. Read more about the Center here.

Next time- the quantified self and a few surprises.