Over the
next few years, a new form of digital technology is going to become
increasingly apparent in our everyday lives. Governments across the world are
becoming more and more aware of the boundless possibilities that result when
health care is combined with online technology. In a bid for the future,
entrepreneurs are being encouraged to invest in digital health, developing new
concepts and devices that provide a wide range of health-related services such
as new ways to monitor and detect illnesses or facilitating medical education
over the Internet. Dr Asif Qasim, renowned consultant cardiologist and founder
of the medical knowledge sharing platform MedShr, gives his views on the
subject.
It’s hard
to miss the transformation of our health industry as it sweeps out the old
methods, leaving space for new technology and innovation. Health-related
applications abound, all seeking to encourage users to take control of their
health. Some might be considered gadgets but others are having a significant
effect on how medical care is managed and administered. Athletes have been
using smart wristbands for years to track their heart rate and breathing and
monitor their personal performance on the Internet. As Dr Asif Qasim points
out, today, similar technology can be used for a wide variety of reasons, from community
care for elderly people to the tracking of infectious diseases.
Asthma
sufferers can monitor their attacks and treat their condition more effectively
thanks to inhalers equipped with sensors that record vital information and send
it directly to the physician. Chronic disease sufferers can take smart pills
equipped with microscopic sensors that send alerts to caregivers when intervention
is needed. Electronic panic buttons integrated into sensor-equipped wristbands
are allowing elderly people to stay at home rather than go into care. They are
the modern-day equivalent of emergency personal alarms, but much easier to
reach in the case of a fall, says Dr Asif Qasim.
While these
devices are aimed at consumers, the information they garner can then be used toward
medical research. Data-sharing networks and electronic health records are also valuable
sources of patient information that can be tracked and cross-correlated,
providing insight into current health trends.
As Dr Asif
Qasim underlines, networks connecting patients to their physicians and to other
patients are also on the up and up. Remote consultations for people with
limited mobility are making sure they get regular treatment. Forums and blogs
for chronic disease sufferers provide emotional support and insider advice that
can ease the burden of dealing with long-term illness. Isolation for elderly
patients becomes a thing of the past when staying in touch can also mean
staying at home, communicating with other people going through similar
situations.
Dr Asif Qasim stresses the importance of peer-to-peer learning networks and shares his
thoughts on how physician-only platforms are also contributing to saving many
lives throughout the world. “Applications such as MedShr provide a secure environment for doctors
across the world to upload, share and discuss cases and upload images or movie
footage of procedures and operations. By connecting doctors locally, nationally
and around the world, physician-only networks are improving healthcare and ultimately
saving lives.”
