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Do-it-yourself health care Advancements in personal health care can be credited partly to technology such as wearable devices and smartphone applications that are now allowing individuals to track their health. Mike Thompson, a principal in PwC's global human resources services business, explains that this will undoubtedly continue in 2015. At work, our focus is on contracting for the providers and finding alternative payment methods, such as pay for performance (tied to health outcomes) and trying to reign in costs for the higher cost patients by providing care management and tools for daily living with their condition.

New technology in health care is making it easier for health care professionals to diagnose and treat their patients in real time and more effectively. From new advancement in 3D printing, to ingestible or wearable sensors, keeping track of one's health is becoming easier and giving doctors and scientists more time to find cures.

(Image credit: AFP/Getty Images via @daylife) By Ellen Lee The IBM computer that won a game of "Jeopardy" more than a year ago could soon be part of a patient's medical team. That's just one of the dizzying number of ways technology could transform the health care industry.

A new year is upon us and we are already seeing amazing advancements in healthcare technology, everything from enterprise cloud software to nanobots. Is healthcare finally catching up with the times? New startups and fortune 500 companies alike, are in a modern-day health care gold rush, with everyone trying to stake their claim.

Offering state-of-the-art technology and advanced cancer therapies is a priority at Steward® Centers for Cancer Care. From robotic assisted surgery to high precision radiation treatments, our specialists are continually exploring and testing the latest, cutting edge technology and treatments.

As the world becomes more digitized, the health care industry is racing to keep up, sparking an explosion of new digital technology geared to improving patient care. Most visible to patients is the move to electronic medical records, or EHRs, by doctors and hospitals in an effort to streamline record-keeping and meet federal guidelines.

The past several decades have seen major strides in technology of all kinds. Improvements in semiconductors have allowed faster computation and communications, as well as the construction of databases that outdo themselves every year. In many industries, technology development has spurred further improvements in efficiency-a virtuous cycle. In health care, this process is happening at a much slower rate. It has taken decades to complete even relatively simple tasks such as digitizing medical records.

First there was telecommuting, now there's telemedicine.  In this article, Google glass is being utilized to determine whether an in-person consult with a doctor is necessary to treat a wound by sending video and audio of patient to doctors and nurses.  While telemedicine seems like a practical way of linking up doctors with patients who really need legitimate medical consult, could we be compromising quality of care in the process?

Remote patient monitoring remains a vital aspect of strengthening patient health outcomes and the quality of care across the medical field. At my place of work, we have a new benefit called teledoc. We can call, text, email, skype with a provider if primary care is unavailable.

This is a great idea, especially for people unable to be removed from their homes from illness or injury!

Digital innovations have now made it possible for consumers to use portable devices to access their medical information, monitor their vital signs, take tests at home and carry out a wide range of tasks.

We now have the technology to digitize a human being in highest definition, in granular detail, and in ways that most people thought would not be possible. Accessing our medical records and our personal medical data has never been easier, with EMR portals, apps and other products from the digital world.

A new site that helps you reach your wellness goals, including nutrition and fitness. Technology allows them to match coaches with individuals who would like a wellness coach. Wellness is part of preventative care, which has been proven to be cheaper than treating ailments.

This site is a great resource for anyone interested in integrative health care. Dr. Hobb's is an herbalist and mycologist and provides easy to use information on how to incorporate herbs into your medicine cabinet. For those that want to go a step further and learn to prepare their own extracts, teas, and tinctures, there are online courses and downloadable videos and class handouts available for free.

Firefly flourescent technology assists a surgeon using the daVinci robotic surgical system (robotic assisted surgery) to be able to see endometriosis lesions clearly and improves precision and accuracy. Dr. Jennifer Browning is the first surgeon to use daVinci robotic surgery with Firefly fluorescent technology.

Times are changing right before our eyes. Think Fitbits are all the rage? How about a pair of contact lenses that can track your blood sugar level? Google is working on it right now! A new world of "wearables" is on its way and they are looking to do far more than simply record and aggregate our behaviors. Check out this article for more detail.

An analysis of recent trends in digital health care and a review of the scientific literature suggests patients' future use of physician services will change dramatically as electronic health records and consumer e-health "apps" proliferate.

Not sure how I feel about people diagnosing themselves through their phones, but would be handy in some situations.