Group items tagged

I don't know if this applies to this group but - holy cow - it was fascinating! It relates to innovative technology and the human body so I thought I'd include it here. I love all forms of biology and this article talks about creating nanomachines to mimic what the protein molecules do in our bodies. Our cells are like mini machines in their functionality, can you imagine duplicating this with our muscles - only synthetically, with machines? This technology will lead to the development of artificial muscles! This is unbelievable and a bit scary at the same time.

The word addiction can possibly scare everyone away from reading this great article. I felt this is good for everyone, unless you don't use social media at all, but if you are thinking about, then it is for you too. Amid the controversy surrounding social media, I wondered if there existed any practical advice out there to help people who have problems controlling their use of it. Many of us are aware of its problems and have seen documentaries about it, but I have rarely come across information on the internet offering sensible solutions that people can try. This may even be useful to people like myself, those who don't consider themselves addicted! In any case, this article offers practical advice such as: 1. Admit that you have a problem. (I would say if you don't think you have a problem, at least admit that you don't want to get one!) 2. Track the time use 3. Cut back on the number of media platforms you use if you have to 4. Assign your usage time 5. Avoid temptation. Based on many studies and polls (i.e. The Jed Foundation) they found that 90% of college students used a social networking site within the last week. We know that social media can impact us emotionally and impact our grades to rob us from the benefits of the material we study. This article gives us the simple tools to help whether you are addicted or not! The only bad about this article is that they use the word addition which could scare people away. What I appreciated most about this article is that it's suggestions are easy, doable, and do not only apply to addicts.

After having knee surgery several years ago, which thanks to robotic technology and cameras, was a very successful experience. My physician, an Orthopaedical Surgeon and a sports doctor, had a conversation with me about exercise. He suggested that running wasn't the best exercise for knee health. Because many of his patients were injured, they often needed to change what exercise orientation. He shared with me about some benefits of wearable devices. I had a meniscus tear in my knee that required surgery, so decided to become a bike rider instead of a runner. Impressed with the technology involved in my operation, I began to checkout wearable devices and purchased one. Do to my positive experience, I found this article to be very informative about this technology and its health benefits. The article focuses on "accelerometers", which captures a lot of physical data about your movement from sitting, standing, walking, etc. This is so important because you are capturing pertinent data about your health that can be reviewed by you and your doctor or therapist. The article exposes that in the past, researchers relied on questionnaires that we know contained many inaccuracies. The article explains the great potential accelerometers can offer that can allow us to relegate and optimize our activities for our personal health. For example, we can maintain a certain heart rate as we exercise to monitor the calories we are burning and to select a mode of exercise. Should I run, ride a bike, take tai chi, or swim? Is tennis better? Each form of exercise involves a different impact on our bodies. With an accelerometer, this is no longer subjective and this article exposes its many uses. We can now capture and use empirical data to decide which exercise is best for us!

This article talks about the FDA providing guidelines to developers of mobile apps that can potentially carry more than minimal risks for its end users. App examples provided on the article include those that can diagnose arrhythmia or mobile devices that can be utilized as an ultrasound.  I think this article would be a good read for anyone who have purchased any health/medical related up on Google Play or the iTunes store.  It's good to know that the FDA recognizes the importance of putting some regulations in place in terms of these apps knowing that some individuals have a tendency of doing self-diagnosis using these apps prior to paying their doctors a visit.  

This article talks about recent rumors that Apple is on the verge of releasing its very own body-monitoring app, Healthbook.  The app is designed to track things such as heart rate, weight, physical movements, and etc.  For those of us who've purchased other body-monitoring apps by third party developers on our iPhones, this new Apple-developed app provides us with another option.

The CDC is getting some help from Wikipedia as far as tracking and predicting flu outbreaks.  The algorithm that two researchers from Boston Children's Hospital, David J. McIver and John S. Brownstein, is based on the number of views of flu-related articles on Wikipedia.  This algorithm is said to have cut down the time it currently takes the CDC to track and predict flu outbreaks.  The algorithm was developed by analyzing view data from late 2007 through the middle of August 2013.  Given the number of people affected by flu year after year, I think that this article is relevant and should interest everyone.

This link provides a great resource for anyone involved in the HITECH project. Healthcare providers and vendors of Healthcare technologies use this site to register to attest to the meaningful uses stages. This CMS page also has treasure chest of data and white papers to explain the government sponsored EHR incentive program.

A description of an Echocardiogram, which essentially takes live pictures of the heart in its entirety. I recently underwent this procedure this year to monitor the thickness of my left ventricle as I have Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. I undergo this annually. My Left Ventricle is thicker than it should be and it could lead to a permanent closure stopping the flow of blood if not monitored / treated.

My Fiance received a smiliar model, the 630G, last week. This is a huge improvement from the older model she was wearing! I'm excited for her and her safety as the technology advances to help people with Type 1 Diabetes to live a more normal life.

A really cool site that gives you average ER wait times for local hospitals. This helps users determine which ER is actually the best to go to based on wait time, distance, and hospital rating.

Hi Eric - this is a cool site. I dread going to the ER due to the wait times and this is a great resource for users to find out each ER's stats regarding wait times, etc.

Approved for commercial use by the FDA in 2000, the DaVinci robotic system might not be new to you, but it appears to be gaining popularity in some areas of the country. A demo was set up in this mall allowing patrons to sit in the Captain's chair of this amazing machine.

Wow this is scary haha. Im not sure if I could agree to have a robot perform surgery on me..... but I would be unconscious anyway so I guess I could get over it.

There is an industry wide push to develop and deliver applications hosted in a cloud environment. This platform that in some regards is still in its infancy still seems to have a limited amount of usable information available. This free publication provides a great forum for information on the latest trends, concerns, best practices and advancements.

This article focuses on the HIPPA components of the HITECH act of 2009. It walks through how auditing is enforce, how to notify of a breach as well as a number of other privacy components to be aware of. There is an increased risk to a provider as the "HITECH Act also widens the scope of privacy and security protections available under HIPAA". This is need to know material for those of us in the Healthcare IT field.

This site provides a great utility for Healthcare Providers who are planning to attest to Meaningful Use under the HITCH act of ARRA. The online interface reviews and evaluates if a provider currently meets to requirements for the core measures. If you are a Healthcare provider or a Healthcare solutions vendor assisting a provider this is a great reality check.

For anyone interested in the details of the HITECH act delivered with The American Reinvestment & Recovery Act or ARRA this is a great resource. This page does a nice job describing the details and drivers behind the bill and need for change. It currently contains links to PDF Meaningful Use final rules white papers for Stage 1 and Stage 2. When stage 3 is complete it will be posted here as well.

Discovered this interactive fitness and wellness website fivi.com. You can share nutrition ideas, set up a virtual running route, & workout ideas. This blog talks about a recent WSJ article on heart disease.

Manufactured Drugs - Beta Blockers help to treat several different types of Heart disease, including the disease I have called Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

This article discusses the huge increase in apps used to track fertility for both conception and birth control purposes.  It goes over pros, cons, and which apps are actually useful and which to avoid.  Great resource for anyone interested in tracking their cycle and considering an app.

As I sufferer of Endometriosis, I am happy to see this advancement in technology for detecting Endometriosis. This new technology, the use of narrow band imaging makes it easier for a surgeon to detect Endometriosis by 20% during laparascopic surgery.

This article shows the advancement of technology in medicine, assisting a young man who has a chip implanted in his brain gain control of his arm with the use of a computer.

Wow. Now this is awesome. I love inventions and scientific leaps that would bring miracles to people's lives.