Healthcare Apps on Smartphone

Long time ago, the mobile phone was used for simple calling. Slowly it started coming with music player and camera.
But now mobile phone has entered into a new era belonging to Smartphones. Lots of companies also emerged developing different apps for these smartphones.
Similarly, using this technology lots of apps in Healthcare also got built up. To name few of them are:-

1. First Consult for iPhone           First consult provides the doctors with information related to symptoms, along with its diagnosis and treatment.
2. Epocrates for Android              Apart from services provided by First consult, the Epocrates also provides information on diagnostic laboratory tests with results and interpretation of those results.
3. OnTimeRx for BlackBerry       OnTimeRx provides a reminder when a medication dose needs to be administered.

and many more apps....

Nice Story for need of technology in Healthcare

Just came across the below particular story, which emphasizes on the need of integration of Healthcare systems so that the medical history of the patient is shared across hospitals and rehabs for better patient care.

Major players developing Hospital Management System are working towards the sharing of patients data, but still it has long way to go. As these players are working towards integration within their systems only. But integration is required across systems.

Story link:-
http://healthsystemcio.com/2010/12/27/healthcare-delivery-up-close-and-personal/

Telemedicine

Telemedicine is one of the developing application of technology in the field of medicine. Telemedicine refers to using technology to consult the patients similar to face to face consultation. Even it is used to consult with other Doctors.
Telemedicine can be used to:-

• Send the data(medical images, reports, etc.) to the doctors, so they can monitor them and consult other physicians.
• Help physicians monitor the patient health on constant interval such as BP, sugar level etc.
• Help physicians to interact with Patients using Phone, web etc.

Building Systems relevant for treatment using IT

The technology started playing its role in healthcare years ago that we even forget to consider. Few of the examples where technology played role in improving healthcare-

• Use of computer printout for lab reports
• ECG machines
• Ultrasonography machines

Now with help of technology top Hospitals are going paper-less. Various systems such as EMR, EHR, Hospital Management Systems have being built up with latest technology.

What are these systems?

Whenever Patient goes to a doctor whether in-patient or out-patient; it is necessary for doctor to know the medical history of the Patient. Usually, the patient doesn’t remember or sometimes even doesn’t know what information is relevant for the check-up. These systems help the physician to let him know all the information regarding the Patient such as allergy, previous diagnostics etc.

Pencil X-ray machine

X-Ray is one of the technology that is used very frequently in Healthcare. It is used in many forms such as Angiography, detect fractures.
It is very difficult for patient to commute to hospital while suffering with fractures. Thus, to make it comfortable for patients, the technology can be used to produce Pencil X-Ray machines. These X-Ray machine could be carried to the patient's house.

This is with reference to  Pencil projectors. Similar concept can be brought to produce Pencil X-Ray machines.