News:
  • Portola Valley First Graders: "Woodland Poem"
  • Abigale Wee: "Growing Home"
  • Hailee Smalley: "Vibrant Petals"
  • Itzel Sanchez: "Untitled"
  • Kaia Glafkides: "America Today"
  • Ana Johnston: "Safer"
  • Contact us
  • About
    • What is Cultural Weekly?
    • Advertise
    • Contributors
    • Masthead
    • Subscribe
    • Submissions: Write for us
    • Cultural Weekly Style & Formatting Guide
  • Contact us
  • About
    • What is Cultural Weekly?
    • Advertise
    • Contributors
    • Masthead
    • Subscribe
    • Submissions: Write for us
    • Cultural Weekly Style & Formatting Guide
Cultural Weekly logo
  • Film
  • TV + Web
  • Poetry
  • Art
  • Architecture
  • Literature
  • Theatre
  • Music
  • Dance
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Film
  • TV + Web
  • Poetry
  • Art
  • Architecture
  • Literature
  • Theatre
  • Music
  • Dance
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • Food

Healthcare Technology: Now and in the Future

By Daphne Stanford on April 5, 2017 inTech

Click Here To View Comments

A number of technological advancements have prolonged lifespans for those who, 20 years ago, would not be privy to any options to speak of. One wild, unbelievable case in point is the possible head transplant being planned for Valery Spiridinov, a man who suffers from muscular atrophy and hopes that the operation will give him a chance at a normal life. If that Frankenstein of a story isn’t impressive enough, let’s take a look at a few more immediately-accessible technological breakthroughs that are changing the face of the healthcare world.

Mobile Health Apps

Remember when cordless phones were the new technology in the phone world? Unlike the days of land lines and home phones, most of us now own a smartphone and, furthermore, we rarely turn them off. According to the University of Illinois at Chicago, a 2015 Pew Research Center report found that, of those who owned a cellphone, 90 percent said that they “frequently” carry their device on them and only 3 percent reported that they “rarely carry it.” Also, the majority of cellphone users keep their phones turned on most of the time. This constant connectedness makes an idea like a blood pressure tracker via mobile app a logical way to track one’s health.  

To give a specific example, U.S. government psychologists developed an app called PTSD Coach in 2011 that was specially designed for use by military veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. The app was designed to be a tool that would be immediately accessible, during distressful moments and acute stressors prompting symptoms. PTSD Coach was apparently downloaded 150,000 times in 86 different countries, and studies have shown that users were appreciative of its practicality. If you’d like to learn more about the app, you can download it here.

Please consider making a tax-deductible donation now so we can keep publishing strong creative voices.

Wearable Technology

You’ve likely heard of wearable technology like the Fitbit and other heart rate monitors, for fitness purposes, but have you ever considered the use of wearable technology to gauge various aspects of your health?  One possible indicator of health conditions like insomnia, sleep apnea, or GERD is the quality of your sleep.  You could try wearing a sleep monitor to track the quality of your sleep and see if there are any correlations between sleep quality and diet, exercise, mood, or other symptoms.  

Big Data

Although big data is tied, in some way, to all the technological breakthroughs already mentioned in this article, there’s also the application of geographic information systems (GIS) mapping to track and visualize data related to outbreaks such as the Zika virus. This technology allows epidemiologists and government officials to predict which areas may be affected next by tracking recent outbreak cases and connecting that data to current and future weather patterns, for example.  

Telehealth

Because of the national shortage of mental health professionals, telecounseling is fast-becoming a viable solution—especially in more rural and less affluent areas of the country. In fact, there are approximately 4,000 areas in the U.S. that have been designated as having a shortage: “one psychiatrist per 30,000 people.” As a result, secure video sessions are being offered in locations like Walgreens in order to increase access for more people in need of counseling and psychiatric care. Telecounseling sessions can also be conducted via phone—or even text, in some cases.  

Augmented Reality

If you haven’t heard of the HoloLens device, it’s an educational tool that utilizes augmented reality to teach medical students anatomy lessons or better prepare them to perform surgery on a patient. The implementation of this technology has the potential of saving medical schools a great deal of money that is ordinarily spent on cadavers, preserving chemicals, and other supplies. Case Western Reserve University is working with the device to further develop it and getting the IT that it needs to be able to support it.    

*   *   *

What are some promising forms of medical technology that you’ve used or heard of?  Share your experiences in the comments section, below!

 

Image Source: Intel Free Press

Click Here To View Comments

TagsARbig datadata scienceHealthcarehealthcare appssciencetechnologytelecounselingtelemedicinewearable technology

Previous Story

Aquariums aren’t all that bad

Next Story

Dukkyu Park: Two Poems

About the author

Daphne Stanford

Daphne Stanford

Facebook Twitter Website

Daphne Stanford is a DJ for Radio Boise. She writes poetry, nonfiction, and lyric essays. There are other ways she enjoys spending her time: hiking, piano, singing at inappropriate times, and good conversation with friends & family. Follow her on Twitter @TPS_on_KRBX.

Related Posts

  • 5 Common IT Support Issues for a Business

    By Our Friends
    Technology in the work environment carries a...
  • 7 Reasons Your Internet May Be Slow

    By Our Friends
    There is almost nothing more frustrating...
  • Why Use a Logo Generator in 2020?

    By Our Friends
    There are numerous logo maker tools...
  • Is Personal Privacy Irrelevant During a Pandemic?

    By Jenna Tsui
    During an outbreak, surveillance can be an...

Support Our Friends

Follow Us

Join Our Mailing List

Latest Tweets

Tweets by @CulturalWeekly

Comments

  • maurice amiel maurice amiel
    Jack Reads “Pronto, Professore“
    In my last architectural history paper, back in...
    1/22/2021
  • Bambi Here Bambi Here
    Support the Jack Grapes Poetry Prize
    Yes – poetry! Thank you, Jack.
    1/21/2021
  • Bambi Here Bambi Here
    Jack Reads “Pronto, Professore“
    Wow! That poem and reading was extraordinary - the...
    1/21/2021

New

  • What mental attributes do you need to be successful playing casino games and how can you boost them?
  • Web Design That Makes Your “About Us” Page Pop
  • Ways to Find Out Which City is the Most Disabled-Friendly
  • New Year, New Love: Dating Tips for a Fresh Start
  • Portola Valley First Graders: “Woodland Poem”

Tags

art dance film Los Angeles music photography poem poems poetry tomorrow's voices today

Like us

Please Help

Donate

Who are we?

Cultural Weekly is a place to talk about our creative culture with passion, perspective and analysis – and more words than “thumbs up” or “thumbs down.” Our mission is to draw attention to our cultural environment, illuminate it, and make it ... read more

Site map

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact us
  • Contributors
  • Cultural Weekly Style & Formatting Guide
  • Food
  • Home
  • Masthead
  • Privacy Policy/Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • Submission Form
  • Submissions: Write for us
  • Subscribe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Thank You

Links

Adam Leipzig
Entertainment Media Partners
This Is Crowd
CreativeFuture
Plastic Oceans Foundation
Arts & Letters Daily
Alltop
Alexis Rhone Fancher
Jack Grapes
Ethan Bearman
Writ Large Press

Mailing List

* indicates required


  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy/Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • Contact us
Cultural Weekly is the digital magazine and public platform of Next Echo Foundation. DONATE HERE.
Copyright © 2010-2020 by Adam Leipzig. All Rights Reserved.