Digital Health Dr. David Samadi explores the latest technology and innovative products, apps, computers, health systems and more affecting hospitals, healthcare and the doctor-patient relationship. Learn the best health apps, fitness tech tools and nutrition help through technology.
Researchers from Washington State University have just developed alow-cost, portable laboratory on a smartphone that can analyze several samples at once to catch a cancer biomarker, producing lab quality results.
Read MoreA team of researchers and engineers have developed a new application for smartphones that could allow doctors using their mobiles to monitor patients' hearts. The i-Stethoscope uses sensors built-in the phone to check a person's heart. Data can be collected and shared with ease. But according to doctors, there are still some things the app cannot do, since it cannot substitute for the doctor-patient relationship. Eko Devices, the Berkeley, California-based company that developed the smartphone app, has received FDA 510(k) clearance for the companion smartphone app and for its smartphone-enabled stethoscope, called Eko Core.
Read MoreA small trial of a portable device that can rapidly read a patient's vital signs shows it performs well compared with standard hospital monitors. The hand-held, battery-powered device - called MouthLab - is the invention of biomedical engineers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD. The device, which picks up vital signs from the patient's lips and fingertips, could replace the cumbersome and restrictive equipment currently used in hospitals.
Read MoreNew study says listening to music before, during and after an operation can help reduce pain. Researchers at Queen Mary University of London said the patients who had listened to music had been less anxious after their surgery and had needed less pain relief. They said music had been effective even while patients had been under general anaesthetic. The Department of Health said doctors should consider the findings. The scientists want hospitals to suggest in NHS information leaflets that patients bring music devices and playlists into hospital with them.
Read MorePhone data could predict with 87% accuracy whether someone had depressive symptoms. Most of us are pretty attached to our phones, and researchers are starting to figure out what that connection can tell us about our health, including our mood. In fact, your phone may be able to tell if you’re depressed even better than a self-assessment of your own depression can, according to a small new study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.
Read MoreMuch excitement along with skepticism arose this week as the FDA approved the first 3D printed prescription drug to treat epilepsy. Produced by the drug maker, Aprecia Pharmaceuticals, the FDA has approved the drug named Spritam for both adults and children suffering from certain types of seizures caused by epilepsy. 3D printing is disrupting many production methods that date all the way back to the Industrial Revolution, from fashion and retail to computer science and healthcare. We’ve seen this concept of bio printing quickly come to life where instead of traditional “ink” the printers spray human cells.
Read MoreWith the recent rise of wearable devices and health apps, we can now expect to manage our health in the digital world as well. 2015 survey from Salesforce found that 71 percent of millennial patients surveyed want to engage with their healthcare providers via a mobile app.Here are just a few ways health-tech startups are improving patient care and driving the medical industry forward:
Read MoreSome studies have shown that technology may have some negative effects on cognitive skills and even affect our ability to fall into a deep sleep. However, these 5 apps are being used by many people who claim they really help strengthen their cognitive skills and even relieve stress. Here's the top 5.
Read MoreVaccines have been an important part of modern medicine, used as a preventive tool to protect us from disease like polio, tetanus, or small pox. These vaccines work by challenging one’s immune system with an inactive agent similar to the real pathogen. Thus, when faced with the real disease agent our body is able to effectively and efficiently mount an offensive to prevent illness. However a new study is showing that despite vaccines, pneumonia hospital visits still remain quite common. Here's why.
Read MoreAlcohol Tracker is a smartphone app that lets users enter how many drinks they have each day. If a user drinks more than the maximum amount of alcohol recommended by certain health organizations, then the app will send a notification, warning that the recommended limit has been reached.
Read MoreNew study suggests the devices can help people become more active. In the study, women who wore a Fitbit saw a boost in their physical activity over a four-month period. study involved about 50 women in their 50s and 60s who were overweight and generally not very active. About half of these women were given a Fitbit One, a fitness tracker that clips to a person's waistband and tracks a number of metrics: how many steps they take, the total distance they move, the number of floors they climb, the calories they burn, and the total number of minutes during the day that they are active.
Read MoreAbout half of all Americans are prescribed medication they take regularly. And what's more, half of those don't even take it properly, whether it's forgetting, missing or taking too much of said medication. One study even estimated that mistakes with blood pressure medication alone are responsible for 89,000 premature deaths each year. This puts medication noncompliance up there in the top five causes of death.
Read MorePlanned Parenthood is launching an app that helps patients diagnose STD’s without actually having to go in to see the doctor face-to-face. This will save people the awkward sex and STD conversation with their doctor, and maybe even make them more willing to get checked for potential infections. Havin
Read MoreResearchers have developed a “feeling” prosthetic leg which simulates some of the sensations that would normally be felt by a foot. It also works to help alleviate the phantom pain. Artificial limb created by Austrian scientist.
Read MoreKeeping track of what to eat, how much to eat and how that affects your weight has never been easier thanks to thousands of diet and nutrition apps available for iPhones, Androids and tablets. The problem is how to decipher which ones are really good and which ones are just so-so.
Read MoreThe development of robotics and integration into healthcare has enhanced life-saving processes. Robotics is integrated into surgical devices, radio imaging and other treatment methods. Enter Google Arm.
Read MoreStanding desks, plants for your area, and a piece of fruit to encourage health snacking. Here are some ideas to make your workplace a little bit healthier.
Read MoreThere are a million and one obvious positive aspects of light bulbs. However, recent advances in technology has created new types of light bulbs and a growing amount of evidence is showing that electric light bulbs may be affecting our health.
Read MoreHere are the top 10 health mobile apps doctors recommend most to their patients.
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