Digital Health Innovation: Handheld Device for Rapid Assessment of Vital Signs

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Digital Health Innovation: Handheld Device for Rapid Assessment of Vital Signs

A 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.

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Digital Health Innovation: New Non-Invasive Skin Cancer Test

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Digital Health Innovation: New Non-Invasive Skin Cancer Test

A new research report published online in Nature Scientific Reports announced that a team of scientists have developed a special technique to detect the subtle differences in blood flow beneath the skin. The researchers used a laser technique to tell the difference between noncancerous moles and malignant melanoma. The study was led by Pisa University in Italy and the Lancaster University. Researchers at Pisa University Hospital have monitored 55 patients with atypical moles.

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Can the tech in our lives increase risk of skin cancer?

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Can the tech in our lives increase risk of skin cancer?

The major risk factors for skin cancer continue to be for those people who have fair skin or a lighter natural color, family history of skin cancer or personal history of skin cancer, ultraviolet light exposure from the sun or indoor tanning. UV radiation is a proven human carcinogen skin that burns easily, gets red easily or becomes painful in the sun. But now a new study says the tech in our lives such as devices like tablets, smartphones and laptops can actually reflect these ultraviolet light from the sun and may directly increase an individual's exposure to the cancer-causing wavelengths. 

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GOOGLE TO COLLABORATE ON 'NEXT-GENERATION' GLUCOSE MONITORING DEVICES

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GOOGLE TO COLLABORATE ON 'NEXT-GENERATION' GLUCOSE MONITORING DEVICES

The life sciences team at Google will be joining forces with DexCom, a company specializing in glucose monitoring devices, to develop a new low-cost bandage-sized sensor for people with diabetes. In addition to being small and low-cost, the new wearable sensor will be disposable and usable by people with all types of diabetes. The device will be connected to The Cloud and provide real-time information. DexCom state that the aim of the partnership is to develop next-generation continuous glucose monitoring products that will be "substantially smaller and much less expensive than existing technologies."

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MUSIC 'REDUCES PAIN AND ANXIETY' FOR SURGERY PATIENTS

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MUSIC 'REDUCES PAIN AND ANXIETY' FOR SURGERY PATIENTS

New 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.

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Feeling Depressed? Your Phone May Detect It

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Feeling Depressed? Your Phone May Detect It

Phone 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.

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New FDA-Approved 3D Printed Drug: Personalized Medicine Has Arrived

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New FDA-Approved 3D Printed Drug: Personalized Medicine Has Arrived

Much 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. 

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Healing Injuries Could Be Better Thanks to This 3-D Printed Cast

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Healing Injuries Could Be Better Thanks to This 3-D Printed Cast

Fiberglass casts may soon be of the past. A company called 3D Systems, a major player in the 3D printing game in collaboration with Bespoke, a company that developed prosthetics and braces developed a new cast using the technology or 3D printing. 3D printing is exploding in all directions such as dentistry, fashion and throughout the healthcare field including surgery and rehabilitation. Many believe 3D printing is the secret to sustaining a competitive advantage for the future. 

 

 

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Lessons Learned From Not Using Social Media

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Lessons Learned From Not Using Social Media

The health industry has been following the evolution of social media and its effect on our health and over the years many studies have been done to show the effect of it on our brain. Facebook made lead to depression due to social comparison. The LED light on our laptops  and iPads might be keeping us awake. We've been hearing about tech's effect on our health a lot. The question remains: how can we still use it in moderation, enjoy it but not overuse it? The concept is similar to how we eat. Here are some lessons learned. 

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CHICAGO COMPANY OFFERS EYE EXAMS VIA SMARTPHONE AND COMPUTER FOR $40

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CHICAGO COMPANY OFFERS EYE EXAMS VIA SMARTPHONE AND COMPUTER FOR $40

A Chicago optometrist has created a digital eye exam that adults can take on their computers and smartphones, My Fox Chicago reported. The test, called Opternative, takes 25 minutes or less and produces a prescription from a registered ophthalmologist within 24 hours. The test costs users $40. According to OkCopay, an online service that tracks out-of-pocket medical expenses, the national median cost of an eye exam is $85. Opternative co-founder Dr. Steven Lee thought of the idea years ago after one of his patients asked whether an easier eye exam was available.

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Can We Now Produce 3D Printed Bones?

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Can We Now Produce 3D Printed Bones?

What seems like a concept straight out of science fiction may become reality soon — bones could possibly be 3D printed. Chinese company called Xi’an Particle Cloud Advanced Materials Technology Co. announced it had successfully transplanted artificial biodegradable 3D-printed bones into a rabbit.

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5 EXCITING WAYS HEALTH-TECH STARTUPS ARE IMPROVING LIVES

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5 EXCITING WAYS HEALTH-TECH STARTUPS ARE IMPROVING LIVES

With 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:

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5 Mobile Apps For Your Mental Health

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5 Mobile Apps For Your Mental Health

Some 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. 

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Vaccines Not Helping for Pneumonia Cases

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Vaccines Not Helping for Pneumonia Cases

Vaccines 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.

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Track Your Alcohol With This Smartphone App

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Track Your Alcohol With This Smartphone App

Alcohol 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.

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FitBit may help boost activity in older women

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FitBit may help boost activity in older women

New 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. 

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Virtual Pillbox: Manage your pills with Medisafe

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Virtual Pillbox: Manage your pills with Medisafe

 About 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. 

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Figure 1: The Instagram for Doctors

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Figure 1: The Instagram for Doctors

Figure 1 is a free medical photo-sharing app dubbed the “Instagram for Doctors," that's envisioning a new way for doctors and healthcare professionals to share knowledge and learn from one another’s experiences.

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Diagnosing STDs, through an app?

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Diagnosing STDs, through an app?

Planned 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

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Newly Developed Artificial Limb Lets Amputees “Feel”

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Newly Developed Artificial Limb Lets Amputees “Feel”

Researchers 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.

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