While participating in the “What is Mobile Health?” Linkedin discussion that I mentioned a few days ago, an Australian app developer asked me the following question, sensing that I might have a helpful perspective. Because my response might also help Modern Health Talk readers, I’ll include both his question and my reply here.

Hi Wayne,
Can I ask what mobile phone you currently have and use? Do you have an iPad? The reason I ask is I find it interesting to appreciate the technology individuals use and the effects it has on the opportunities we see to advance healthcare.

@David, I have an Apple iPhone3, and both my wife and son (in Dallas) have an iPhone4s so they can use FaceTime video conferencing and we see our year-old granddaughter. On the tablet side, I have my wife’s old iPad after getting her an iPad2 to resolve conflicts over who gets to use it. BTW, she completely quit using her PC after getting the first iPad.

For perspective, I’m a die-hard PC guy but with no love of Microsoft. My main PC is a high-end quadcore desktop PC from Dell. I also have three notebook PCs collecting dust, and my PC experience goes back to my days as an IBM systems engineer & marketer when I helped introduce IBM’s first PCs into enterprise markets and then moved to Austin to support a failed effort to take the OS/2 operating system into the home. I worked at Dell for 2 years as worldwide messaging manager for consumer desktop PCs after retiring from IBM.

So, why would someone who’s squarely in the PC domain have iPhones & iPads? Because they’re that easy, useful and popular. Yes, they carry a premium price, but apparently cost is not an issue even for people with low income since ABI Research just reported that “Apple (51%) and Samsung (24%) Dominate India’s Tablet Market, Despite Low-Cost Options.”

I find the OS wars between iOS & Android entertaining, especially in the mHealth space. Apple has been way ahead in accessibility features, although Android is catching up. Windows, Blackberry and Symbian are non-starters in my book. Android’s biggest strength is its Open Source architecture, which attracts geeks who like to tinker, but that’s also Android’s biggest problem since there are so many different flavors on phones with slightly different features to differentiate themselves. That also means there’s no practical way for ISVs to test their apps on all of them, or even half of them. They just test on phones with the largest market share, and I see that as a problem.

A partial solution is to develop using cross-platform standards and tools such as HTML5, but supporting unique device features still requires special code. With all of that said, if I were consulting with a mHealth developer, I’d only feel comfortable recommending Apple. It’s by far the best solution for the masses.

OK, Now’s your chance to share your own favorites and tell us why, with a reply below.

FORESIGHT

That’s why I’ve been a member of the Central Texas chapter of the World Future Society for years, where I meet interesting people with widely varied perspectives of the future. It’s also why I participate in so many Linkedin discussion groups on emerging healthcare issues.

The following ten forecasts came from the World Future Society’s special report, Forecasts for the Next 25 Years. It’s a promotional piece to attract new members who then get a subscription to The Futurist magazine.

The inspiration for Modern Health Talk

These trends represent ripples of good ideas, but it’s the unnoticed intersection where some of the biggest opportunities lay. That’s the concept of MiniTrends, a book by John Vanston that I strongly endorse. I’ve known John for years and did consulting work for his company, Technology Futures. His book inspired the vision of Modern Health Talk, because it helped me see unfulfilled opportunity at the intersection of the trends shown below.

THE CHART: Boomer demographics exacerbate rising healthcare costs, especially institutional care, driving the critical need for healthcare reform. Our extended recession places great political pressure on the ability to save $1 trillion per year by replacing long term institutional care with home healthcare for half of the patients. This can be done with home modifications for aging in place, combined with Wireless Broadband and cloud computing, mobile apps, telepresence, telemedicine, Digital sensors that monitor biomarkers and the environment, and other related technologies.

Modern Health Talk is positioned at the intersection of these trends and uses the web and social media to help people discover and learn about these new technologies.

Share Your Vision Below

Some of these are “far out.” What do you see as “near in” futures for healthcare? Reply with a comment, and let your imagination flow.

Her purpose was to clear up confusion between syllogisms, and the analogy she used was that Lions are all Animals, but not all Animals are Lions. The same goes with the health terms such as digital health, ehealth (electronic healthcare), mhealth (mobile healthcare), and telemedicine, so she argued that…

Mobile Health IS Wireless Health AND Mobile Health IS Telemedicine, but Wireless Health AND Telemedicine are not necessarily MOBILE HEALTH.

While I agree with the premise of Wendy’s argument, people often associate Mobile Health with the ambulance that shows up to provide care and transportation, rather than the use of mobile devices and wireless networks. That’s why I drew the diagram with Mobile Health not entirely within Wireless Health or within Telemedicine. Confusion still persists, and I’m adding to it with yet another term – Modern Health.

Modern Health Talk

I use the term Modern Health to encompass innovations that collectively define the future of healthcare. They include: digital, electronic & mobile health, telemedicine & telehealth, electronic sensors & cloud-based monitoring services, video calls & telepresence, electronic medical & personal health records, big data & analytics, healthcare robotics & artificial intelligence, personalized medicine & genomics, and the wireless connections (ANT+, Bluetooth LE, ZigBee, Wi-Fi, 4G, LTE), big broadband networks (fiber-optics), and regulatory & payment reforms that bind them.

As a website, blog and social network, Modern Health Talk sits in the center of several overlapping trends that include an extended recession & rising healthcare costs, aging baby boomers with social media, wireless broadband connecting mobile devices, digital sensors & remote monitoring, and telemedicine & telepresence, to name a few.

Robots and other assistive technology may be inevitable in aged care moving into the future, but can they replace the human touch? Annie May reports. Reprinted from Aged Care INsite, Apr/May 2011, and expanded greatly since.

Click image to watch video: "Matilda the robot can read emotions"

Standing at just 40cm tall and looking suspiciously like the latest toy their grandchildren have been dropping hints about for their upcoming birthdays, Matilda the robot doesn’t give the impression that she has much to offer in the way of care for the elderly.

So when placed in front of an aged care resident to talk about her diet, the resident doesn’t have high expectations. But on admitting to having a love of sweets, Matilda is quick to inform her about all the negative health impacts this indulgence can have. Becoming slightly anxious, – whether a result of being lectured by a bright orange robot or at the thought of having to cut back on her sweets – the resident is then shocked at being reassured by the robot.

How can it be that this baby-face robot can read emotions and give a sensitive response? The result of a breakthrough by Melbourne and Japanese scientists, Matilda is one of two robots, the other her brother Jack, which has been developed with ‘emotional intelligent’ software.

With its eyes actually twin cameras and its ears microphones, the robots are able to ‘read’ and respond to human emotion, such as facial cues, voice and touch. If a resident is in a low mood, Matilda can send an email to relatives to alert them that they should pay a visit.

Attracting and retaining workers to care for an aging population is already resulting in labor shortages and this has been predicted to become an increasing issue as the aging population increases. Is technology the answer?

The reliance on robotic technology in surgical fields has been a reality for decades, but recent trends and developments has resulted in the emergence of technology in the delivery of healthcare outside the hospital, including aged care facilities.

But can, and should, robots replace the human touch? This was one of the questions raised at the Aging – The Future Technology Challenge forum held in Sydney recently.

The short answer to that question is no, robots can’t replace humans. But they can assist them.

“Technology is all pervasive in our lives today and it is time we used it to address the social needs of our society,” Dr Rajiv Khosla, Matilda’s head inventor, told the forum.

“Technology is a tool which can help us behave more creatively. Inanimate technology only serves a purpose of convenience while these emotionally intelligent robots will enhance people’s lives.”

The director of Research Centre for Computers, Communication and Social Innovation (RECCSI) at La Trobe University, which is in partnership with Japan’s NEC Corporation and Kyoto University, said trials of Matilda in aged care facilities have found the right kind of ‘healthbots’ can bring numerous benefits to both residents and staff.

“Matilda can interact with residents in numerous ways. She can take care of dietary needs and remind residents of their medication and she can also dial up to the internet, dance and call bingo,” said Khosla.

While the task of calling bingo may not at first appear significant, Khosla said it was this type of capability that allowed nursing staff and workers to provide more personalized care.

“Matilda doesn’t replace the need of staff to be part of these activities, but instead of spending time with the mechanics of the game, they can spend it helping the residents.”

With a focus on ‘humanized technology’, Khosla said there was a strong focus on developing Matilda with human attributes. This doesn’t mean, he said, making it look like a human with arms and legs, but embodying human characteristics. The robot has a baby face, a human voice, can dance and the face has expressions, such as blushing. The facial recognition software allows it to track and memorize up to 30 different faces.

“In our trials we have not had a single adverse reaction to Matilda’s presence,” Khosla said.

Taking a slightly different approach with their robot Charlie is the Auckland University Robotics Research Group.

Charlie the robot has been developed to take on routine tasks at aged care facilities including reminding residents to take their medication, monitor signs and calls for assistance if they fall. Charlie’s role is to also entertain the residents and can play music and videos and has quizzes for brain fitness.

While Charlie will respond to hugs, there wasn’t a strong focus on “humanizing him”.

Standing at just over a meter tall, Charlie is metallic and moves around on wheels. In place of a head sits a large touch screen.

“In our studies we found that residents wanted a non-human-like appearance and a strong desire of having no face was expressed,” Dr Bruce MacDonald, director of the Auckland University Robotics Research Group, told the forum.

Despite the fact that most people have never interacted with a robot, and many elderly people had limited interaction with modern technologies, MacDonald said when trialling Charlie at a retirement village he was not only accepted, but found to be easy to use.

“Before having that interaction with Charlie, the residents expressed negative attitudes about having him in the village. But once they had that interaction, they enjoyed having him there.”

Some staff expressed concern about robots taking away jobs, but MacDonald said robotic assistants are intended to help alleviate a shortage of care staff by assisting staff with more menial tasks.

“Robots can do some of the simple things staff has to do at the moment so staff can do more complicated tasks and provide more personalized care,” he said.

“Technology, including robots, will play an increasing role in caring for the elderly but they will be used to assist staff, not replace them.”

Below are seven YouTube videos that we added, followed by several more robot images from Bruce MacDonald’s presentation at the Aging – The Future Technology Challenge forum. CLICK ON THE IMAGES TO WATCH THE VIDEOS.

I hope everyone young & old will watch HBO’s The Weight of the Nation. It’s a four-part documentary that starts this campaign by exploring America’s uphill battle with obesity. The series premiers at 8pm central time on Monday, May 14. If you miss it and can’t find a repeat, you can visit the link above to buy the CD or the book that it’s based on. (An online version of the book is free.)

The Trailer

HBO and the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences bring you the nation’s foremost experts and research on weight and weight loss. They explain how we got to this unhealthy place, what it will do to our health care system if we continue on our current path, and how we can overcome forces that drive us to eat too much and move too little. In short, “To win, we have to lose.”

The Infographic

I added stats from the infographic below to the webpage, Statistics define the Health Care Problem and Market Opportunity, noting that “Obese and overweight people have Less Fun, More Pain, Die Earlier, and Cost More.” Included is information about how to calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI) and determine how you measure up.

I find it ironic that as I write this tonight, it is right after two helpings of Yvonne’s lasagna, which I’m sure put on some pounds, but probably less than if we ate out. ‘Good thing I started the day with breakfast and then had a modest lunch. But I spend much to much time sitting at the computer and not nearly enough moving about.

Please watch the documentary and join me in a discussion below in the comment section.

Wireless technology is changing the landscape and helping bridge the digital divide. Photo via Creative Commons, by YoTuT

By Lisa Nelson, http://blog.howto.gov/2012/04/20/digital-divide-still-prevalent/

The rapid adoption of mobile and mobile devices is providing Internet access to those who had little or no none before.

With almost 90% of American twenty-somethings accessing the Internet through smartphones or tablets, the digital divide may narrow significantly by the end of the decade.

Despite this sunny future, a PEW Internet report looks at differences in digital access and use among American adults and finds one in five people do not use the Internet.

While increased Internet adoption and the rise of mobile connectivity have reduced many gaps in technology access over the past decade, for some groups digital disparities still remain.

The report finds that those most likely to be part of the digital divide include:

• Senior citizens (although they are catching up fast)
• Those who are not proficient in English*
• Adults without a high school education
• Households earning less than $30,000 per year

Why are some people not using the Internet? The main reason appears to be that they just aren’t interested and no one else in the household goes online.

• 48% say the main reason they don’t go online is because they don’t think that the Internet is relevant to them
• 21% mention price-related reasons, and usability issues — such as not knowing how to go online or being physically unable to
• 6% say a lack of access or availability is the main reason they don’t go online.

What are other opportunities for government to help close the digital gaps and better serve customers?

*Hispanics are among the highest users of mobile devices.

Wayne’s View:

In our digital society today, having access to the Internet via fast & affordable broadband connections means having access to

• Jobs (e.g. telework, online resumes, and Linkedin),
• Education (distance learning and the Harvard/MIT edX online education project),
• Healthcare (telemedicine and telehealth),
• Entrepreneurship (e-commerce), and
• Government (political activism and e-government websites).

Those without access are largely left out of society, so government should promote awareness, better service at lower cost through real competition, and help filling gaps in broadband availability, such as in rural or inner city neighborhoods that big service providers ignore as unprofitable.

The FCC’s Broadband Progress Report highlights many remaining concerns and includes my vision of BIG Broadband and the Future of Gigabit to the Home. I also wrote about this topic in High Fiber and the Future of the Internet (and mHealth) and in a video presentation that I submitted to the FCC as part of the contest, “Lifted by the Cloud.”

Better medicine and improved agriculture have resulted in longer life expectancies and a dramatic increase in world population. As higher standards of living and better health care reach more parts of the world and bring birth control, population growth should slow, but U.N. forecasters still predict a world peak of over 10 billion by 2100. As population then declines, there will be significantly fewer working people to support the elderly, and that poses an economic dilemma for future generations.

NPR’s video, 7 Billion: How Did We Get So Big So Fast? uses colored liquids to visualize population growth on different continents. WATCH BELOW

]]> http://www.mhealthtalk.com/2012/05/twitter-weekly-updates-for-2012-05-06/feed/ 0 http://www.mhealthtalk.com/2012/05/wireless-health-as-cure-for-us-healthcare-business/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wireless-health-as-cure-for-us-healthcare-business http://www.mhealthtalk.com/2012/05/wireless-health-as-cure-for-us-healthcare-business/#comments Mon, 07 May 2012 01:14:05 +0000 Wayne Caswell http://www.mhealthtalk.com/?p=4556 The Battle for Wireless Health May Help Cure an Ailing US Healthcare Business

U.S. Business School War Game Predicts Mergers and New Services to Gain Affluent Boomer Market Share

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 2, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Healthcare technology companies – ranging from large such as GE to startups like Independa – will need to find partners and cater to the affluent Baby Boomer generation and their caregivers if they are to take the lead in wireless health, an industry that promises to help reduce much of the estimated $2.5 trillion of wasted resources in the global healthcare system. This was among the predictions of a national war gaming contest held between four top business schools and run by Fuld & Company last week in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The four teams stress tested the wireless health strategies of Bosch Healthcare, GE Healthcare, start-up software company Independa, and Medtronic in this Eighth Annual Fuld & Company national war game. Business school teams were: Dartmouth’s Tuck School, MIT Sloan, Northwestern Kellogg School, and Yale School of Management.

“Wireless health is a very complex business that is part of the even more complex healthcare industry,” said Leonard Fuld, Fuld & Company president. “Serving chronically ill or aging patients in the home setting – the target market for the war game – presents a number of unresolved challenges, among them patient compliance and reimbursement. That said, the teams representing some of the world’s largest healthcare enterprises wrestled with this complexity, offering insights that may prove critical to Bosch, GE and Medtronics when this market takes off in the next few years. We are confident about our predictions as past competitions have accurately forecasted events and competitive activities in a number of industries.”

In addition to the general prediction about the need to form alliances and acquire competencies, other key insights emerged, including:

Think about the people, not the patient: Developers must make their products and accompanying services user friendly and meet very personal needs of the patient and the caregiver alike if they are to succeed in this market.

Early adopters of wireless health will come from upscale baby boomers who can pay for the technology themselves and who are already primed to accept and use this form of highly interactive next generation of telemedicine. While there was a great deal of discussion around payer or Medicare involvement, it will likely be the affluent boomers who will buy the products and services outright.

Mergers, alliances and licensing agreements are inevitable. Wireless health is a composite of a number services and technical expertise with no single company able to control this market. Players will need to ally or possibly merge with counterparts in order to bring together the critical elements of this healthcare supply chain. For example, hardware-based companies, even with superb engineering skills, will need to ally with software or back office service firms in order to succeed.

Profits will come from data integration, not from killer apps: For companies to extract the value (and the profit) from this industry, they will first require industry standards, followed by a requirement to integrate the data from various sensors and devices to provide a holistic view of patient health.

A back office service industry will emerge as a new service model: No matter how intelligent the analytical tools, back office nursing and medical professional service organizations will emerge as an intermediary to offer healthcare providers the ability to alert primary care physicians or offer home support. Such services will fulfill wireless health’s promise to allow physicians to follow and truly interact with many more patients than they are able to in an office or hospital setting.

Evidence rather than more software “bells and whistles” will rule the day: Medicare as well as private payers will demand wireless health providers present data to demonstrate patient compliance and overall effectiveness. Lacking such data will limit a competitor’s ability to grow its customer base with hospitals and providers institutions.

Judges for this year’s competition included: Jon R. Cohen, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Quest Diagnostics; Jeremy Delinsky, Senior Vice President, Chief Technology Officer, AthenaHealth; Gagan Puranik, Associate Director, LTE Innovation Center, Verizon Wireless; Joe Ternullo, Associate Director, Partners Healthcare Center for Connected Health; and Bill Bulkeley, Green Line Research, Inc.

ABOUT FULD AND COMPANY

Fuld & Company, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with offices in London and Manila, is the world’s preeminent research and consulting firm in the field of competitive intelligence. Founded by Leonard Fuld, a pioneer and recognized leading authority in the field, Fuld & Company has serviced more than half the Fortune 500 and FTSE 100 for over 30 years. The firm does research and analysis, strategic gaming, intelligence process consulting, and training to help clients understand the external competitive environment. For further information go to www.fuld.com .

SOURCE Fuld & Company