HD Explorer, April 28th, 2015
The HD Explorer
The Health Data Exploration Project’s regular scan through the news.
News
Biogen, Patients Like Me study suggests fitness trackers can help people with multiple sclerosis
Difficulty walking is one symptom facing the 2.3 million people with multiple sclerosis. But a wrist-worn fitness tracker paired with a smartphone app could help monitor their condition and fitness routine, according to a study conducted by researchers from Cambridge pharmaceutical company Biogen and the patient community portal Patients Like Me. Read more…
Medical Robots Can Be Hacked During Surgery, Researchers Find
Researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle have just hijacked a teleoperated surgical robot, demonstrating major security weaknesses in the machines that may eventually replace a surgeon’s hands in hospitals worldwide. Read more…
The Promise and Pitfalls of Wearable Technology
It’s easy to overlook the growing trend toward wearable technology (wearables) and the role this technology may play in the lives of those using it. Some will view these devices as expensive gadgets for tech lovers. Others believe this technology can offer important benefits to consumers, particularly in the area of health. Read more…
The Future of Cancer Treatments is (Almost) here.
One of the newest developments in cancer detection and monitoring is something called a liquid biopsy. It’s a test that can detect tumor DNA circulating in the blood. Read more…
Google Takes on the Challenge of Making Robot Surgery Safer
The search giant is teaming up with Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon subsidiary to build what the two hope are the ultimate platform for robotic surgery. Read more…
Apple Watch Pre-Orders Already Outnumber Android Wear’s Annual Sales
Estimates are already hinting that Apple Watch pre-orders may have hit one million units this weekend, surpassing the number of Android Wear sold last year. Read more…
Holograms Will Let Doctors See 3-D Views of Our Insides
California-based startup EchoPixel is the latest company to jump into the fray, with its new True3D Viewer. The FDA recently approved the software platform for use in diagnostics and surgical planning. Read more…
Overcoming an Eating Disorder With Instagram
Many patients post photos of their meals and changing bodies to document their recovery—and in the process, some have found an online community of supporters. Read more…
Research
Why People Ditch Food-Journal Apps
The problem, argues a team of researchers is that it’s not an easy thing to stick with. Read more…
Patient-centered activity monitoring in the self-management of chronic health conditions
Activity monitoring has the potential to engage patients as advocates in their personalized care, as well as offer health care providers real world assessments of their patients’ daily activity patterns. This potential will be realized as the voice of the chronic disease patients is accounted for in the design of devices, measurements are validated against existing clinical assessments, devices become part of the treatment ‘prescription’, behavior change programs are used to engage patients in self-management, and best practices for clinical integration are defined. Read more…
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