Under CES2014, the 5th Annual Digital Health Summit took place between the 7th and the 10th of January in Las Vegas, United States.
The Summit focused on the latest products and consumers’ growing demand for high-tech health services. So, it was a great opportunity to meet the technological innovations for healthcare services.
The visitors were able to see solutions for diagnosing, monitoring and treating a variety of illnesses like obesity, from poor vision or high blood pressure.
Innovations like games that reinforce healthy behaviors, body sensors that let people take more responsibility for their own health, affordable gene sequencing, real-time medicine monitoring, and more were exhibited by high-tech health services’ producers.
New technologies
Imedipac was one of the most outstanding projects presented during the event. The French company Medissimo made an intelligent pillbox able to tell which medication -and when- is the patient supposed to take it.
“Every day millions of people consume at least a dozen of pills; this is why we made this pillbox that pretends to avoid mistakes following a treatment. Our dispositive controls by sensors and a mobile app if the patient makes an error,” explained Caroline Blochet, CEO at Medissimo.
Another distinguished innovation was the new Smart Wireless Finger Pulse Oximeter presented by Nonin -a company dedicated to noninvasive medical monitoring-.
The NoninConnect pulse oximeter features Bluetooth Smart wireless technology, a unique user-facing display, and a proprietary algorithm that tells users if their finger is placed properly in the device for correct readings. Users can easily store and share their readings of pulse rate and arterial blood oxygen saturation by downloading a Nonin or future third-party pulse oximetry software application onto their Bluetooth-Smart-ready iOS, Android or Windows mobile device.
The future of mHealth
Dr. Joseph Kvedar, director of the Center for Connected Health at Partners HealthCare in Boston, debated with the panelists how far mobile health from reaching its goals is.
One of the most important goals for mobile healthcare technology is to move care outside hospitals. During one of the sessions at the Digital Health Summit, called “Point-of-care, everywhere”, the moderator, Joseph Kvedar, said: “Point of care is not everywhere right now.”
“We are coming into a complete medical experience in the privacy of your own home,” said Walter De Brouwer, founder and CEO of Scanadu, a Moffet Field, Calif.-based startup that is working on a “medical tricorder” device that helps diagnose illness with the help of a smartphone. In March, Scanadu will ship its first devices to 8,800 Indiegogo supporters, and their data will be part of the Scripps Wired for Health clinical trial.
“Information should be in the form of constant reminders, integrated into the lives of patients and their caregivers,” explained Laura Mitchell, VP of business development at GrandCare Systems.
Also, the panelists discussed strategies to make consumers like the mobile solutions. For example, Kvedar offered three ideas: make it about life rather than illness or even health; make it personal; and reinforce social connections.
Everyday Health Awards
The Everyday Health Awards for Innovation honored outstanding achievement in health and wellness technology innovation highlighting breakthroughs and significant advancements in digital tehcnology products or services designed to improve health outcomes.
Professionals were recognized on the following categories: The Healthy Consumer, Patient Diagnostics and Manageament, Emerging Tech, Inclusive Innovation, Student Innovation, and Healthiest Company.
Check the winners here.
