The iPhone will have an important role in the healthcare system

[RaduTyrsina]

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In recent times, hospital and medical facilities have been gearing up their staff with iPads, in order to enhance the health care process. Now, Brain Williams brings us a story that places the iPhone instead, at the center of patient care.

According to the report, doctor Eric Topol used an Apple smartphone in order to monitor a patient’s electrocardiogram while on flight from Washington D.C. to San Diego. The patient had been experiencing severe chest pains and the team has been monitoring him via the smartphone, which sported a mounted sensor that once enabled, was able to medically assess the patient’s condition. Thus, dr. Topol was able to acknowledge when the patient was actually having a heart attack.

He thus recommended an emergency landing and the sufferer was immediately rushed to the hospital.

After the incident, dr. Topol commented on the importance that the iPhone could have in the medical field. The doctor feels that the evolution of apps which allow patients to monitor their vital signs is impending and extremely important to patient care. He predicts that soon enough, patients will be able to use iPhones which sport embedded sensors to monitor blood flow, sugar levels, sleep patterns, heart rates and much more.

Using such apps will certainly help make the health system more efficient by allowing patients to by-pass certain steps in healthcare. For example, in order to go to the hospital on a regular basis and be screened for breast cancer, one could instead monitor via the smartphone the blood chemistry and hormone levels and only contact the doctor in case abnormal levels arise. The smartphone could be also in charge of making appointments or alerting the physician in charge.

Source: AppleInsider

 

[scifan57]

I can see paramedics having an iPhone, loaded with the appropriate apps and with the relevant accessories in their emergency kit.

scifan57; iPhone Forums Moderator

 

[anjali189]

Indeed a great article. Actually Medical intelligence and demographic health data is moving into the cloud. As smartphones and other mobile devices become efficient tools for self-diagnosis and statistical reporting, in future if you're feeling off-color you'll use your iPhone to check yourself out, send the data to the cloud-based medical testing facility which will analyze your information to diagnose your problem, or warn of future problems.