HOW SMART PHONES MAKE DOCTORS SMART ? Dr.T.V.Rao MD

HOW SMART PHONES MAKE DOCTORS SMART ?

Dr.T.V.Rao MD I wonder how much we know the uses of smart phones which have penetrated into privacy of our life, the question remain how much we are intelligently connected to happenings in our profession, Connectivity changes everything. Mobile technology has the potential to revolutionize how physicians practice medicine. From having access to the latest medical research at the point of care to being able to communicate at a moment's notice with physicians and colleagues around the world, we are practicing medicine in a technological age That’s the credo driving just about every corner of our day-to-day lives. As human beings, we are now connected to one another through not just our social networks but also our cars, the books we read, the albums we download and even our own health and wellness habits I had recently reacted with many friends in Andra Pradesh the young doctors say they made may matters simple and trust worthy for their practice, as the implication of the huge, widespread presence of the Smart Phone has obvious implication for medicine, and health care of the world population. Information can be transmitted easily, and monitoring by present day programs can be utilized, in a situation which only going to increase exponentially in the future. As cell phones become more advanced, they can become revolutionary health care tools The Smart Phone, essentially, is a small computer, with the power of a computer in the old days that occupied an entire room, today we rarely operate desktops. Because of “Moore’s Law”, they are bound to become even more useful and powerful in the coming years. It also has phone abilities, is a media player, photo taker, and voice recorder. Most physicians today are moving toward the bigger iPad, because of the larger screen.

The past few years have shown the multiplicity of uses of the Smart Phone:

1) Viewing Images: MRI, x-ray, but should not be used to diagnose

2) Monitors: constant glucose readings from sensors under the skin (CGM)

3) Diagnostic Tools: EKG strips, EKG with attachments

4) Microscope: with lens attachment, with 350x

5) Access Patient Records

6) e-Prescribing

The world goes in for I Phone as there are dedicated applications in this process Researchers from the University of California have tweaked i Phones in such a way that they can be used as high-quality medical imaging and chemical detection devices. By adding some hardware and maxing out the capability of the iPhone, they were able to transform it into a microscopy and spectroscopy tool. The microscope feature is being validated and the researchers plan to improve the basic concept as well, like using other lenses and different software to make it useful for different applications in a variety of clinical cases. The spectrometer is still in its early stages. Using a smart phone may simplify the life of an infectious diseases physician, but such use comes with significant costs of upgrading and maintaining the devices. The use of multiple devices also weighs down physicians, filling up their pockets, laboratory coats, and belts with various devices. In addition, the more devices physicians carry, the more items they may misplace. I wish all the Laboratory diagnostic specialists should know Scientists from Columbia University have developed a device that connects to your smart phone and tests for HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases. In a recently published paper, these scientists asserted that the accuracy of the device is going to be on par with the standard laboratory tests. The device, which can provide test results as fast as in 15 minutes, is projected to revolutionize diagnostic strategies. Here is a look at some of the other equally-interesting health-related uses of smart phone. There many lesser known uses SMART PHONES PLEASE READ 5 Lesser-known Uses of Smartphones, as Researchers Say it can Detect HIV by Sujith Reghu ? Feb 10th, 2015

I wish the younger generation of Doctors can work smarter and faster with smart phones. The question remains how SMART you are to the changing Technology.

Dr.T.V.Rao MD Professor of Microbiology Freelance writer