“Mark my words. AI (artificial intelligence) is more dangerous than the nukes.” – Elon Musk. The other day, as soon as I walked in to work, already running my usual ten minutes late, I was hustling from my office to the clinic when I …
Category: Tech
Why expand telemedicine for arthritis patients?
One in four Americans carry a diagnosis of arthritis, a significant cause of limitation from basic life activities to disability. One in ten adults has to limit their activities due to pain caused by this disease. Yet, a massive shortage of specialist …
Amazon vs. Apple: Only one will rewrite the rules of health care
Big Tech has had a surprisingly small impact on U.S. health care, so far. Artificial intelligence, for example, outperforms physicians in many complex tasks (like reading mammograms and analyzing chest X-rays), yet AI remains woefully underused. Meanwh…
Is your smartwatch smart about your health?
Your smartwatch talks a lot but may not say as much as you believe with regard to health. Constant data collection from wearables claims to improve medicine at large. Is the “quantified self” the next evolution or a gimmick for patients? Im…
The recent closing of Amazon Care shows the magnitude of the challenge in changing health care
Amazon recently announced plans to shut down Amazon Care, an in-home and virtual health care service. The reasons cited were attributed to a significant overlap of services with the One Medical chain of clinics, which Amazon purchased in July of this y…
Human touch and scientific veracity are missing in health care technology
Working remotely during the coronavirus pandemic has immersed physicians in technology, perhaps accelerating its integration with medical practice – but not necessarily its acceptance or authenticity. I tend to doubt the veracity of much of what I read…
Innovation for all: Adapting patient-facing tools to promote digital health equity
More often than not, ground-breaking health care advancements are disproportionately accessible for those who already have favorable social determinants of health. Improving cost, access, and quality, but for whom? The boom of telehealth and digital he…
Video visits as clinical touchpoints to improve older adult mental health
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a profound toll on older adults, isolating them physically and emotionally from their communities and families. Mental health has suffered across generations and, as a practicing geriatric psychiatrist, I have had a fron…
Immediate, accurate diagnosis is crucial to the future of equitable patient care
As the pandemic-stricken health systems recover from the unprecedented challenges that tested them for preparedness, agility, and health equity, the pandemic undoubtedly also nurtured rapid innovation in telehealth, vaccine manufacturing, and point-of-…
Chaos and order: the simulated context
An excerpt from Reality Check: In Pursuit of the Right Questions. I was on the floor of the International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare conference when I heard screaming in the near distance. I turned toward it and saw some people gathering and …
