Healthcare Magazine September 2015 | Page 13

MOST PROGRESSIVE HEALTH TECH INNOVATIONS
as well as isolate gene groups to better understand their role within a specific cancer . By analyzing the genes within a tumor , scientists and doctors are able to predict how the tumor will react to certain treatments , eliminating the emotional , financial and physical cost of unnecessarily aggressive therapy .
Not all breast cancer cases require chemotherapy for treatment , in fact , many patients can benefit from hormonal therapy with the help of genomic-based tests . With genomicbased tests , analyzing tumors in early-stage colorectal cancer can allow an oncologist to predict whether the cancer will reoccur within three years . With more accurate testing , individuals can have confidence in knowing that their treatment is necessary .
Wearable data-storing devices Fitness watches are dominating the healthcare market with their ability to track workouts , caloric loss or gain , sleep cycles and more . Engineers for companies such as Google , Apple and Samsung are working hard to develop competing data-storing devices such as watches , armbands and eyewear to improve health tracking . “ The next big thing in personal medical technology will be creating a next generation of truly useful devices and sensors that can send data to care providers ,” said Michael Blum , MD , chief medical information officer at UCSF Medical Center . “ The only way this technology is going to revolutionize health is if it actually tells doctors what they really need to know about their patients when they need to know it .”
As wearable technology continues to improve to better meet the needs of its users , healthcare providers continue to hope that its use will impact both the experience of patients and practitioners to better receive and administer care . Dr . Rafael Grossmann , the first surgeon to use Google Glass while performing a surgery , believes that Google Glass and wearable technology of a similar nature will help improve the way healthcare providers interact with patients and a patient ’ s relatives , increasing the satisfaction of patients and making doctors and other providers more effective at doing their job because of the added level of communication between parties .
The healthcare industry is taking advantage of technological innovations to provide more convenient , agile and cost-effective patient care .
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