Health apps

Disability advocates call for easier access to ‘life-changing’ technology

Assistive devices can improve quality of life, but their high cost keeps them out of reach for many. Tammy Martin’s eSight helps her magnify images, as well as change their colour, contrast and focus. Tammy Martin Feleshia … READ MORE

Student develops low-cost device to help people with speech disorders

Individuals with speech disorders often rely on expensive devices to help them communicate with others, but an Illinois Institute of Technology student has developed a cheaper, yet equally effective, alternative. The device will be … READ MORE

Online training program helps patients with knee OA cope with pain

Patients with knee osteoarthritis who completed an online pain coping skills training program reported that the intervention was easy to follow and helped them better control their pain, according to findings published in Arthritis … READ MORE

Pediatric telemedicine services can work well under the right conditions

Interviews with pediatricians show that providing remote medical consultations is highly stressful and challenging, but this can be managed with extra skills and training. Telemedicine for children with disabilities in remote … READ MORE

A national electronic health record for primary care

The Canada Health Act states that health care should be portable — but health records are not. Despite billion-dollar efforts to promote information transfers between jurisdictions,[1] sharing health information today often requires … READ MORE

Printed electronics open way for electrified tattoos and personalized biosensors

The first demonstration of a fully print-in-place electronics technique is gentle enough to work on surfaces as delicate as human skin and paper. Two electronically active leads directly printed along the underside of Duke graduate … READ MORE

Wearable motion detectors identify subtle motor deficits in children

Could lead to early intervention, help prevent disability. Noah Drozda shows off a pair of motion detectors that he wore around the clock for a study on motor deficits in children. Researchers at Washington University School of … READ MORE

An engineer explains how to forge a career designing for disabilities

Blessin Varkey develops tech to help Indian students with cognitive disabilities. Screen Time: A Tamana student uses tablet-based software to improve a variety of skills. Blessin Varkey IEEE Spectrum By Dinsa Sachan, IEEE Spectrum 25 … READ MORE

Bluetooth – a technology with bite

Those familiar with this young column know that “the machine” represents the large or small barriers and roadblocks those of us with mobility disabilities have to overcome. Todd Stabelfeldt By Todd Stabelfeldt, New Mobility July … READ MORE

Telemedicine broadening access to care for those with cerebral palsy

Dr. Loren Davison at UC Davis is projected from a monitor, as he watches physical therapist Janet Freeman work with a patient during a telemedicine session at Hoover Elementary School. The Stockton school is the site of a pilot … READ MORE

A next-gen EEG could help bring back lost brain function

SLAC and Stanford researchers are developing a device that combines electrical brain stimulation with EEG recording, opening potential new paths for treating neurological disorders. Researchers at SLAC and Stanford are developing a … READ MORE

Gamers forge their own paths when it comes to accessibility

Players with disabilities and chronic illnesses haven’t waited around for console manufacturers to look their way. Here’s how far we’ve come—and how far we have to go Mark Barlet, President of the AbleGamers … READ MORE

Knee replacement timing is all wrong for most

People delay surgery and lose function; others get it too soon with less benefit. When surgery is delayed, people don’t get full benefit of new knee. When surgery is premature, patients assume unnecessary risk and may need a … READ MORE

Industrial designers and biomedical engineers team up to address unmet needs of wounded veterans

Outcomes of the course might include assistive device prototypes, smartphone apps that better connect patients with providers, or virtual reality systems that enable remote therapy. Elham Morshedzadeh, Chris Arena, and Pamela … READ MORE

Gore (the Gore-Tex company) thinks it holds the key to on-skin wearables

Gore is recruiting startups to Silicon Valley to make wearables or flexible electronics from the same material used in Gore-Tex. Gore Innovation Center By Tekla S. Perry, IEEE Spectrum 13 July 2018 I confess, I wasn’t familiar with … READ MORE

Digital humanism and healthcare

Patients not only have to be put in the center of care, but also in the center of health technology. In a more general manner that’s what digital humanism is about. The Medical Futurist 13 July 2019 ▽ Table of Contents Overview … READ MORE

Virtual care can make all the difference when treating the most vulnerable patients

Beyond the pandemic, we need to ensure virtual medicine remains a permanent fixture of health care system. A pediatrician takes part in a telemedicine call with a patient over a secure video connection. While it isn’t perfect, … READ MORE

Physical activity of older people requires tailored monitoring

The ability to move about may deteriorate when ageing, a phenomenon which needs to be considered when assessing physical activity in older people. A study on active ageing at the University of Jyväskylä examined movement that … READ MORE

U of A robot rehab project hopes pandemic increases user comfort with virtual health care

Increased video-conferencing may boost willingness to book virtual appointments. A demonstration at the University of Alberta rehabilitation robotics lab shows how a robot with a video screen allows a specialist to monitor patient … READ MORE

Veterans can now use an iPhone to pull up their health records

Apple has teamed up with Veteran Affairs (VA) to allow those who’ve served our country to now access their health records via iPhone. Health records access via Apple’s Health app has been available to iPhone users since the … READ MORE

The military provides health care to its members, but not their families

Many health care providers are unaware that military families are divided in the way they access health care—that is to say, each family is divided. Caring for Military Families in the Patient’s Medical Home, PDF © The College of … READ MORE

Disabled people marginalised by paperwork and programmes which aim to help them

Disabled people face being marginalised by the very programmes that are designed to help them. Research shows disabled people face being marginalized by the very programs that are designed to help them. Projects and welfare systems … READ MORE

In Canada, Albertans wary of ‘big brother’ with use of COVID-19 digital-tracing app

More users needed: Lessons from Alberta’s coronavirus contact tracing app. Alberta released its contact tracing app, ABTraceTogether, last week. But early uptake figures and a key design quirk show how challenging it will be for … READ MORE

Wearables track social distancing and sick employees in the workplace

As companies re-open, employees may don wearable tech to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Blackline Safety. By Emily Waltz, IEEE Spectrum 1 May 2020 As shuttered businesses make plans to resume on-site operations, many plan to outfit … READ MORE

New wearable sensor for people with incomplete paraplegia

A new electromyography biofeedback device that is wearable and connects to novel smartphone games may offer people with incomplete paraplegia a more affordable, self-controllable therapy to enhance their recovery, according to a new … READ MORE

Switch Control changed my world

I can’t tell you how thrilled I was to independently send my wife a text for the first time. Meet Todd Stabelfeldt. He’s been using Tecla since February 2014. We asked Todd to share with us his thoughts since introducing Tecla … READ MORE

DIY tools TalkBox and SenseBox help people with disabilities to communicate

The new devices, developed by a collaborative team based in the US, Canada, and Kenya, are easy to use and allow people in different cultural contexts to quickly enhance their ability to communicate. Figure 1. The first prototype (top … READ MORE

New smartphone app gives Albertans access to virtual health care during COVID-19 pandemic

Babylon mobile app allows you to check symptoms, consult with doctors. Using Babylon, an app developed by Telus Health, patients can have one-to-one video consultations with doctors, with the cost of those virtual visits covered by … READ MORE

New online tool predicts individual risks and benefits of joint replacements

An innovative online tool devised by researchers from the University of Sheffield will give patients unique personalised information about the risks and benefits of having a joint replacement for the first time. University of … READ MORE

Alberta nurses have ‘grave concerns’ with rollout of Connect Care

A new electronic system that will eventually be used across all Alberta Health Services facilities is scheduled to launch at some Edmonton locations at 4 a.m. Sunday. WATCH: Some Edmonton health facilities are bracing for potential … READ MORE

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