Medical Monitoring & Remote Programming: touch screens

Sunday, July 22, 2018

15 Game-Changing Wireless Devices to Improve Patient Care

I happened across this slide show today and decided to share it.

https://www.medscape.com/features/slideshow/wireless-devices#17

Remote monitoring has by implication another side to it: remote patient management. The remote monitoring side of these devices seem to be on a strong, positive path of development, but I'm not seeing the same level of development on the remote patient management side. That piece of seems to be lagging and probably for good reason: it's the more difficult. And I can say that from experience working in the area. In addition, it will likely require further development of supporting automation, that is, artificial intelligence or expert systems.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

HE-75 Touch Screen Recommendations

I have found HE-75 to be one of the best human factors standards ever produced. However, I have found their analysis and recommendations regarding touch screens lacking, and out of date. To place a perspective on the HE-75 touch screen recommendations ... in the late 1980's and early 1990's, I ran a user interface design and implementation project inside of a larger project at Bell Laboratories. To make a long story short, one of the user interfaces we needed to design and produce was a touch screen interface. The touch screen used a CRT as a display device and it was as flat as we could make it. In addition, the distance between the touch screen surface and the display was about 35 mm. When I read of the issues related to touch screens and the recommendations in HE-75, I experience deja vu and I feel as if I've been transported back to that time.

Some of the most significant advances in user interfaces have been in the areas of display technology and touch screens with respect to hardware and in particular software. Apple Computer has been a leader in combining the advances in both display technology, touch screen design and touch screen interface software. I would have expected the HE-75 committee to have incorporated these advances and innovations in touchscreen software into the standard. However, what I have found appears to me as ossified thinking or ignoring what has transpired.

People in the medical field are using smart phones with their advanced touch screen interfaces in their medical practice. Smart phone touch screens and now the Apple iPad have become the de facto standard in touch screen technology. My previous article related to consistency ... here's a consistency issue. Is it wise to suggest that medical device touch screen interfaces look and operate in a way different from the accepted standard in the field? I know this is not a simple question, but I think it is one that will need to be addressed in future editions of HE-75.

What this is about ...

A technical blog is dedicated to discussing aspect of the next generation of patient monitoring and management. I post new entries as I am able. I encourage you to become a follower. If you have an interest in this area, I think you will not be disappointed.

I am a technologist of long standing and I often can spot technical trends of an industry or of a particular company. I'm unconcerned with the financial or business impact. That is for others to consider. I'm interested in technology and its likely impacts on people's lives. Although my profile mentions that my most recent experience is with Medtronic. I had lengthy experience with St. Jude Medical. Any examples I provide do not necessarily originate from Medtronic or St. Jude Medical. I have contacts from a variety of medical device companies and constantly research the industry. My examples will originate from a variety of sources.

In the spirit of what I've written above, many may not know that a quiet revolution in medicine is occurring. The information highway, the Internet, is being extended into medicine. Wireless data communication with the Internet will be enlisted to enable people to connect with the Internet. The interchange of electronic patient records and digitized medical images are just a part of this revolution. In the near future, your physician can monitor your health remotely. Furthermore, if you have an implanted medical device (IMD) such as a pacemaker, ICD, neuro-stimulator, diabetes management device, etc., your physician can monitor your vital signs and change the settings on your implanted, therapeutic device remotely - virtually anywhere. Even very sick individuals could be enabled to live their lives at home rather than in an institution such as a hospital or nursing facility This can be performed safely and securely, and cost-effectively to provide people will fuller and longer lives.

Finally, a disclaimer regarding the advertisements that you see on this blog. I have no connection with the advertisers that appear on this blog. An appearance of an advertisement on this blog does not constitute an endorsement from me.