Class on Monday was very interesting. We covered 2 different topics, Beyond the Clinic and Diagnosis, since the previous class was cancelled. We discussed the homework readings which covered things from the healthcare in prisons to how the future of healthcare is predicted to move back to homes and away from hospitals. However, I found the article How's My Sleep by Kristina Grifantini the most interesting. I immediately gravitated to this article because I am somewhat of a sleep fanatic. I have 4 sleep apps on my phone, a dream journal, and I can be found frequently telling people they need to get more sleep. This is somewhat ironic since I don't think I've slept the recommended 8 hours since freshman year. Nonetheless, I'd like to think that I'm somewhat of a sleep expert. So it was a tad disheartening to read that the author, Grifantini, and other sleep scientists didn't think these apps were valuable because they can't "currently match the level of sleep stage recording in a sleep lab."
I think it's safe to assume that most consumers of these apps know they aren't getting results that are 100% accurate. As Mekal pointed out in class, our smartphones are designed to do things like make calls, send messages, and to overall keep us connected to one another with ease. Therefore, sleep app developers have utilized a smartphone's technology to give the common person some insight into their sleep. I personally find this genius because these days most people have a smartphone. In a 2018 survey done by the Pew Research Center, only 6% of people in the US reported not having a mobile phone. Additionally in most advanced economies, the majority of adults have smartphones.
These statistics are important when thinking about the accessibility. How accessible and practical is it for the average american to go into a sleep clinic? According to Sleep.Org, a website by the National Sleep Foundation, the starting price for a trip to the sleep clinic can be $1300. While some plans of Medicaid can cover sleep testing, it is likely you will have to pay a good portion of the bill.
The website also states that you can purchase a Home Sleep Test (HST) for around $300. This at-home version is more convenient and cost-effective, however it is likely to underestimate the severity of your sleep condition, there is no staff to make sure you're hooked up correctly, and your test results won't be as extensive. Additionally, Sleep Clinics are typically only in cities, making it harder for citizens of rural areas to get there easily. So why pay for the HST when you could just use the app for similar convince, results, and pay nothing at all?
This raises the question, could smartphones be used as a means of healthcare? So I did some research.
Through Harvard's Hollis, I found an article from IT Professional called, Doctor's Orders: Healthcare Apps and Self-Monitoring, which focuses on some research being done by cardiologist Eric Topol. Dr. Topol says that "patients should be fully empowered" and believes this can be achieved if wireless digital technologies, like smartphones, were used and integrated into healthcare.
Initially this idea has had push back from both doctors ad patients alike. Some doctors argued that it will "interfere with the doctor-patient relationship." Patients expressed concerned over making sure their data stays secure. But recently more and more healthcare facilities have integrated technology with apps.
At UCLA's hospital. they designed an app and website called myUCLAhealth that allows patients to refill prescriptions, contact the doctors office, manage appointments, and see test results. Additionally, there is a version used in the UCLA hospitals called myUCLAhealth Bedside that lets patients talk to doctors from their rooms in real time.
Another take on combining healthcare with technology is the app Ada, which was founded in 2011 and launched in 2016 by a team of doctors. It aims to make healthcare more accessible with a personalized interactive chat to diagnosis the issue and will give you suggestion on what to do. Suggestions could include a visit to your doctor, a specialist, or to seek medical care. You can also instantly share your check-up report with your doctor, asses other family and friends, and track the progression of your symptoms. For a relatively new app, it has received numerous awards and as of March 2019, has over 6 million users. Most importantly its FREE. And although you don't see the doctor in real life, the virtual doctor on Ada has the potential to help so many people all across the globe. Think about how this app will grow as technology grows. This app, as Dr. Topol argues for, gives the power back to patients in times they feel the most vulnerable.
So I pose you all this final question: Would you be comfortable with having a healthcare system that relies so heavily on apps and technology for diagnosis and aftercare?
Let me know in the comments.
And as always, check out the Forum for additional resources uploaded by me or other users.
Opmerkingen