eHealth » #ThroughGlass

Glass in Medicine – Why There is Promise

John Sharp — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 13:25:42 +0000

In an interview on GlassStories, Kyle Samani gives the most cogent discussion of the pros and cons of Glass. He emphasizes that there is a cost to glass – not just financial but the fact that you have to wear them all the time while you have a fully functional smart phone in your pocket. So he sees limitations to the appeal to general consumers other than the geek coolness. However, on the enterprise side, especially in medicine, he sees real use cases. Specifically,

physicians (and other healthcare providers) need their hands to work whether it is surgery or a physical exam
physicians (and other healthcare providers) are mobile whether moving from one exam or hospital room to the next or traveling between care sites
physicians (and other healthcare providers) are constantly interacting with people, either patients or colleagues
physicians (and other healthcare providers) need to look things up, communicate with others
physicians (and other healthcare providers) need to have clean hands – handling a mobile phone means transmitting germs, they need to wash their hands after each use even if they are using their mobile device at the bedside. The hands free commands in Glass enable them to avoid this
he also thinks the privacy concerns are exaggerated – less deceptive than a mobile phone

Watch the full video interview.

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Update on the Internet of Things and Google Glass

John Sharp — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 16:53:08 +0000

Since there already is a convergence of the Internet of Things (IoT) and wearable computing like Glass, I am combining updates on these.

Recently I came across Sen.se, a platform of IoT but includes data from humans as part of their open platform. They refuse the label of IoT:

“We rather believe in an Internet of Everything where Humans, Nature, Machines, Objects, Environments, Information, Physical and Virtual spaces all mix up, talk, intertwine, interact, enrich and empower each other in all sorts of ways. This is what we are building and we think that we are not alone.”

They are currently in beta and are inviting a limited number of users to the free platform. They also have a blog which is worth watching. Those in the Quantified Health community might check this out as an extension of human data with device and environmental data.

Second, I wanted to call attention to ReShape with Glass, an initiative by the ReShape Innovation Center at Radboud Hospital in Nijmegen, Netherlands. Already a healthcare innovation hub, ReShape will be on the cutting edge of healthcare uses for Glass. Follow them on Google+ .

Finally, I wanted to toot my own horn and mention my listing with some good friends as Best Healthcare IT Blogs . This is a nice addition to my status as one of the 10 healthcare IT professionals you should follow on Twitter.

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Further Thoughts on Google Glass

John Sharp — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 01:58:03 +0000

Here are some major advantages:

hands free browsing and video/photos
lightweight and minimally intrusive
can look at someone while browsing or during a hangout rather than looking down at a cell phone
many possibilities for uses in healthcare and medicine – see this article from iMedicalApps. One additional thought – how about physicians receiving alerts on their patients’ lab results via Glass
camera quality is excellent

Some downsides or challenges for developers to fix:

dependent on open wireless networks or activating your phone as a personal hotspot ($$$$$)
messages, searches and alerts limited to short text – considering the scale of the device, not sure how much more we can expect. If there is something that requires more detailed attention, we are at least alerted and can view it on a laptop
especially in healthcare, privacy concerns since one can take an image of anyone without their permission. Maybe the device should have a small light indicating that a recording or photo is being taken
If you are close to someone who also has Glass, their device might follow your verbal commands, “OK, Glass”. This actually occurred during my orientation
Availability of prescription Glass

Most of these are easy to solve. The challenge is using this new technology in healthcare, developing apps, use cases and broader adoption.

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Google Glass – Day 3 – Future Applications for Healthcare

John Sharp — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 01:15:20 +0000

On day 3, I brought Glass to work and introduced it to my staff and others at the hospital. Unfortunately, I could not connect to the internet thru Glass. The private wireless network did not allow a connection from the device and the public network requires browser authentication (like many airports and hotels) which is not possible in Glass. So the main demo was videos and photos I had already taken and demonstrating how to take photos and videos or having Glass read aloud alerts, such as, those from the New York Times.

So what applications are there for medicine and healthcare for this device? Already there are many ideas coming forward:

“Google Glass makes some people uneasy, but a medical app that tells folks how to perform CPR not only could save lives, but also highlights what’s so awesome about our connected, sensor-rich future.”
Google Glass Invades Social Media With #ThroughGlass
Chloe Glass – a simulator wearing Glass to evaluate medical practice in training
Use of Glass in surgery
How Google Glass Is Changing Medical Education
Glass on hospital rounds

Other possibilites include real-time consults using Google Hangouts. This might be particularly effective in complex cases where the camera could be effectively used, such as, dermatology and wound care or my colleagues in ostomy care.

My final query is: who will develop the first healthcare app for Glass? Will it be an adaption of an existing wellness app involving diet and exercise or a medical reference app? By the way, medical reference at least on a basic level could already be experimented with using the Google search feature of Glass and realizing that the the answers will be brief. Could medical calculators based on voice commands be apps? Would they be sufficiently accurate? Will apps be created which require FDA approval? How about patients wearing Glass to evaluate physician communication and the patient experience for training new medical professionals or seasoned ones?

Obviously, this technology is at an early but exciting stage. In healthcare, concerns about privacy abound, but as it becomes more common and the owner can explain how it is being used, there will develop a level of comfort, just as a skilled provider explaining the use of a computer in the exam room. The possibilities are only limited by the first 8000 Glass Explorers and those who will follow.

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Google Glass – Day 2

John Sharp — Tue, 09 Jul 2013 13:42:01 +0000

Day 2 was spent at home trying it out on my home network and showing it to neighbors. I was becoming more comfortable with using and wearing it. The hands-free aspect of Glass does have a freeing sense.

Sunday I discovered that a flood of NY Times alerts came through. Fortunately, Glass with read them to you if you like (headlines only). Also tried a Google search which resulted in a Wikipedia entry for some (first line) which was more or less relevant to my request. Since I don’t routinely use Siri or Google Voice, my proficiency with voice to text was lacking but this is something that could improve with practice.

Also attempted a video call to Lucien Engelen in the Netherlands. Unfortunately, it was choppy and the screen froze for both of us at times. Not sure if that was Glass, as I moved around the house trying to maintain the wireless connection or the speed of my wireless network or the international connection. Another item which would require more trial and error, common with adopting new technology.

Someone pointed me to this video by Sergey Brin at TED which starts with the intro to Glass and then his statements of the purpose of Glass – to move us away from staring down at our phones and again facing our fellow human beings while staying connected to the world. Interesting concept. Would like to see some human factor researchers do a test of highly connected people using a mobile phone vs. Glass.

Two examples of videos taken Saturday in NYC

These 20 second videos are easy to do with a voice command.
More tomorrow on potential applications in healthcare.

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Google Glass – Day 1

John Sharp — Mon, 08 Jul 2013 02:30:55 +0000

Guest tag for Glass

Today I went

to Google New York to pick up Google Glass. I arrived at Chelsea Market in southern Manhattan. On the 8th floor is the headquarters for Glass on the east coast. We were issued guest tags The setting is loft-like with a small bar (we were offer drinks) and sat at one of several tall tables on stools with a mirror.

After an extensive orientation, I was ready to try them on my own.

Right next to the Chelsea Market is the Highline. Tired out photos and video which both worked well.

Highline

As I was warned that unless you are connected through the MyGlass website to an available wireless network or an open network that does not require authentication. The other alternatives is to connect through your phone’s bluetooth or better yet, enable your phone as a wireless hotspot, but that is an additional cost.

Later in the day, I was in Grand Central Station and took photos and videos from the balcony, aka, Apple Store.

Grand Central

Conclusion from Day 1 – There is a learning curve for Glass. managing the menu and voice commands. Learning to share photos is pretty straightforward. Adding apps like The New York Times can add a lot of content. Finding Twitter and Facebook deep in the menu can be a challenge. And remember, sharing photos or messaging are through Google+. Also, the Glass app is for Android devices only right now. So between the learning curve and the dependence on Google Apps means a change in orientation compared to managing apps through an iPhone. But the process is still interesting.

Does Glass have uses within healthcare? a growing number of users think so but it is up to the first 8000 Glass Explorers to determine its usefulness and prove that it is more than a toy.

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