Healthcare ⯀  

Do you want to clear a room fast in America? Just mention healthcare. The fact is many Americans have no idea what is going on. With high hopes, people supported the plan nicknamed Obamacare. Many people got insurance coverage that did not have it before. Many people with long-term illnesses were able to keep their healthcare. While that is honorable and wonderful, many middle-class Americans got the shock of the century when they got their renewals.

Health ⯀  

An important part of a safe labor and delivery is taking advantage of technology that can make child birth safer. 

Fortunately, there are some new and emerging technologies that can help you and your baby stay safe as you welcome your little one to the world. Here are four interesting medical technologies for making childbirth safer:

New Safety Scalpels

Doctors can unintentionally cut a mother’s tissues because of human error or because of the design of their cutting instruments. To fix the problem, Ecomed Solutions has created the Sureglide scalpel. It’s essentially safety scissors for doctors. The scissors allow doctors to make detailed cuts during a C-section without unintentional lacerations in the process.

Inhalable Oxytocin

Right now, postpartum bleeding is one of the leading causes of death after childbirth. Even though the body builds up extra blood during pregnancy, bleeding from the placenta or after a C-section can cause life-threatening complications. While oxytocin is a great drug to treat the problem, right now it’s only available in an injection. The injection takes some skill and training to administer.

The Monash University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MIPS) is working to change that. They’ve got a new form of oxytocin that moms can inhale. It’s a dry powder, and it’s not as hard to administer as the shot. The new form of the drug can help moms get the drugs they need to treat postpartum bleeding.

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Genetic Screening

Genetic screening can make childbirth safer before pregnancy even starts. When moms opt for in-vitro fertilization, they can use genetic screening to decrease their risks. By testing one cell from an embryo, doctors can determine if the embryo has a normal number of chromosomes. Embryos with a normal chromosome count are more likely to be born alive and healthy than embryos with abnormalities. In fact, women who use the screening process as part of their in-vitro fertilization are more likely to have a live birth without complications than women who don’t opt to use the technology.

Electronic Fetal Monitoring

Monitoring a baby’s heart rate during labor is an important way to prevent birth asphyxia. Even though electronic fetal monitoring is somewhat common in hospitals today, it’s a relatively new technology, and it’s not used everywhere. Identifying a baby in distress can give the medical team time to make adjustments and bring a healthy baby into the world.

Making Child Birth Safer

Emerging technologies can go a long ways to help reduce dangers in child birth. Moms can take advantage of some of these technologies before child birth begins. Others can help during labor and even after. Recent developments have made new technologies available in order to make the birthing process safer and reduce the risks to both mom and baby.

By  Dixie Somers	Embed
Author Bio - Dixie is a freelance writer who loves to write about business, finance and self improvement. She lives in Arizona with her husband and three beautiful daughters.

Internet of Things ⯀  

We use the connected technologies of the Internet of Things (IoT) to run our homes more efficiently and to be more productive at work. We even wear IoT devices on our bodies now. Recently, the technology has also begun making an impact in medical laboratories. 

Let’s take a look at three exampl

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es of how this technology excels in that sector.

It Aids in Tracking and Distribution Measures

The pharmaceutical industry is increasingly relying on bar codes and RFID codes to reduce instances of medication errors.

However, an MIT research affiliate named Stephen Miles believes a serialized identification system for medication could go beyond cutting down on prescription-related mistakes.

He points out if we could track medicines around the world through unique identifiers and wireless data transmission technologies, pharmaceutical laboratory personnel could learn whether given medical interventions were worthwhile for patients, which could be useful during clinical trials.

Doctors could also find out whether patients who received medications went through the next step of taking them as prescribed.

Miles also wants to branch out and use his serial number-based ID system to develop and synchronize processes for handling biomaterials such as cells and antibodies. He believes that approach would be advantageous in both laboratories and manufacturing environments.

It Makes Lab Result Validation More Efficient

The Appalachian Regional Healthcare System relied on the power of connected tech when upgrading its lab information systems (LIS). The LIS team consists of only two people but relies on support from people in other departments. In 2015, the health system had the daunting task of tackling a major upgrade to lab results validation tools in only nine months.

To compensate, it relied on Software Testing Solution’s (STS) SoftBank Test Suites to get the job done. Not only was that company able to provide detailed reports that impressed upper management, but it relieved the burdens of overtaxed lab workers by transferring some of their time-consuming tasks to the software interface.

To put this in perspective, diagnostic tests carried out with assistance from laboratories aid doctors in deciding whether they should discharge a patient and evaluating whether that person is receiving the proper treatment. They affect 70 percent of medical decisions overall, so more efficient and accurate labs could increase physician confidence and lead to better patient care.

It Facilitates More Compatibility Between Different Types of Lab Equipment

Today’s lab systems and tools are extremely advanced. However, until the recent introduction of IoT tech, many of them could not work with each other.

For example, in the past, if a laboratory invested in a new type of freezer, it didn’t always interact with other freezers that were on an existing monitoring system.

That meant if a temperature-related malfunction affected the older freezers, maintenance workers would get alerts about it. However, that wasn’t the case with the newer, incompatible freezer, which often meant investing in another type of temperature monitor just for the newer model. Now, IoT technologies allow for connecting external sensors to lab equipment and tools and controlling all of them through a single interface.

Lab workers can view details about sensor-equipped items in facilities through web browsers and quickly make adjustments to things such as temperature parameters and associated alarms. They can also look at characteristics related to individual pieces of equipment and how those factors have changed over time.

Someone might notice a connected item has been behaving strangely over the last few weeks. That observation could lead to scheduling a service call and prevent a disaster that could significantly affect a lab’s resources and profits.

These are just a few fascinating examples of how tech connectivity has changed how laboratory professionals operate and minimized some of the challenges associated with their work.

As IoT capabilities improve, the lab industry will continue to benefit in meaningful ways that benefit employees and consumers alike.

By  Kayla Matthews	Embed
Kayla Matthews writes about marketing innovation and business solutions for Inc.com, Convince & Convert and WeWork. You can read more posts by Kayla on her blog, Productivity Theory.

Data Mining ⯀  

Data mining helps us analyze the intersection between people, communities, and information using mathematical models. In its broadest sense, it aims to identify patterns and trends in large volumes of data to provide us with new insights and aid decision making. 

The advent of modern computer technology, with its ability to generate and store ever greater amounts of data, makes data mining essential to finding and organizing information in useful ways. Data mining techniques can be applied across many different disciplines and help us integrate the continuous influx of new data into our decision making processes.

The Business Of Data

Probably the most commonly recognized application of data mining is in sales and marketing. Businesses can accumulate vast amounts of data on their customers and sales. Using data mining techniques, they could use this information to predict trends, develop marketing campaigns, and inform their decision making. This is particularly true of online retailers like eBay, who must ensure that the information on their sites is categorized in a way that makes it searchable and relevant for their customers.

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Data Mining In Medicine

Data mining methods help biomedical researchers mine clinical research data to improve the accuracy of statistical data. Specific data mining tools are ideal for finding relationships between data, such as tracking adverse reactions to prescription drugs or vaccines. A recent conference on Intelligent Biology and Medicine had as its theme “Medical Informatics and Big Data”, looking at the application of data mining techniques in biomedical research.

Big Data And Society

Population data, much like medical data, benefits from data mining techniques to inform public policy decision making. Recently, social media became the focus of data mining in an attempt to learn how it influences opinion and behavior. Researchers employed data mining techniques to analyze the relationship between technology, political organization and representation. Data mining was used to test the US federal court system’s new public access system, looking at the validity and integrity of online records. It’s also been used to assist the public in being informed of the current affairs of the country, such as the 1,267 strategic warheads that had been deployed by the US by 2016. Education systems have begun to see the value in data mining techniques to compare methods and practices against educational outcomes in order to devise better education policy.

As storage capacity and the volume of data increases, data management and the ability to draw meaningful information from large quantities of data will be increasingly valuable skills. Several institutions now offer post graduate courses in data management, like a masters in library science. Data mining methods can be used to improve the function of database storage systems in any field or discipline, making it an indispensable tool for the information age.

By  Emma Sturgis	Embed
Emma is a freelance writer currently living in Boston. When not writing, she enjoys baking and indoor rock climbing. Find her on Google +.

Medicine ⯀  

Once considered nothing more than science fiction, laser technology now dominates certain arenas of medicine.

Although it is somewhat ironic, the foundation for most surgical procedures is to create additional trauma before healing the trauma for which the patient first sought help. For example, to replace a joint damaged in an accident, the surgeon must cut through skin, muscle and cartilage to remove the damaged joint and replace it with a prosthetic. It was perhaps this paradox that led to the quest for a solution to conventional procedures and the eventual development of laser treatment. The latter is not as traumatic, invasive or painful as traditional surgical processes.

Understanding Laser Treatment

Laser therapy is the use of laser energy in a non invasive manner to create a photochemical response in dysfunctional or damaged tissues. This type of treatment can accelerate recovery from a broad range of chronic and acute conditions, as well as reduce inflammation and alleviate pain. According to rehabilitation therapists, the primary objective of treatment for most patients with debilitating, painful conditions is to improve mobility and function. Laser treatment is a surgery free, drug-free avenue through which to reach this goal. In addition, laser surgery has replaced conventional surgery in many areas of medicine.

In 2013, neuroscientists from Harvard University working in conjunction with researchers from the University of Michigan have revealed in a published study the benefits and effectiveness of a cutting-edge, laser-based “scalpel” that relies on something called Raman scattering. This phenomenon uses light to identify brain tumors, which contrast with the cellular structure of the surrounding tissue. This is just one example of technological advancements that may revolutionize medical procedures in the future.

The Use of Lasers for Non-Catastrophic Illnesses

Advancements in laser technology are not limited to severe illnesses or major operations. In fact, the majority of society’s ailments are everyday struggles with manageable conditions–such as the regulation of insulin in diabetics–or poor vision and congenital baldness. The use of laser treatment has also led to one of the greatest advancements in eye surgery, Laser-Assisted in situ Keratomileusis, more commonly known as LASIK, which restores normal vision to nearsighted or farsighted individuals.

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The Role of Laser Treatment in the Future

The future of Class IV Laser Treatment is seemingly very bright, even though certain advances are still years away. One such example is transparent skull implants, which researchers are currently studying. Scientists are attempting to determine whether a laser light can be shined into a person's brain in order to assist the surgeon to complete various procedures without having to literally open the patient's skull.

Scientists from the University of California who are currently overseeing the research project have stated that it is a vital first step toward eliminating an invasive brain surgery procedure called a craniectomy, during which part of the skull is removed. The alternative procedure would involve allowing a laser to travel through a tiny “window” created in the skull to complete certain surgeries.

Additionally, laser treatment may entirely eliminate the use of scalpels in the future, similar to how other procedures, such as lobotomies and bloodletting, have become obsolete and elbowed aside by newer, healthier and more efficient procedures.

Cell Evaluation and Regeneration of New Cells

Laser technology is also useful in the regeneration of new tissues and cells. Professor Woo, from the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, uses lasers to create supporting structures that hold tissue implants in place. The laser is used somewhat like a drill, designing holes in the supporting structure that ultimately guide new cells in the appropriate direction as they mature.

Researchers also use lasers to evaluate cell components and have found them instrumental in evaluating single cells to gather information. Tuan Vo-Dinh, Duke University's director of the Fitzpatrick Institute for Photonics, has stated that the use of laser therapy is currently growing at a double-digit rate. Vo-Dinh uses advanced laser techniques to observe the rate at which molecules scatter laser light, which could eventually lead to customized therapies for people based on their individual DNA sequences.

Lasers may also help medical engineers design small devices to reduce pain and injury at injection sites when compared with conventional techniques.

Lasers are highly advantageous as diagnostic tools as well, as they allow non invasive probing of live tissue.

Safety

Despite the exciting possibilities, the safety of laser treatment must be evaluated further. For instance, light and heat exposure can result in tissue damage and burns, and therefore laser use must be carefully monitored.

One of the biggest obstacles in getting lasers past medical regulatory boards is general concerns about radiation exposure. Fortunately, technological advancements concerning lasers and their therapeutic use have reduced the amount of light to which tissues are exposed during laser surgery. A device approved by the FDA in 2010, called a femtosecond laser, was one of the first instruments designed specifically to lessen tissue exposure.

Ultimately, studies involving this non invasive treatment are likely to continue as the 21st Century progresses. Hopefully, such research will lead to better and more efficient treatments and procedures in the future.

Top Image by Andrea Pacelli

By  Isaac Christiansen	Embed
After graduating from medical school at the University of Michigan, Isaac started his own private orthopedic practice in Riverton Utah. Having dealt with and overcome many of the obstacles that come with entrepreneurship and small business ownership, Isaac has found a passion for helping the up and coming generation thrive in their careers and ultimately their lives.

As medical technology and mental health awareness improve, concussion detection and treatment is becoming more effective. This article discusses how blood tests, medication, activity, and technology are being used to prevent, diagnose, and treat concussions.

Head Injury  

Properly recognizing and treating concussions can make all the difference between making a full recovery or developing a serious condition such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Fortunately, scientific and medical understanding of concussions is constantly improving. Below are four promising recent advancements in treating concussions.

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Blood Tests

Recent research has shown that an abnormally high presence of certain proteins in the blood can indicate brain trauma. This is because head trauma causes certain biomarkers from the brain to break through the blood-brain barrier and enter the bloodstream. Researchers still have to determine exactly how much indicates brain trauma, but learning how to test a patient’s blood to gauge the presence and extent of trauma to the brain may soon be taught to aspiring professionals in nursing and medical schools.

Medication

Another promising area of research is in the so-called “concussion pill.” Researchers at Harvard Universities have managed to create an antibody that attacks and destroys the misshapen proteins which cause CTE. This could revolutionize not just concussion treatments, but also treatments for other neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s. The researchers hope to have the antibody available in pill form in just a few years. In the meantime, due to their research, the medical community’s understanding of what causes CTE continues to improve.

Active Treatments

In the past, treatment for a concussion simply involved resting and staying away from bright lights and loud noises. As researchers start to better understand how trauma affects the brain, they have started to develop more active concussion treatments to rehabilitate the damaged areas of the brain. This can lead to a quicker recovery time as well as a reduction in symptoms related to concussions such as pain, mood swings, and irritability.

Improved Technology

The earlier you catch a concussion, the more effective treatment will be. This is why scientists are pouring research into helmets that can detect the speed and severity of an impact and calculate the possibility of serious injury. Many schools and professional sports teams are also using computer software that measures cognitive processes such as reaction time, concentration, and memory to detect concussions right away. The sooner you can diagnose a concussion, the sooner you can start treatment, which results in a more positive outcome.

In short, understanding of how to recognize and treat a concussion is constantly improving. It is only a matter of time before medical professionals have a diversity of options at their fingertips to help their patients make a full recovery.

By  Shae Holland	Embed
Shae Holland is a freelance writer based out of Bismarck, ND, with a degree in General Studies. She writes on a variety of topics and loves learning new things. In her spare time she enjoys reading, gardening, and hunting.

Medicine  

The Internet changes everything it touches, from entertainment to education. The medical profession is no exception. Thanks to the onset of the Internet, modern healthcare benefits from improved communication, more comprehensive education, and more.

The Internet has changed how we work, study, and socialize. And it has also changed how we track, maintain, and treat our health. It enables medical professionals around the world to collaborate on and develop better treatments for long-standing medical problems. Smart phones and health-related apps have even changed the way patients interact with their healthcare providers.

Improved Access to Research and New Discoveries

Thanks to the Internet, medical professionals from different hospitals, research centers, and universities to exchange information with one another. The increased ability to collaborate with other medical professionals and their patients around the world accelerates the understanding of medical challenges and formulation of possible solutions. Furthermore, students in medical school are now receiving a better education than ever because they have instant access to current research and experts from around the world.

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Clearer Communication Between Doctors and Patients 

Internet-based medical information portals have vastly improved communication between doctors and their patients. Doctors can post a patient’s latest lab results, vital signs, and medical history in real time. Patients have access to the information from any location at any time. A medical information portal also allows direct communication between patients and their doctors via email in case of complications or new developments.

Remote Monitoring 

The Internet has made it possible for medical professionals to monitor their patients remotely, reducing the need for hospital confinement. For example, a patient with a pacemaker can be monitored in the comfort of his or her own home using a small monitoring device. The device sends and receives instructions on how to adjust the patient's pacemaker, and alerts the doctor if something goes wrong.

Smart Devices & Mobile Applications 

Patients have the ability to monitor their own heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels using smart devices and corresponding smartphone apps. Recent developments in closed-loop technology helps patients maintain their ongoing healthcare needs without human intervention. An example of closed-loop technology is the artificial pancreas. The artificial pancreas is for people over the age of 14 who suffer from Type I diabetes. The device automatically monitors the patient's blood sugar levels and administers insulin when needed, without human intervention.

The Internet has revolutionized medicine in many ways; the examples above are just a few of the ways our health has changed for the better. The future of medicine is limited only by our imagination, and will only continue to improve as the Internet’s database of medical information expands.

By  Shae Holland	Embed
Shae Holland is a freelance writer based out of Bismarck, ND, with a degree in General Studies. She writes on a variety of topics and loves learning new things. In her spare time she enjoys reading, gardening, and hunting.

Medicine  

Nanotechnology research is making exciting advances in a number of different academic fields, but it is in medicine where the tiniest particles can make the biggest differences. Treating cancer has always been a challenge, but one type of cancer is especially difficult, aggressive, and most often terminal.

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that mostly affects the tissue that lines the lungs and the chest cavity. It is associated with exposure to asbestos and has affected thousands of people. Now, advances in the use of nanoparticles are giving these patients new hope.

Nanoparticles and Targeted Treatment

There are many different forms that nanotechnology can take, but in medicine and cancer treatment, tiny biomolecules, termed nanoparticles are proving to be useful in a number of treatments. For cancer and mesothelioma, nanoparticles can be used to encapsulate and then deliver medications or other factors directly to a tumor and directly into cancer cells.

Medicinal nanoparticles may range in size from just ten nanometers to 200 nanometers. The surfaces can be designed for different uses and to minimize the chances that they will be destroyed by a patient’s immune system. In targeting nanoparticles to cancer cells, antibodies can be used on the surface. Researchers doing this work select an antibody that matches receptors on the surfaces of cancer cells in the target tumor. This allows the nanoparticle to be directed right to the tumor and the cells of interest.

What makes targeted nanoparticles such an important achievement in cancer treatment is that it could replace systemic chemotherapy, which is the administration of chemotherapeutic drugs intravenously. It is systemic because the drugs spread throughout the body and act on any fast growing cells, not just cancer cells. This is what makes chemotherapy so uncomfortable for patients. It causes painful side effects, as well as hair loss. If those same drugs can be targeted at tumors specifically, side effects could be avoided and that would be a big deal for cancer patients.

Using Nanoparticles to Deliver Genetic Material

Nanoparticles that are targeted to strike tumors in the body can encapsulate chemotherapy drugs, but also genetic factors. These factors can be used to insert, delete, or change genes in cancer cells to direct them to slow their growth, to stop dividing, or to die. Research into this use for nanoparticles is already underway and has shown some promising and hopeful results for mesothelioma patients.

A group of researchers in Australia recently eliminated nearly all the cancer cells from a patient with late-stage mesothelioma. This is a huge achievement because mesothelioma in its later stages is very difficult to treat and is considered, short of a miracle, impossible to cure. One patient out of a group of six in this research saw almost complete remission after treatment with nanoparticles containing genetic factors. This was after the patient had failed to respond to several rounds of conventional chemotherapy.

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The genetic material used in the nanoparticles is called microRNA, or miRNA. These small pieces of genetic material were used in the study to insert a gene into the cells of mesothelioma tumors. Research had previously found a gene missing from the cancer cells, and by inserting this missing gene, the miRNA acted like a tumor suppressant, slowing and stopping the growth of tumors.

Nanotechnology is leading a revolution in science, but in medicine the use of nanoparticles means so much more. It means that patients who had previously had no hope of surviving a difficult cancer like mesothelioma, now can dream of a day when this cancer and others may be treatable and even curable.

By  Virgil Anderson	Embed
Virgil Anderson is a mesothelioma cancer survivor. He was treated by the carer network at mesothelioma.net, and wants more cancer patients find this information.

Medical Technology  

As research and testing is carried out around the world, healthcare is one of the industries that's always at the forefront of emerging technologies.

New techniques, evolving IT systems, and cutting-edge equipment are being integrated into healthcare systems that are advancing patient care more rapidly than ever. Here are just some of the ways that new technology is improving our health.

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Wearable Technology

A growing range of wearable devices is helping to improve patient care. Outside the hospital, individuals with serious medical conditions can be outfitted with wearables that monitor glucose levels, blood pressure, and more. With Wi-Fi technology, these devices provide an automatically downloaded record of patient care to healthcare computers. They can also issue alerts or medication reminders when readings fall below acceptable levels. Even home health patients remain connected for fast response in emergencies.
3D Printers

Since the arrival of 3D printing, healthcare researchers have been devoted to creating biologic materials that can be applied in the additive form of manufacturing. Using stem cells and incubation techniques, medical professionals are already reproducing a number of cell types that can be used to grow living tissue. This is gradually making it possible to recreate a patient's skin cells, blood vessels, muscle, cartilage, bones, and even heart tissue to custom specifications, and without the risk of rejection.

Analytics

These devices are part of the Internet of Things (IoT). Smart technology can monitor conditions and feed real-time data into information systems for analysis. Far beyond simply recording vital signs, facility sensors, cameras, bar codes, and microchips can track patients, staff, equipment, and supplies in a variety of ways, 24/7. Qualified professionals, such as those who may have their mba in computer information systems, can perform analyses to improve efficiency and reduce waste. This leads to not only better care, but lower costs that can be passed on to consumers.

Internal Sensors

It's also possible to aid diagnoses and treatments from the inside. Sensors that the patient can swallow have been around for several years now and are steadily improving. These small devices, no bigger than a large pill, can relay information on how various body systems are functioning, as well as the effects of medications on particular processes. They can be powered by the human metabolism itself to continue providing internal data that doctors otherwise couldn't get without extensive testing.

These technologies are becoming technical standards in patient care that combine to provide faster and more accurate results. More efficient diagnoses and treatments due to developing technology will save more lives.

By  Hannah Whittenly	Embed
Author Bio - Hannah Whittenly is a freelance writer and mother of two from Sacramento, California.

Health  

For people trying to conceive without success, your doctor will most likely prescribe that you and your partner undergo fertility testing so that accurate medical advice for successful conception can be given. Now thanks to technology, such tests can be performed at home. 

If you and your significant other have been trying to conceive for at least a year but without any luck, your doctor will most likely prescribe that both of you undergo fertility testing so that accurate medical advice for successful conception can be given. On your part, a male fertility test is highly recommended.

A Glimpse into Sperm Analysis

Analyzing semen for detecting specific infertility issues is not limited to just sperm count or concentration. It must also consist of the following characteristics:

• Volume of the Semen
• Sperm Movement or Motility
• Sperm Vitality
• Total Number of Sperm
• Sperm Morphology or Shape

While having more normal-shaped sperm generally points to higher fertility, some cases prove to be exceptions. For instance, it has been found that most men who happen to have abnormal semen or low sperm count show no signs of infertility problems. Furthermore, statistics show that over 10 % of infertile men appear to have high normal sperm count as well as normal semen.

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So How Does a Male Fertility Test Go?

Routine fertility testing for men is simple; but it can be a source of great worry, discomfort and embarrassment for many. If the test is to be conducted in a clinical setting, you are required to produce a sample of your semen in a lab. Not only is this procedure awkward, it is quite expensive as well, since the testing and analysis of the sample demands pricey digital equipment.

On the other hand, hospitals that lack such modern machinery rely on a technician for an old-school analysis of the sperm sample using a microscope. While this may be cheaper, it must be understood that results are prone to human error.

Have Your Sperm Analyzed in the Comfort and Privacy of Your Own Home – Via Your Smartphone!

If you are a more private person and don’t wish to personally go to a clinic for that embarrassing visit, sperm analysis is now well within easy reach. More than just the crude and costly home sperm tests that are limited to sperm count and concentration, there now exists modern home sperm testing technology that is easier to use, more affordable and not to mention more private. Such optimized kits are designed not only for sperm count and concentration measurement but also motility assessment.

Here’s how it works:

1. Upon ordering a kit, you will be asked to specify your phone type or model. The kit will utilize your phone’s camera and video light. It also comes with a detachable clip that serves as a mini microscope.
2. Next, simply download a Home Sperm Test app for free.
3. Finally, follow the specific instructions, test your sperm sample and gain instant access to a live video of your sperm in motion, plus accurate and automatic results. Rest assured that your data will remain confidential, private and safe.

Aside from the fear of the embarrassing male fertility test, there are many other reasons why most men refuse to seek infertility treatment. Nevertheless, this techy tool hopefully encourages otherwise hesitant men to have regular sperm checks to keep their reproductive health in top shape and finally start the family they plan on having.

By  33rd Square	Embed

Health  

Like many Americans, you may live in constant fear regarding the safety of your aging loved ones, and even if they don’t require much care as of now, you understand that a slip and fall accident or could happen at any moment. Of course, the former is quite possible even for younger people; it’s simply more likely for older ones. This is where medical alert systems come into play.

This short article takes a moment to look at the top gps medical alert systems for seniors review to find the ones that can best be tailored to suit their lifestyles.

Bay Alarm Medical Alert System

An industry-leading option for seniors; Bay Alarm Medical Has an in-home kit as its base offering; this connects to a landline and provides operation to a wireless device on the person no matter where they are in the house. If you don’t have a landline (not uncommon in this day and age), then Bay Medical also offers the in-home cellular alert kit.

You should know that the automatic fall detection is sold separately. For seniors who are on the go, there’s a mobile gps device, too. It works reliably with the expansive T-Mobile cellular network, and you don’t have to be an actual client of T-mobile on your day-to-day cell phone plan to use it with the medical alert system.

The LifeStation Mobile GPS Option

Appropriately-named, this very customer-centric medical alert system company has its elderly customers in mind as much as the very best do - such as Bay Alarm and Medical Guardian. The Fall Detection add-on send a signal immediately when a person has fallen. The gps mobile product speaks for itself - its range is unlimited and its tailor-made to be carried on trips and outings.

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For the home-bodies, there’s the traditional medical alert system that operates with whatever phone carrier you have, and requires you to hit a button for help. An even better in-home alternative is LifeStation’s in-home wireless device that allows you to wear the apparatus on your person, and press for help in the event of an emergency.

Medical Guardian

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more comprehensive medical alert system than the premium version of Medical Guardian’s service suite. The presiding network is AT&T, and it covers all the features of the other models in their service suite. This includes the Mobile Guardian, the Home Guardian and the Classic Guardian. The Fall Detection is optional, and the Family Guardian is one level up from Premium - it provides you with real-time information on the status of the apps so that you know your loved ones are safe.

MobileHelp is a Reliable Brand

MobileHelp has the Mobile Help Solo and the Duo option - depending on your needs and the number of seniors seeking coverage. The Duo option is specifically for people who are frequently outside the home, where portability is the primary concern. It comes with a home base station, and so can also be used like an in-house unit. The Fall Detection is considered an add-on, and as of May 2017, runs about an extra $10 per month extra. It will alert the operators of a problem if the gyroscope detects that you’ve fallen and cannot physically access the button.

The greatest impediment to health is not receiving help quickly enough. Medical alert systems do a great job of cutting down the times, by making sure someone is always available to send help to your loved one.

By  33rd Square	Embed

Health  

The medical technology of the 21st century has changed nearly everything about how health care is provided. From keeping track of a patient's medications and medical history to providing a rapid diagnosis, technology affects every aspect of healthcare services.

Consider these top four ways in which med tech is changing the healthcare industry.

Automated Laboratory Testing

While laboratory tests to check blood cell counts, hormone levels and antibodies used to take days to perform, today's medical technology has automated these once labor-intensive tasks. Automation now allows these tests to be performed in mere hours or even minutes. If a patient is facing a life-threatening situation, these fast results can provide critical information to physicians.

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Electronic Medical Records

In this digital age, electronic medical records have brought considerable change to the healthcare industry. When you go to a networked provider, your entire record can be accessed. This allows your endocrinologist, family doctor, and other healthcare professionals to see your overall health picture. Electronic medical records can also be used during an emergency situation, allowing emergency medical technicians and emergency room physicians to access your allergy and blood type information.

X-ray Technology

X-ray technology has come a long way since the bulky machines and individual films of decades past. Today's X-ray technology is digital, which means that radiologists can see the images almost instantaneously. Professionals, like those at Rural Health Services Consortium Inc., know how helpful this can be in making a diagnosis. Images can also be sent to multiple providers at once, such as infectious disease and orthopedic specialists. This allows for a rapid diagnosis of injuries such as bone fractures and illnesses such as pneumonia. Today's X-ray technology is safe and comfortable for the patient.

Telemedicine

Telemedicine is another innovative way that technology is used in healthcare. With telemedicine a person at a small hospital in a rural location can be evaluated by specialists hundreds of miles away at a trauma center. Telemedicine allows for the diagnosis and treatment of life-threatening conditions such as stroke. Telemedicine can also be used for triage, allowing for the efficient delivery of patients to the most appropriate type of trauma or emergency care facility.

Medical technology changes the healthcare experience for patients, doctors and administrators alike. Enhanced efficiency, greater productivity and improved safety are all benefits of today's medical technology in the healthcare industry. As technology continues to advance, healthcare consumers and providers can expect to enjoy a boost in accuracy of diagnosis, personalized treatment plans and more options for receiving healthcare at rural and out-of-the-way facilities.

By  Rachelle Wilber	Embed

Healthcare  

Healthcare can be quite the confusing landscape to muddle through. But while medical insurance is a divisive topic, both patients and medical professionals can take solace from one certain fact: science continues to move forward.

One of the most worrisome treatments has always been major surgery, but even here there are technologies making a surgeon's work easier and more efficient.

Augmented Microscopy

This new technology describes a device that combines what a surgeon actually sees under a microscope with a computer generated image. The image is produced by the familiar technique of fluoroscopy, where a substance emitting near-infrared fluorescence is injected into the patient to highlight different pathways and physical processes. Once used strictly for diagnostic imaging, the integration of an imaging device with a microscope helps the doctor see "beyond" what the microscope shows and determine the best path, for instance, to remove a brain tumor.

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Surgical Generators

One of the lesser known but essential surgical techniques involves electro surgery to perform such procedures as destroying tumors, removing artery occlusions, or cauterizing blood vessels. The effects of particular frequencies and electric waveforms on human tissue is well known. However, this requires sophisticated devices that can generate electronic waveforms safely and reliably. Advanced surgical generators, like this mega power generator, can do this while memorizing settings, interfacing with computers, monitoring the effects in real time, and be adjusted at a touch. The ability to perform these procedures accurately and consistently saves more lives.

Robots Inside You

The idea of tiny robots, or controlled microscopic devices, is an old staple of science fiction that has also been quietly, steadily progressing. They've been used in industry for things like cleaning up harmful substances or clearing long, narrow passageways. They can be introduced to patients by injection, swallowing a capsule, or even absorption through the skin. These little machines can just as easily eat away cancerous tumors, clear plaque from arteries, and much more. While they haven't yet been approved for medicine, current work furthering the development of nanobots will mean the end of many forms of invasive surgery.

3D Printing

A 3D printer is a means for surgeons to create elaborate 3D models which let them evaluate and practice complex procedures. This technology is also widely used to create valves, stents, and prosthetics specific to each patient and to precisions a fraction the width of a human hair. New biomedical materials allow surgeons to replace or manipulate body parts by implanting frameworks over which healthy cells can grow. The material then disintegrates harmlessly. It's hoped that soon cell-infused materials may even recreate entire organs grown from the patient's own tissue to minimize risks of rejection.

Robotic Surgery Tools

Robotic surgery has been mainly associated with minor, minimally invasive procedures that can be performed through small incisions. But with advanced robotics, it's being used more often in complicated open surgical operations. In the US, the FDA began approving robotic tools for use in various surgical procedures as early as 2000.

Most robotic systems involve one or more mechanical arms which can operate surgical instruments, as well as cameras. The surgeon sits at a computer operating the robotic arm by remote control while viewing a magnified, high-def, 3-D display of what's happening. Robotics provides more stability, precision, and control than even the most skilled human hands could achieve. This makes even long and complex procedures easier and more efficient.

Technology is allowing surgeons less invasive and more precise treatments. This means reduced physical stress on the patient and much more efficient surgical techniques. This is a trend new technologies will continue to fuel.

By  Emma Sturgis	Embed
Emma is a freelance writer currently living in Boston. When not writing, she enjoys baking and indoor rock climbing. Find her on Google +.

Health  

With the increased interest in nutrition and personal health care in the past several years, many researchers have found renewed interest and focus in searching for technology that will help in your quest for personally healthy habits. These new technologies can significantly change how you treat their bodies at home and particularly how doctors diagnose and treat acute and chronic disease in clinics or hospitals.

Many of these changes can spell longer life for you and your loved ones or at the very least a higher quality of life. Consider these five up-and-coming technologies that you may already have seen in your local health care setting or that you may be seeing within the next decade.

Diabetes Vaccines

While you may think of vaccines as only being used to prevent childhood illnesses that once were common or to prevent pneumonia or influenza as you grow older, researchers are currently discovering new ways to use vaccines on the immune system. A vaccine that is currently in the works targets the autoimmune system and its interaction with the islet cells of the pancreas, which are integral in insulin production and glucose usage throughout the body. Researchers hope to use this therapy to decrease the incidence of type 1 diabetes in those who are genetically predisposed to the disease.

Remote Health Care

You may have already experienced remote health care for yourself. Many health systems are now implementing online charts and email communications with doctors to help you avoid having to make an in-person appointment to see your doctor for a simple matter. However, video appointments and phone appointments are also starting to be used in many locations. Further technology will continue to help doctors and nurses monitor their patients from a different room or even from miles away. Remote units will be able to take vital signs, lab work EKGs and more.

Redox Signaling Technology

Redox Signaling Technology, or RST, makes use of special molecules that communicate with each other in the body. Although these molecules are found naturally in the body, you may also begin seeing products that contain these molecules sold online and in stores. They are used to change the body at the cellular level by decreasing the effects of free radicals throughout the body much like antioxidants do. For example, a variety of ASEA products, including body lotions and face creams, use RST.

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3D and 4D Printing

By now, you have probably seen how 3D printing can be used for everything from designing footwear to making uniquely shaped pizzas. In the world of health care, researchers are working with 3D printers to create new body parts and tissues. Several years ago, an artificial ear was printed. Scientists have also worked with printing blood vessels. However, improved technology in 4D printing is letting researchers work with materials that can not only be used in the body but also will change as the surrounding environment changes. This will be good for creating implants that can work seamless inside the body.

Nutrigenomics

Nutrigenomics is the study of how nutrition and diet can work with the genes in your body. Researchers are studying the intricacies of the molecules in food and determining how different foods and chemicals in the foods can affect your health and your incidence of developing a certain disease based on your genetic factors. Nutrigenomics is also leading the way in creating new biomarkers that doctors will be able to use to determine your level of health.

Be prepared for even more changes to come to your everyday health care routine as well as to your annual checkups. You may see your doctor begin to employ different methods for testing and diagnosing any illnesses you have, and you will certainly continue to see improved research providing changes to medications, surgeries and more. All of this is sure to spell improved overall health for yourself and your family.

By  Dixie Somers	Embed
Author Bio - Dixie is a freelance writer who loves to write about business, finance and self improvement. She lives in Arizona with her husband and three beautiful daughters.