Softcode Systems - Medical Informatics and More

The Leap Motion Controller -An Amazing New User Interface Device

I have just received a developer’s prototype unit of the new Leap Motion Controller.

This amazing device allows you to translate gestures in 3D space in front of your computer monitor into actions you see on the screening front of you.

https://www.leapmotion.com/

The possibilities of the unit is enormous, especially for those of us in healthcare. My first thoughts are the ability to manipulate the 3D images of a CT or MRI by taking the virtual body part with your hands and to manipulate it to better visualize the neck of an aneurysm, the origin of a stenotic vessel, or the course of a tendon injury.

This will also allow a surgeon in the OR to be able to review scan data without breaking scrub.

The device is scheduled for release in just a month or so. This will be fun for the general public, but will be indispensable for those of us in healthcare.

Venture Capitalist’s Provocation : ” Eighty percent of doctors could be replaced by machines.”

Venture capitalist, Vinod Khosla sparked a firestorm with his comments at the recent Health Innovation Summit:

Vinod Khosla says technology will replace 80 percent of doctors sparks indignation

Obviously Mr. Khosla is being intentionally provocative.

I think that what we practicing physicians should take away from this, is that perhaps 80% of what we do is better done with technology, leaving us to do the 20% that matters.

We don’t compound our own drugs, do our own Gram stains, or build our own x-ray machines. Let us use the machine to free us to do what no AI can do. Only a doctor, with our years of training and experience, has insight into the human condition and the understanding of the natural history of illness.

We physicians need to lead this transition, not be swept away by it.

Abstract Accepted at Medicine 2.0 Conference

We are very excited that our abstract, Radiology Toolbox Pro - An iOS (iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch) App for Radiology has been accepted for presentation at the Medicine 2.0 - 5th World Congress on Social Media, Mobile Health, and Internet/Web 2.0 in Medicine and Health This years conference is at the Joseph B. Martin Conference Center at Harvard Medical School, September 15 - 16, 2012. 

Exciting First Day at RSNA

Sunday was the first day of RSNA 2011, the worlds largest annual medical meeting.

From RSNA President Dr. Burton Drayer’s very upbeat and forward looking opening oration to lectures on the imaging of dementia, it was a fascinating and varied first day.

The food in Chicago is great, too.

Today will start off with a lecture on “Cool Technologies for Radiologists,” an Informatics in Practice course.

We have had great feedback on our app, Radiology Toolbox Pro as well!

Designing Health

Here are some interesting articles regarding how good design can contribute to good health care.

From Fast Company Design:

Six Ways To Improve Doctors’ Waiting Rooms

Badly Designed Electronic Medical Records Can Kill You

Can Design Get People To Take Their Meds?

iPad EMR Apps

The Software Advice blog has a nice overview to using Electronic Medical records on the iPad, iPad EMR Apps - A Guide to Electronic Medical Records.  It lists the top 10 EMR vendors, discusses how the iPad is being used with web based EMR, and native iPad solutions.  It sounds like native iPad EMR is not yet ready for prime time, I firmly believe that tablet interfaces with EMR will be as much a part of future medical practice as the stethoscope.