From the December 2016 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
Patient data from social media are usually large and unstructured. One example of a social network where unstructured patient data is captured is PatientsLikeMe [http://www.patientslikeme.com/]. It is a patient network with an online data-sharing platform, started in 2006. It has more than 250,000 patients and is tracking 2,000 diseases, with over 1 million treatment and symptom reports. People connect with others who have the same disease or condition, track and share their own experiences, see what treatments have helped other patients like them, gain insights and identify any patterns. Patients provide the data on their conditions, treatment history, side effects, hospitalizations, symptoms, disease-specific functional scores, weight, mood, quality of life and more, on an ongoing basis.
Advancements in sensing technology are leading to the development of effective and efficient home-monitoring systems. Sensing devices can provide several types of data in real time. A simple example is activity recognition using cell phone accelerometers. Smarter health systems automatically capture information to proactively manage and deliver preventive and therapeutic care. For example, sensors that recognize physical changes such as pressure, motion or temperature are embedded in portable devices.
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Mobile and home-based devices monitor vital signs and activities in real time and communicate with personal health record services, PCs and smart-phones, caregivers and health care professionals. Smart health systems remove information barriers and seamlessly integrate data and analytical insights into health care processes to enable better decisions and comprehensive, coordinated health care. Such systems continually analyze information from multiple devices and other sources to derive insights and recommendations for the individual’s health regimes.
About the author: Bipin Thomas is a renowned global thought-leader on consumer-centric health care transformation. Thomas is a board member of HealthCare Business News magazine and chairman of ICURO, a digital business outcomes management organization.Back to HCB News
