Healthcare on Vin Patel

The Need for Digitization in an Aging Population

Vin Patel — Thu, 01 Dec 2022 04:59:30 +0000

Key takeaways

Growing older in a digital age might change the paradigm of being vulnerable into something worthwhile, as the one billion older persons over 60 who exist today will quadruple to two billion in the next thirty years.
With home care technology, families can provide their loved ones with the essential medical care they need at a price that is more inexpensive than other healthcare options, including assisted living, nursing homes, and patient care.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and other applications of new and developing technology can improve well-being, allow individuals to age more healthfully, and increase access to better healthcare.

One of the significant worldwide trends of the twenty-first century, along with the rise of technology, is the megatrend of aging, which is defined as long lives to the age of 100 as a matter of course, and more older adults than young in all cultures as they modernize. Growing older in a digital age might change the paradigm of being vulnerable into something worthwhile, as the one billion older persons over 60 who exist today will quadruple to two billion in the next thirty years.

People have a longer lifespan on a global average. The population of those 65 and older was 727 million in 2020, and by 2050, that number is expected to have doubled to nearly 1.5 billion, representing a 16.3% rise.

AI and Big data: The Game-changers #

Big data and new technology are changing every industry under the sun. The advantages of this change in the healthcare industry are apparent and will significantly impact how the aging process develops in the future.

Big data offers improved ways to guarantee that the appropriate therapy is delivered and helps healthcare practitioners understand sickness and illness more clearly than ever before. Since wearable technology and smart homes may frequently take the role of human caregivers, people can maintain their independence longer.

The healthcare environment is already altering as a result of big data. Our capacity to gather data is improving, and with it comes to our ability to use it in more valuable and dependable ways and produce findings that stand on their own.

The Pittsburgh Health Data Alliance compiles data from numerous sources, such as medical records, wearable, genetic data, and even social media, to build a thorough portrait of a person for customized healthcare. Thousands of people are compared, theoretically overcoming the problem of inconsistent, erroneous representations of patient health. This illustration shows how data give medical practitioners insight into patients’ health. However, it also represents a development in research that examines the health of samples of the entire community.

How technology can serve the aging world #

In many ways, digital technologies promote healthy aging. People can use gadgets and applications (sensors, monitors, wristwatches, and mobiles) for ongoing health monitoring and feedback to improve disease prevention and health and well-being at all ages.

Digital technologies are giving healthcare workers, managers, and policymakers the tools they need to offer better care. They can operate more resilient health systems and increase survival rates by arming patients with accurate health information. New age gadgets are enhancing the quality of health datasets to enable more precise analysis, diagnosis, and forecasting of health conditions, especially using AI, big data, or virtual reality (VR) simulations. Through computing at the edge, we can aggregate data from gadgets and sensors and combines imaging, diagnosis, and data analytic.

ICTs, or information and communication technologies, can promote healthy aging and help individuals live longer, more fulfilling lives. Digital technologies are now a crucial enabler in treatment and prevention methods due to the growth of digital devices for personal and professional use. For instance, wearable and fitness equipment can offer continuous monitoring and prevention when patients go about their everyday activities. Enhancing ICT/accessibility ensures that everyone can utilize information and communication equally and fairly, regardless of age, gender, or ability (ICTs). Incorporating ICT accessibility also offers alternatives to using technology, ensuring that age-related impairments like reduced vision and hearing loss do not impede access to digital goods and services or the comprehension of information and communication, both of which could be crucial in an emergency or crisis.

Digital technology has been essential in preventing loneliness and isolation among elderly individuals cut off from family and friends, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. It helps compensate for issues and difficulties commonly associated with aging, including diminished eyesight or hearing. Thus, it prevents older people’s social isolation. Digital technology has aided in the fight against loneliness and isolation among elderly individuals cut off from family and friends, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Smart Home to the Rescue #

The global “smart” home care market is anticipated to grow from $8.7 billion in 2019 to $96.2 billion in 2030, according to the P&S Intelligence analysis. By 2050, there will be 1.5 billion older people, a projected doubling of the current number. The WHO also predicts that by 2050, there will be 2 billion individuals over the age of 60, a shift in the population that will significantly influence the rising emphasis on value-based care and home care technology.

With home care technology, families can provide their loved ones with the essential medical care they need at a price that is more inexpensive than other healthcare options, including assisted living, nursing homes, and patient care.

Home care technology can frequently take the role of conventional healthcare. Since people of all generations cannot access healthcare professionals in a traditional, in-person setting, telemedicine has grown in popularity over the past year. Telemedicine technologies enable the remote transmission of information, frequently via virtual mediums, between patients and doctors to address these previously recognized problems, including wait times and excessive healthcare expenditures. Patients can reduce travel time, transportation expenses, and clinic visits by scheduling appointments over the phone, through video calls, or by an app.

In order to do this, modern sensors and improved interoperability will be included in the fundamental design of our houses and applications to enable health-related monitoring. Continuous data touch points and non-intrusive health checks would be part of this throughout the day (i.e., in your bed, while in the shower, and opening the fridge). Each user will develop and control such metrics based on specific concerns and data preferences, which should ease any worries about 24/7 monitoring and related privacy issues.

Sensors will be set up to recognize different indicators, conditions, and symptoms of illness around your home. So that every household member has access to the care they require, these gadgets can automatically alert medical specialists when something is wrong. Data and vitals can now be continuously and discretely communicated with a doctor by patients who are recovering from treatment or disease.

The health and happiness of older persons and social isolation are strongly correlated by research. Different technologies have been found to have an impact on social isolation levels. Internet and communication technologies (ICTs), video conferencing, digital gaming, mobility tools, and social networking sites (SNS) are some. Most studies on the subject show that technologies, especially those that improve communication, increase connectivity levels and decrease depressive, lonely, and isolating experiences. However, the usefulness of ICTs and SNS has yielded mixed results.

Virtual reality has supplanted face-to-face communication in the post-COVID era, profoundly impacting social connectivity. For instance, seniors have access to virtual field trips like going to a museum with their old acquaintances and interacting with each other in a three-dimensional setting. Seniors can learn about healthcare and socialize socially while still in a safe environment, thanks to various readily available, reasonably cheap technologies. For instance, television alone may promote new health-related knowledge but decrease social engagement. In contrast, emails, video calling, or testing may enable it by reducing adult distance.

The maintenance of connections among older persons benefits greatly from long-distance phone or email communication. For instance, compared to people who solely communicate in person, many older folks who are geographically separated from their grandkids have the frequent phone and email exchanges and report feeling emotionally satisfied.

Future of Digitization For The Elderly #

Our planet is aging quickly. By 2050, there will be 1.5 billion individuals worldwide who are 65 years of age or older, up from 703 million in 2019. According to the most recent forecasts from UN DESA, the number of adults 80 and older will triple in the following 30 years. One in six persons worldwide will be over 65 by 2050, up from one in eleven in 2019. This is why the UN has designated 2020–2030 as the Decade of Healthy Aging.

The race is on to scale up the essential digital technologies so that people can age more healthily, have more purposeful lives, and assist society in adjusting to a rise in older and senior people. Artificial intelligence (AI) and other applications of new and developing technology can improve well-being, allow individuals to age more healthfully, and increase access to better healthcare.

Related reading

Technology Under Your Skin: The Microchip Challenges

Vin Patel — Thu, 01 Dec 2022 04:33:49 +0000

Key takeaways

We’ve seen technological revolutions, be it AI turning the world around or virtual reality being able to transfer us to a different world.
We’ve listened to and read about the advocacy of microchips from every corner of the world, but here we need to address the challenges they possess and how we can try to look at them with an unbiased perspective.
They believe that it should be able to fill the role of the organic conditions that have been existing as the link between human physiological processes and the environment.

Technology has evolved a lot in the past few years. We’ve seen technological revolutions, be it AI turning the world around or virtual reality being able to transfer us to a different world. The metaverse has been a great addition to the fleet. Technology is climbing unprecedented heights in the healthcare industry to create a better world. We have seen diseases getting cured and different gadgets being developed to tackle these deadly diseases. We are headed up for more appealing technological evolutions as the world changes.

But now we are witnessing something different, something too connected to the human body—microchips implant. In simple words, we can label it as ’technology under our skin’. But is it just that? Or is there something more to that? In this article, we’ll try to focus on several factors around microchips. Let’s move ahead and understand what microchip implants are.

What is Microchip Implant? #

A microchip implant can be referred to as a device that can be injected or implanted into the skin of any human or pet animal. These microchips are tiny so that they can be inserted into anyone without rigorous surgery. Microchip implants are usually introduced with a syringe specially developed for the purpose or can be implanted with minor surgery.

A microchip implant, also known as injected ID or ID chips, can either be in the form of an integrated circuit or an RFID (radio frequency identification) tag layered in a silicon casing with a size similar to a grain of rice. They are employed not only in humans but also in pets for identifying purposes. These implants often have a unique identification number that companies or governments can use to retrieve information housed in an external database, such as ID, medical history, prescriptions, allergies, location, and contact information.

In 1998, Kevin Warwick, a professor at Reading University, had a chip implanted in his palm to demonstrate that it was possible and as a way of exploring the transhumanist belief that integrating technology with the flesh is the next phase in humanity’s evolution.

Technology Under Your Skin #

In Sweden, hundreds of individuals have had microchips implanted in their hands. The chips are supposed to speed up users’ everyday routines by being able to access their surrounding environment. They can be used to store emergency contacts, e-tickets for events, social media profiles, and rail excursions.

In the coming years, microchips can make their lives more pleasant. They can access their homes, businesses, and gyms. Microchips, through interconnected networks, can do all the things a person used to desire for the future world as easily as making a phone call in today’s world.

You must understand that these chips are an extension of the Internet of Things (IoT), a universe of connected devices that keeps growing every minute. With over 30 billion devices connected by the end of 2020, the number is expected to grow to approximately 75 billion by 2025. Just as the world begins to appreciate the numerous benefits of the IoT and the dark side of ‘smart everything’, including connected cities, we are now looking at little chips posing significant new privacy challenges.

Advocates of microchips consider them to be safe and secure; however, scientists are expressing privacy concerns due to the nature of information tracked and stored in these devices. Implanting chips in the human body may have privacy and security concerns that extend far beyond clicking pictures in public places, facial recognition, tracking of locations, driving habits, spending histories, and even data ownership. These concerns pose significant challenges to the technology’s acceptance.

The Challenges Ahead #

We’ve listened to and read about the advocacy of microchips from every corner of the world, but here we need to address the challenges they possess and how we can try to look at them with an unbiased perspective.

Uncertainty #

We are unaware of the long-term effects of these chips on the human body, and the societal repercussions of widespread acceptance of implanting chips. There can be several assumptions about how the use of them will turn out to be, but without testing, still, an uncertainty remains which will impact the growth of an aspiring market. With proper testing and new arrivals, people can at least be sure about the usage and the pros and cons of microchip implants.

The Game of Context #

Context while letting someone access your data is a big thing, but with something inside your body, you never know if that context is still relevant. People offering services can serve you better if they have more information about you. For instance, if you continually keep the GPS on, it could help to know if you’re speeding.

Accessing and Controlling Your Data #

Any new technology is rife with flaws and weaknesses. Microchips are in the same boat as many other technologies. The combination of sensitive information and trust on a single chip makes it a tempting target for hackers all over the world. When information is writable or readable, data corruption becomes much more accessible. Allowing corporations to scan your chip for identification gives them access to your location within their establishment.

Lack of Norms and No Replacement #

Unfortunately, due to the enormous diversity of digital identification systems, a single card can’t be used for several purposes. You might need to implant one chip for the subway, another for your credit card, one for your library, etc.

Undoubtedly, this technology will develop with time, bringing more functionality. But with old hardware, new functionality limits itself, so sooner, there’ll be a need for hardware replacement.

Health Concerns #

If sufficient care is not taken, the implanted chips could migrate within the body. This would be less of a concern if chips were standard or devices could track them. But if the chips are in a location that is hard to discover, it will get tough to find them and will be even more challenging for medical professionals to take care of the same.

The FDA has noted various concerns for human microchipping, including unfavorable tissue reactions, electrical hazards, and arguably crucially, incompatibility with strong-magnetic medical equipment such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs). You can’t take any metal piece while going for an MRI scan, which includes pacemakers, aneurysm clips, dental implants, hip/knee replacements (unless they’re nonmagnetic titanium), and embedded microchips.

The Surveillance Threats #

Consequently, such technology can look like the next logical step—especially among individuals who already favor skin piercings and various tattoos. But on the other hand, the insertion of identifying microchips in humans also seems to bear the seeds of a particularly intrusive form of surveillance, especially at a time when authorities in some parts of the world have been forcibly collecting DNA and other biological data—including fingerprints, blood samples, voice recordings, iris scans, and other unique identifiers—from all their citizens, in an extreme form of the surveillance state. Before choosing what to think of this teach, we should delve under the hood and find out more about some of the pieces of this hybrid human-machine technology.

Conclusion #

All said and done, microchips still have a fair edge in the upcoming teach market. The technology is now widely used in commercial markets after years of research.

Experts do believe that a limited and regulated interaction between biological systems and mechanical equipment would provide the human body with everything it needs. They believe that it should be able to fill the role of the organic conditions that have been existing as the link between human physiological processes and the environment.

Related reading

Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare - Making Impactful

Vin Patel — Thu, 01 Dec 2022 04:26:14 +0000

Key takeaways

Imagine a world where you are lying on a bed in a hospital while a robot performs necessary surgery single-handedly.
These robots can work alongside people and are simple to teach to do specific jobs.
Building an intelligent health system will improve patient experiences while making professionals better at what they do rather than replacing them.

Imagine a world where you are lying on a bed in a hospital while a robot performs necessary surgery single-handedly. While the world may not have advanced to this hyper-realistic level of technology, artificial intelligence has made significant strides in healthcare. The following article contains detailed insights into the progress of artificial intelligence or AI in healthcare and talks about its impact on the future of our civilization.

AI in Healthcare #

Numerous technologies that have revolutionized medicine and healthcare have emerged due to the quick technological advancements in recent years. The development of software systems, the rapid rise of microprocessor technology, and the expanding accessibility of the internet all benefit the field of artificial intelligence. These developments have led to various widely used devices, such as tablets, mobile phones, laptops, and interactive virtual reality devices.

The McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) has investigated how automation and AI may change the nature of labor. It is concluded that while automation will touch most employment across industries, the degree of impact will vary greatly. Healthcare has one of the lowest overall automation potentials, with only 35% of time spent being automatable, depending on the vocation. The possibility of acceptance differs from the potential for automation. The analysis assumes a midway scenario that predicts that 15% of current healthcare labor hours would be automated.

The pandemic increased diseases linked to modern lifestyles, and an expanding global population has put enormous strain on the modern-day healthcare system. The best part about implementing artificial intelligence is that healthcare might become more affordable, efficient, individualized, and equitable to develop intelligent systems and workflows. According to some experts, the healthcare sector will likely be most impacted by the massive changes brought on by the fourth industrial revolution.

Impact on the Workforce and Beyond #

Biotech companies and healthcare employees presently use a range of AI technologies. The critical application categories are recommendations for diagnosis and treatment, patient involvement and adherence, and administrative chores. Implementation challenges will prevent the jobs of healthcare professionals from becoming immensely automated for a considerable amount of time, even though AI can perform healthcare tasks in many instances just as well as or better than humans.

Demographic aging, shifting patient expectations, a change in lifestyle preferences, and the never-ending innovation cycle are just a few of the inescapable drivers driving demand. The effects of an aging population stand out among these. One-fourth of the people in North America and Europe will be over 65 by 2050, meaning the healthcare systems will have to deal with more patients with complicated demands. It is expensive to manage these patients, and procedures must change from a philosophy of episodic care to a considerably more proactive and centered on long-term care management.

Changing clinical workflows is where AI in healthcare has the most potential. AI can provide value by automating or enhancing the job of staff members and clinicians. We can utilize AI to help health professionals perform better at their professions and improve patient outcomes, and many repetitive operations will eventually become entirely automated.

Healthcare organizations that can completely rethink and redesign their workflows and procedures and apply machine learning and AI to build an intelligent health system will be the most successful.

The Types of AI in Healthcare #

Machine learning #

Machine learning, or ML, is a subfield of artificial intelligence that analyzes past data, present knowledge, and interactions using an algorithm. Medical professionals can now predict the optimum course of treatment for patients thanks to this study. It is essential for streamlining and improving healthcare administration and procedures. One of the critical components of ML is data annotators, wherein tumor cells are more precisely marked using CT and MRI imaging.

Natural Language Processing (NLP) #

It is the process of a machine comprehending and interpreting text or language. NLP can assist in analyzing patient medical information and provide recommendations for enhancing the effectiveness of the techniques employed and improving patient outcomes. NLP is frequently used in AI to comprehend and categorize medical records. When a machine understands what a user is attempting to say, it responds appropriately.

Physical Robots #

Physical robots are a common form of artificial intelligence in the medical industry. Scientists initially created robots to transport medical supplies. However, modern robots can be found in better conditions. Given the fact that more than 200,000 industrial robots are used each year worldwide, physical robots are now well-known. These robots can work alongside people and are simple to teach to do specific jobs. Due to the operating system’s integration of AI capabilities, they are more intelligent- intellectually. Since 2000, surgical robots have left their imprint on operating rooms. This field of AI is still undergoing potential advancements.

Robotic Process Automation #

This branch of AI was primarily created for administrative functions. RPA (Robotic Process Automation) is less expensive than other forms of AI. Contrary to its name, this technology does not employ robots; instead, it uses a computer program. RPA is used in healthcare to bill patients, update their medical data, and record early authorizations. It can even be combined with other technologies, like picture recognition, to extract data.

Most sizable healthcare firms are starting to embrace AI in some capacity. But the process of discovering how to use artificial intelligence to improve healthcare is still in its infancy.

Making predictions using machine learning and AI is one of the prominent use cases. Organizations are employing AI to forecast everything from emergency department volumes (to improve staffing and triage) to the medicines that may be most successful for breast cancer patients.

The Future of AI in Healthcare #

Every aspect of healthcare, from accounting to surgery, can benefit from using AI. Let’s look at some potential healthcare uses. Doctors can highlight pertinent information from patients’ medical records using the Natural Learning Process (NLP). This data aids them in making wise treatment decisions for the patient. AI can store a sizable amount of data, offering pertinent patient information and suggesting the best course of therapy.

Another vital contribution of artificial intelligence in healthcare is the introduction of chatbots. Even for minor health issues that people may handle on their own, people often arrange appointments with their doctors, which results in a busy schedule for doctors. Patients can use chatbots to cut costs associated with unnecessary healthcare visits. Chatbots are nothing but artificial intelligence applications that use algorithms to operate. These chatbots rapidly respond to any inquiries or concerns. Additionally, they offer solutions to patient issues and even advise people to self-treat minor health issues. Chatbot services around-the-clock allow doctors to work in a laid-back setting.

Robots with integrated AI technology can carry out medical procedures, including surgeries. Surgery performed by surgical robots is exceptionally accurate. These surgical robots can gather patient surgery histories from the past and make decisions based on those facts. AI-implemented robots can, at times, replace people as nursing aides. These machines are referred to as virtual nursing aides. They may take on responsibilities ranging from talking with patients to caring for patients. They can examine patients, respond to their inquiries, and offer appropriate remedies because they are available around the clock. Care Angel is the first virtual nurse’s aide in the world. Care management for vulnerable and at-risk populations was one of the most challenging and expensive aspects of healthcare that Care Angel was founded to address. Millions of high-cost, high-risk patients (particularly those with chronic diseases) can receive dependable, cheap remote monitoring from the comfort of their homes thanks to Care Angel’s SmartCare platform.

Bottom Line #

As AI is still in its early stages, its long-term impacts are not entirely clear. Future AI applications may profoundly change how healthcare is delivered, how innovation is done, and how each of us perceives our own health. We can see a moment in the future when population-level data from wearable and implants will transform our knowledge of human biology and the mechanisms underlying the action of medications, enabling individualized and real-time care for all. Building an intelligent health system will improve patient experiences while making professionals better at what they do rather than replacing them.

Related reading

How Blockchain is Paving The Way For Future Start-ups?

Vin Patel — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 14:08:59 +0000

Key takeaways

The global blockchain market is expected to surge to USD 163.83 billion by 2029 from USD 7.18 billion in 2022, at a stimulating CAGR of 56.3%.
For instance, ATLANT developed a platform that uses blockchain to facilitate the transactions of real estate and rental property.
- **Circle -**It is a fintech start-up that allows users to invest in different cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin, Stellar, Ethereum, EOS, and Montero.

The global blockchain market is expected to surge to USD 163.83 billion by 2029 from USD 7.18 billion in 2022, at a stimulating CAGR of 56.3%. The numbers are supposed to rise as more industries are expected to adopt blockchain technology in the near future. For instance, IBM recently invested USD 200 million in blockchain technology due to the security and transparency blockchain offers.

Blockchain is a decentralized and distributed digital ledger which keeps a permanent record of transactions. Read this article to learn why global giants such as IBM and Facebook are investing in blockchain and how can it pave the way for future start-ups?

Some of the potential markets for blockchain technology

Healthcare #

The covid-19 pandemic has encouraged the government of many countries to increase their budget allocation in the healthcare sector. According to the National Health Expenditures (NHE) report of 2020, prepared by the Office of the Actuary at the Centers for CMS, the total national healthcare spending has grown at a 9.7% rate and reached USD 4.1 trillion.

Blockchain technology in the health sector improves the security of healthcare records and makes it easier to share them. Not only organizations/doctors but patients also would be able to access records from any device at any time.

Confidentiality - Blockchain is very secure; thus, patients’ data can be recorded and accessed at any time and place without any fear of data loss or theft.
**Clinical trials -**The electronic health records are easily manageable and can be shared confidently for improved clinical trials and inference.
Traceability - The drug traceability will also improve with the help of blockchain technology.

Some of the examples of blockchain start-ups in the healthcare sector: #

Clinic – Creates trial data-sharing communities based on patients.
Medicalchain – It uses blockchain to compile patient health records.
Coral – Coral, uses blockchain to automate administrative processes and accelerate healthcare delivery.

Gaming Industry #

The global gaming market is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 13.20 % between 2021 and 2028 and reach USD 545.98 billion by 2028. Approximately 2.2 billion people across the world are gaming. If they are not playing, they are watching; that is approximately 215 million.

Blockchain technology in the gaming industry has a wider scope as:

Assets sharing: Blockchain allows gamers to socially exchange the assets by leasing, selling, or gifting them online to other players.
**Innovation:**The sharing of assets will attract more players and will encourage the start-ups to invest in innovations and R&D.

Energy Management #

More than 180 players across the world, mainly start-ups, are working to develop use cases for blockchain applications, with Peer-to-peer energy trading being upfront. For instance, in September 2020, OP Properties and Power Ledger announced a sustainable project for a 39-apartment complex in Fremantle, Australia. This complex is fitted with solar rooftop PVs and local battery storage. Thus, apartment owners can sell excess solar electricity generated back to the grid using the platform.

Some of the advantages of blockchain in the energy sector are:

Monopoly in the power industry can be sorted with the help of blockchain technology.
Decentralization, trustless network, and transparency have made it possible for energy management or trading to be done at a localized level.
It will lead to positive competition among the traders and create scope for small vendors as well.

Real Estate #

Blockchain has introduced new ways to trade real estate and has facilitated trading platforms and e-marketplaces to support the transactions of real estate more comprehensively. For instance, ATLANT developed a platform that uses blockchain to facilitate the transactions of real estate and rental property.

Some of the other advantages of blockchain in real estate are as follows:

Tokenization allows people to rent out real assets using codes for a particular period of time.
The identity of both tenant and investor is digitally created and verified easily.
Automated sale of properties can be made with the use of blockchain in real estate.

Some of the examples of blockchain start-ups in real estate #

Republic – It helps investors to build new projects along with investing in crypt options and much more
Safewire – It avoids the fraud challenges in the sector in focus by blockchain network to provide security of transactions
RealIT – You can buy tokenized properties with Ethereum through Real Tokens.

FinTech #

Blockchain can reduce the risk of fraud in financial transactions, granting a higher sense of security to individuals. According to Accenture, the role of blockchain in clearing and settlement sectors of banking can save the biggest investment bank close to USD 10 billion

Blockchain allows the creation of digital identities for fintech start-ups.
Bitcoin can be transferred easily.

Examples of blockchain start-ups in the fintech industry: #

Bitpay – Bitpay is an American payment service that helps users to accept bitcoin and make transactions and investments with Bitcoin cash.
Snaps – This allows users to improve and automate the global loan syndicate market using smart contracts.

Logistics #

The global logistics market is projected to surge to USD 12,975.64 billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 6.5% b027. Vendors all around the world are looking for technological innovation (e.g. blockchain) to gain a competitive edge in the market.

Some of the advantages of blockchain in logistics are as follows:

The freight tracking can be improved
The data can be secured via vehicle-to-vehicle communication
Enhanced security of IoT devices

Examples of Blockchain Start-ups in the Logistics Industry: #

Open port - Open Port connects carriers and shippers directly to reduce cost, optimizes the supply chain, and improves performance by implementing blockchain technology.
Blockverify – It verifies products, transactions and merchandise using blockchain and focuses on improving anti-counterfeit measures.

Education #

According to a recent study by the University of Cincinnati, improvements in technology are extremely beneficial in the classroom, as 92% of teachers say that technology has a major impact on students’ learning and their interaction with others.

Some of the advantages of Blockchain technology in the education sector are as follows:

Blockchain will help in proper monitoring and facilitation of educational institution accreditation.
It will allow the protection of intellectual property rights.
Students’ data can be securely tracked and stored.
Diploma and transcript forgery can be prevented.
Student loan payments can be easily managed.
Students and teachers may enter into an e-agreement that specifies an assignment’s parameters, assigned date and grading deadline.

Examples of blockchain start-ups in the education industry: #

APPII – APPII blockchain to verify the academic credentials of new students and staff members.
ODEM- ODEM connects students, professors, and educators to multiple resources, ed products and services.

Banking Sector #

Banks are looking for ways to avail the benefits of digital currencies in financial services, such as lower transaction costs, faster and safer transactions, etc. The benefits associated with e-currencies are encouraging financial bodies worldwide to explore the possibility of making the shift to digital currency.

For instance, in 2016, the United States Federal Reserve bank was working with IBM to implement a blockchain technology-based payment system to enhance security and efficiency.

The start-ups in the banking industry can use blockchain to improve the security of transactions.
Blockchain allows banks to store private keys using digital signatures. These
It will help to enable safe and secure transactions as passwords are harder to hack than other types of passwords.
Blockchain in the banking industrywill reduce the transaction cost for international money transfers and allow for rapid remittances.

Examples #

**We.trade -**The platform was developed by IBM with 12 major European banks such as Nordea, CaixaBank, and HSBC. It uses blockchain as a single database, which enables all the counterparties to access the same information about trade transactions and adds a tint of security to the system.
**Circle -**It is a fintech start-up that allows users to invest in different cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin, Stellar, Ethereum, EOS, and Montero.

Related reading

How to Improve the Tracking and Reporting of Cybersecurity

Vin Patel — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 12:38:50 +0000

Key takeaways

Cybersecurity is a critical issue for healthcare organizations.
By doing so, they can identify areas that need improvement and make changes accordingly.
Ultimately, they can improve their security posture and better protect themselves against future attacks.

Cybersecurity is a critical issue for healthcare organizations. In an era where data breaches are becoming increasingly common, it is essential for healthcare organizations to have robust cybersecurity programs in place. However, many healthcare organizations need help tracking and reporting on their cybersecurity programs’ performance. This can make it challenging to identify areas of improvement and ensure that resources are being used effectively.

Statistics About The Recent Cyberattacks In The Healthcare Industry #

According to a recent report, there were over 400 healthcare data breaches in 2021. This is a significant increase from the previous year. The main reason for this increase is the introduction of new technologies and the increasing use of electronic health records.
According to a recent report from cybersecurity firm Cybereason, healthcare ransomware attacks increased by 94% in 2021. This is a worrying trend, as these types of attacks can have serious consequences for both patients and healthcare providers.
The healthcare industry has been a target of cyberattacks for many years now. In fact, according to a report by Cybersecurity Ventures, the healthcare industry is expected to suffer more than $305 billion in damages by 2020. This is due to the fact that the healthcare industry contains a large amount of sensitive data, such as patient records and medical information.

Why Is It Crucial To Protect Healthcare Data? #

Some of the most sensitive information is related to healthcare, and it is crucial to protect this data from unauthorized access. Patient data can be used to commit fraud, and if this data falls into the wrong hands, it could be used to exploit patients or commit identity theft.

What Are Cybersecurity KPIs in This Sector? #

A KPI, a key performance indicator, is a metric used to measure an organization’s success in achieving its goals.‌ Many different KPIs can be used to measure the strength of cybersecurity plans in the healthcare industry. Some of the more crucial ones include:‌

How many data breaches have they faced?
The number of patient records that have been exposed in data breaches
The cost of data breaches
The number of cyberattacks that have been thwarted
The number of staff members that have undergone cybersecurity training

Why Is It Important To Track And Report Cybersecurity KPIs In Healthcare? #

Healthcare organizations are under constant attack from cybercriminals. Therefore, they should be able to monitor and report on the effectiveness of their cybersecurity activities to defend themselves. By doing so, they can identify areas that need improvement and make changes accordingly.

There are many different KPIs that healthcare organizations can track when it comes to cybersecurity. These include the number of successful cyberattacks, data breach incidents, the types of attacks being carried out, and the impact.

Organizations should also track KPIs related to their response to cyberattacks. This includes the time it takes to detect an attack, the time it takes to contain the attack, and the time it takes to recover from it.

By tracking and reporting on these KPIs, healthcare organizations can better understand their cybersecurity posture and make necessary improvements. Doing so can help them protect themselves against future attacks and minimize the impact of any that do occur.

How Can Healthcare Organizations Improve Security Measures? #

Healthcare businesses can increase their security measures in numerous ways, but some of the most crucial ones are as follows:

Tracking Cybersecurity Metrics: #

Organizations should track various cybersecurity metrics, such as the number of data breaches, the cost of data breaches, and the number of cyberattacks that have been thwarted. This will help them identify improvement areas and ensure that resources are being used effectively.

Improving Data Collection Methods: #

Healthcare organizations should improve their data collection methods to ensure that they are collecting accurate and up-to-date information. This will help them identify trends and patterns and make more informed decisions about their cybersecurity programs.

Improving Employee Cybersecurity Training: #

One way to improve security in healthcare organizations is to provide employees with more comprehensive cybersecurity training.‌

Employees should receive training in spotting potential security threats, reporting suspicious activity, and protecting themselves from cyberattacks.

Implementing Stronger Security Measures: #

Another way to improve security in healthcare organizations is to implement more robust security measures.‌

Some measures that should be implemented include two-factor authentication, data encryption, and background checks for all employees.

Keep in touch with your KPIs: #

It is critical to monitor your KPIs so that you can identify trends and determine where improvements need to be made.‌

You should monitor KPIs, including the number of data breaches, the number of patient records exposed, the cost of data breaches, the number of cyberattacks thwarted, and how many staff members have cybersecurity training.

A value-based care network: #

The key to a successful VBCN is effective and efficient communication and coordination among all care team members.‌

To give patients the most excellent treatment possible, providers must clearly understand one anther’s duties and responsibilities.

The care team can provide more coordinated and comprehensive care by sharing information and working together, ultimately improving patient outcomes.

Technology solutions: #

Technology solutions can help healthcare organizations in various ways, including improving communication and coordination among care team members, providing patients with more convenient access to their health information, and protecting sensitive data from cyberattacks.

Conclusion #

Healthcare organizations must improve their tracking and reporting of cybersecurity KPIs to protect themselves against cyberattacks. They can identify areas of improvement and make necessary changes to their security programs. They should provide employees with comprehensive cybersecurity training and implement more robust security measures. Technology solutions can help healthcare organizations improve their security posture. Ultimately, they can improve their security posture and better protect themselves against future attacks.

Related reading

Questions and answers

Why Is It Crucial To Protect Healthcare Data? #

What Are Cybersecurity KPIs in This Sector? #

A KPI, a key performance indicator, is a metric used to measure an organization’s success in achieving its goals. Many different KPIs can be used to measure the strength of cybersecurity plans in the healthcare industry.

Why Is It Important To Track And Report Cybersecurity KPIs In Healthcare? #

How Can Healthcare Organizations Improve Security Measures? #

Healthcare businesses can increase their security measures in numerous ways, but some of the most crucial ones are as follows: Tracking Cybersecurity Metrics: Organizations should track various cybersecurity metrics, such as the number of data breaches, the cost of data breaches, and the number of cyberattacks that have been thwarted.

Cloud Computing in Healthcare Industry

Vin Patel — Tue, 22 Nov 2022 18:39:18 +0000

Key takeaways

The vast impact of digital transformation in the healthcare industry makes it’s future firm.
The cloud’s stored data delivers remote accessibility, which is considered one of the most important benefits.
It also enables stakeholders over the entire health IT space, vendors, providers, insurers, and patients to embrace the cloud’s advantages securely, flexibly, and cost-effectively.

The vast impact of digital transformation in the healthcare industry makes it’s future firm. What’s interesting in cloud computing with healthcare? Cloud computing has changed the traditional way of dealing with data. Big data analytic with cloud computing help enterprises manage patient data, make the best healthcare decisions, lessen operational costs, better collaboration, and so on.

Healthcare providers worldwide have understood the real power of cloud-based healthcare solutions. The necessary applications run in the cloud to make the hospital operations run seamlessly. It retrieves frameworks from unstructured data to help doctors diagnose without a glitch and allow patients to view their reports & prescriptions remotely. The data is stored and secured in the cloud. Cloud delivers hassle-free functional, operational, and economic advantages for everyone, including patients, staff, healthcare professionals, and healthcare companies.

Let’s analyze the healthcare industry’s transformation in the areas such as patient care, data security, diagnosis, and more with cloud computing solutions.

Follow Healthcare Policies in Security #

Cloud-based healthcare solutions are more efficient and secure when compared with physical records. The authoritative healthcare providers can only access the cloud’s stored data whenever needed to avoid data leakage and unnecessary situations.

Famous cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, and GCP follow healthcare standards and their business partners contingent on the U. S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). They use the protected cloud provider environment to access, process, maintain and store health reports. The process ensures that the patient data is protected and not used without necessity.

The Revolution of the Healthcare Industry with Cloud Computing #

A healthcare firm acquires two simultaneous benefits when shifting to the cloud. Both the patients and the healthcare workers get the benefits. It is proven that the cloud computing process has reduced operational costs and made healthcare professionals deliver top-notch personalized care. At the same time, the cloud elevates patient engagement with their health strategies. It allows patients to access their information and ensures enhanced patient results. Healthcare information and its remote accessibility liberate providers and patients in many ways and eliminate location barriers limiting access to healthcare.

A few of the benefits of cloud computing in the healthcare industry are as follows:

Enhanced Scalability #

Apart from being compelling and authentic, cloud-based healthcare solutions are also robust and scalable. As per the needs, cloud solutions give the flexibility to scale up/down infrastructure to fit in new data.

Moving to the cloud might be the right solution for unexpected situations; the best example is the current pandemic/COVID-19. A large number of hospitals use AWS load balancing and auto-scaling services for their trusted security and efficiency.

Build Collaboration #

Regardless of the source or storage, the collaboration aims at setting up data integrations all over the healthcare system. Subsequently, patient data is available anytime for sharing and getting knowledge to prepare the healthcare planning and delivery through interoperability elevated by cloud adoption.

Cloud computing enables healthcare providers to access patient data merged from multiple resources, distribute it to the primary stakeholders, and provide prescriptions on time and treatment guidelines. It also reduces the distance between the professionals, enabling them to review cases and provide their suggestions irrespective of the topological restrictions.

Various segments, such as the healthcare industry- pharmaceuticals, insurance, and payments, get together with the cloud’s collaboration mechanism, which allows patient data to be accessible from anywhere, anytime.

Improved Accessibility #

The cloud’s stored data delivers remote accessibility, which is considered one of the most important benefits. Cloud computing and healthcare is a good pair that has the power to increase and enhance many healthcare-related operations such as post-hospitalization care plans, telemedicine, and virtual medication attachment. It also improves access to healthcare services.

Telemedicine apes add the attributes of convenience to healthcare delivery and upgrade the patients with a seamless experience. Cloud-based telehealth applications and processes enable the easy sharing of healthcare information, enhance accessibility, and offer healthcare coverage to patients during the recovery phase.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning #

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning influence the healthcare industry to a greater extent. With healthcare professionals’ busy schedules, now due to the global pandemic, complexities, and increased information, the healthcare industry adheres to AI and ML techniques. AI ML capabilities could be an essential solution to support clinical decisions and, ultimately, a quicker time-to-treatment.

As cloud platforms use AI and ML in their services, cloud computing can support the transformation of artificial intelligence into general healthcare functions and help professionals manage vast amounts of data.

Better Decision Making #

Healthcare enterprises offer machine learning approaches based on cloud solutions for accurate and knowledgeable diagnoses for clinical and medical data analytic. Cloud-based solutions deal with large volumes of structured and unstructured data in healthcare repositories. The predictive models of the cloud solutions make way for better decision-making.

Security is a Significant Concern #

One of the most critical challenges the healthcare industry faces is security. How secure is it to have all the applications and patient information in a third-party environment? Healthcare information requires confidentiality. The massive data in the hospital domain may be attacked by hackers or malicious actors, resulting in security and data breaches. The cloud network guarantees security as it has particular security tools that can inform you about malicious inputs.

Cloud servers help protect healthcare reports. If any machine fails, medical institutions may lose all their information and applications in terms of on-premises solutions. Cloud-based security solutions save users from these types of potential risks.

Scalability and Flexibility #

Healthcare organizations function in a high-powered environment. Cloud-based technologies used in healthcare areas, such as electronic medical records, mobile applications, patient portals, IoT devices, big data analytic yields better scalability and flexibility. It delivers problem-free applications, which enhances the decision-making process.

Healthcare providers must measure the data storage capacity and network requirements based on the service necessities or demands.

Cloud technology can scale up/down these storage requirements as per the needs of healthcare professionals.

As cloud migration can completely eradicate your conventional approaches to data handling, a well-organized strategy for the migration process is required. Cloud migration strategy not only removes risks but also reduces the chances of downtime, prevents data leaks, enhances data handling, and strengthens security standards.

Summary #

Cloud computing has occupied a significant portion of the healthcare sector. The blend of cloud computing with Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Big Data Analytic, IoT in healthcare makes seamless business outcomes. It improves resource availability, and enhances interoperability while reducing costs. With multiple inherited benefits to overcome healthcare challenges, cloud computing is the best option to opt for. It also enables stakeholders over the entire health IT space, vendors, providers, insurers, and patients to embrace the cloud’s advantages securely, flexibly, and cost-effectively.

Related reading

Questions and answers

What’s interesting in cloud computing with healthcare? #

Cloud computing has changed the traditional way of dealing with data. Big data analytic with cloud computing help enterprises manage patient data, make the best healthcare decisions, lessen operational costs, better collaboration, and so on.

How secure is it to have all the applications and patient information in a third-party environment? #

Healthcare information requires confidentiality. The massive data in the hospital domain may be attacked by hackers or malicious actors, resulting in security and data breaches.

Transforming Global Economy through Disruptive Cloud

Vin Patel — Tue, 22 Nov 2022 12:49:40 +0000

Key takeaways

In an age of emerging technology, staying abreast is impossible.
Other examples of companies that evolved through digital transformation include Walmart, Disney, PayPal, National Geographic, and Starbucks.
With time, technology has evolved faster than anything else and has outspread uncountable intelligent ways to create businesses that bring disruptive changes on the global economic scale.

In an age of emerging technology, staying abreast is impossible. It is common to find that the leading value creators of recent years are all reliant on technology. It is undoubtedly a major disruptive force across the entire global economy. Almost every factor that contributes to the global economy is affected by technology. Instead of being a layer of the economy, technology is becoming the heart of it. The most significant evolutions in the economy are often accompanied by process of “creative destruction,” in which profit pools shift, industries restructure, and incumbent firms are replaced. According to Joseph Schumpeter, an economist from the early 20th century, such changes entail “creative destruction.” As you read further in this article, you will see how emerging technologies have a disruptive byproduct on the global economic scale and a brief on the growth of cloud infrastructure in non-technical companies.

Disruptive technologies often showcase a rapid change in price and performance compared to alternative approaches. They change how business is done, and needs are met despite entering an established market. Disruptive technology allows people to break down barriers and empower people who may have been ineffective. It can also spread more interaction and responsiveness to communications platforms.

Technology Drives The Future of All Industries! #

When you think about all leading industries, the only buzzword that comes to mind as the driving force is ‘Technology’. Technology is in itself the number one industry. Any industry’s expected success is largely due to the way technology has altered and will continue to alter. In the past decade, cloud computing, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and big data have been cited as the sub-sectors that have made the biggest impact and are continuing to do so. In terms of massive changes witnessed among multiple industries, technology is leading in almost every one of them. In the energy industry, technology has shown miracles in the form of energy trading. It increases the use and efficiency of sustainable energy sources. On the other hand, in financial companies, it’s financial technology or cryptocurrency that’s leading the way. Healthcare industries hold a strong output due to implementing technology using subsectors such as biotechnology, health data management, personalized health solutions, advanced insurance solutions, etc. Also, disruptive technological methods have introduced growth and sustainability in retail, construction, and hospitality.

Digital Transformation: A Disruptive Technology Method That Brings Massive Change To All Industries #

Digital transformation, also known as digital business transformation, refers to the strategic use of digital technologies for streamlining and accelerating business processes. Many technical and non-technical companies are accepting digital transformation for big growth. For example, IKEA has recently put one step forward in the field of technologically growing by digitally transforming through an online platform. Without this transformation, IKEA would not have opened another sales channel. Other examples of companies that evolved through digital transformation include Walmart, Disney, PayPal, National Geographic, and Starbucks. A study performed on 1,200 mid to large-sized US companies found that the average budget for digital transformation in 2018 was $14 million, and spending on digital transformation worldwide is expected to reach $1.78 trillion by 2022. Digital transformation is expected to add $100 trillion to the global economy by 2025. Digital transformation can have varying impacts on your company. However, digitization often brings these benefits:

Reduced operating costs
Optimized operations
Increased revenue
Improved customer satisfaction
Lowered fragmentation

Cloud-based Infrastructure #

Since the mid-2000s, cloud technology and platform business models have driven the technology industry globally. Among all technological advancements, cloud technology is one such strategy that has now spread to every big and small business and has played a major role in the economic sector. In the past few years, cloud computing has become increasingly popular for many reasons. It allows almost any application or service to be delivered over the Internet or a network, without the need for expensive local hardware or software. The market value of top cloud-native infrastructure software vendors is increasing rapidly. With cloud-based services, businesses can streamline performance and support growth and development with a much more scalable and reliable IT infrastructure. Historically, cloud computing has gone through multiple phases - it started with grid (or utility) computing, then came the “application service provision” phase, followed by what is now called SaaS. Software companies using cloud-native infrastructure can pay for cloud computing resources as they use them, rather than making expensive capital investments. Every new trend in cloud services has possibly changed the way a business runs in terms of product consumption and services, data storage, and communication. Additionally, cloud computing allows users to access their data remotely by moving data to the cloud. The enterprise to consumer expansion of cloud services does not appear to be slowing down any time soon. Companies can launch new ventures within the cloud without spending more on the infrastructure or employees. This strategy allows competing with larger, existing incumbents. Companies that use cloud technology and platform business models mainly apply them using data and analytic. The ability to monitor and analyze large data sets can help businesses better respond to real-time consumer feedback and improve their product offerings. Apart from cloud-based services, a few latest disruptive technologies are reported to have developed over the last decades. Such disruptive technologies include artificial intelligence, energy storage, next-generation genomics, blockchain, E-commerce, streaming entertainment, social media networks, GPS systems, smartphones, ride-sharing apes, etc.

Conclusion #

In summary, you now know that high-technology production was limited to financially developed countries in the past. Today, disruptive technology acts as a force that is more easily transferred to developing nations, where high-teach products can be combined with low costs. This displays the extremely rapid transitions of time and technology. With time, technology has evolved faster than anything else and has outspread uncountable intelligent ways to create businesses that bring disruptive changes on the global economic scale.

Related reading

Mental Health Teach: The Best Places to Begin

Vin Patel — Tue, 22 Nov 2022 12:47:11 +0000

Key takeaways

This generation has neglected mental health over decades, owing mainly to busy schedules, lack of financial resources, denial, and the stigma attached to mental disorders.
Thought journals, fear ladders, and comfort zone challenges are some of the interesting activities offered in Mindshift CBT- Anxiety Relief.
That being said, seeking professional help is the better option for you if you’ve just been diagnosed or if you’re feeling like your condition is getting worse.

This generation has neglected mental health over decades, owing mainly to busy schedules, lack of financial resources, denial, and the stigma attached to mental disorders.

However, the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic completely transformed our way of living. Although the lockdown was a traumatic period for all of us, it did help in bringing the important aspects of life into focus, i.e., our mental health and the peace within.

People finally had the time to stop and reflect on their mental state, which led to the rate of mental disorder diagnoses going through the roof. Since no one was not allowed to leave their houses, the treatment was brought to them through digital methods.

Admittedly, the concept of digital mental well-being was initially viewed through skeptical eyes. However, the digital health market is currently estimated to grow up to 17% in the upcoming five years. From online therapy to meditation apes, thousands of online mental help/care alternatives have helped the patients tremendously.

In this article, we’ll be talking about some of the best apes created to treat commonly diagnosed mental illnesses.

Depression #

Let’s start with the most commonly diagnosed mental disorder worldwide- depression. Depression is defined as “a constant feeling of sadness and loss of interest, which stops you from doing your normal activities.”

According to a ssurvey conducted by WHO, around 5% of the adults around suffer from depression. It was also found that depression is a common cause of suicide.

Following are the best smartphone apes for the treatment of depression. Take a look:

CBT Guide to Depression Self-help: Mood Log, Diary #

CBT Guide to Depression is a free app that offers help to its users based on CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) guides.

CBT is “one of the most evidence-based psychological interventions for the treatment of depression.” If you get CBT, the chances of your mental health getting better are much higher, and the chances of you falling back into depression are much lower.

This application is available for free on Play Store for android users, with an impressive 4.4 stars rating. However, the app has not been launched on the App Store for iPhone users yet.

Happily #

Happily is another digital well-being app that uses CBT, along with positive psychology and mindfulness, as one of its wellness techniques. The creators of Happily have taken a creative turn on this app by programming science-based games as therapy.

The main focus of happily is to help their users “reduce stress, overcome negative thoughts and build greater resilience.” Happily has received 3.5 and 4.5 stars on Play Store and App Store, respectively.

Happily is available for Android and iPhone users for free (advanced features can only be accessed by buying a monthly subscription of $11.99).

Anxiety #

Anxiety is another mental disorder that is very commonly found in adults and teenagers. This illness is characterized by feelings of worry or fear that are strong enough to interfere with one’s daily activities. A few physical symptoms of anxiety are sweating, pounding heart, restlessness, hyperventilation, trembling, nausea, headache, weakness, and fatigue.

Keep in mind that it is normal to experience mild anxiety every once in a while. A few anxiety-inducing events are exams, performances, arguments, or financial problems.

However, if those feelings linger for an unusually extended time period, you might be suffering from an anxiety disorder. The most common anxiety disorders are PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), panic attacks, and OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder).

If you are feeling that your anxiety is out of proportion lately, read on to learn about a couple of smartphone apes that can help you with the same.

Mindshift CBT- Anxiety Relief #

Mindshift is a CBT-based app that targets anxiety, especially in teenagers and new adults. Mindshift helps its patients reduce worry, stress, and panic by applying evidence-based strategies.

Thought journals, fear ladders, and comfort zone challenges are some of the interesting activities offered in Mindshift CBT- Anxiety Relief.

Mindshift CBT is available free of cost for both android and iPhone users. It has also received 4.1- and 4.3-stars ratings on Play Store and App Store.

Self-help Anxiety Management #

SAM has taken a completely different approach compared to other self-help apes by abiding by its name: self-help management.

The app contains 25 different coping mechanisms to help the users with the mental and physical symptoms of anxiety. Users can make a personalized anxiety toolkit, adding only the features that they find helpful to track their anxious thoughts and behavior over time.

For additional support, a user can also use SAM’s Social Cloud feature that helps all the users connect confidentially in an online community and share their experiences.

SAM has received a 4-stars rating on App Store and can be accessed from Play Store as well.

ADHD #

ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) is commonly diagnosed during childhood and lasts well into adulthood.

Children diagnosed with ADHD have a typically short attention span. They are also hyperactive, i.e., are almost always moving. That includes running or pacing with no other goal than motion. Lastly, they have an impulsive streak; they often rush into actions without thinking about the consequences.

If you’ve been diagnosed with ADHD, read on to learn about a couple of apes that might help you in your daily activities.

Todoist #

As an ADHD patient, you might be prone to forgetting your tasks or getting distracted easily. Todoist is designed to help you with exactly that.

Once you’ve entered your task, you can set a due date on it, along with a priority level. There’s an option to assign that task to one of your family members if you forget it.

If you’ve started using the app regularly, you can add themes, boards, and filters to your tasks to make them look more appealing. Furthermore, there’s a progress board to keep track of how far you’ve come. All in all, you can make a project out of each of your tasks so that you never forget them.

Todoist has received 4.5- and 4.8-star ratings on Play Store and App Store, respectively.

Brain Focus #

Brain Focus is for those people who struggle with concentration, primarily including ADHD-diagnosed people.

In a nutshell, this app helps you utilize your screen time instead of using your phone as a distraction. It uses the Pomodoro technique to divide your focus time into your selected work apes and lock your distracting apes in the meantime.

It has received a shockingly high 4.8 stars rating on Play Store. However, Brain Focus has not yet been launched on the App Store for iPhone users.

Wrapping it up #

If the pandemic has taught us one lesson, it’s that a healthy mind space is a key to a content life. So, when the lockdown took away the option of one-on-one mental disorder treatments, people turned to technology for help; and technology certainly did not disappoint.

In this article, we’ve talked about three of the most common mental disorders today: depression, anxiety, and ADHD. The apes that we talked about today have worked wonders for many users and are all trustworthy. That being said, seeking professional help is the better option for you if you’ve just been diagnosed or if you’re feeling like your condition is getting worse.

Related reading

Predictive Care Enabled by AI: An Overview

Vin Patel — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 14:23:13 +0000

Key takeaways

Data is becoming increasingly important in driving innovation.
In dharma and medicine, you may estimate how long a clinical trial would take in each population based on the population’s disease occurrence, previous trial participation, and the number of trial sites required.
It’s also important to remember that no model is completely error-free or capable of replacing experts.

Data is becoming increasingly important in driving innovation. Industries collect an increasing amount of data as technology progresses and changes human behavior. The value of that data comes from our ability to extract it in order to gain actionable, relevant insights - insights that can help us work smarter by accelerating better outcomes while remaining equitable and inclusive of the people we serve.

Predictive care, which combines a variety of statistical approaches such as predictive and data modelling, machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI), and deep learning to assess facts and forecast future unknown outcomes, is of particular interest. It is widely employed in a variety of fields, including business management, retail, travel, and sports, as well as science, healthcare, and pharmaceuticals.

Mastering the element of predictive care will be a vital component in improving the quality of care for patients as artificial intelligence (AI) technology becomes more ubiquitous in the medical field.

Providers must operate efficiently, effectively, and precisely in order to give better care to individuals. Integrating predictive care into the healthcare system could help achieve those objectives while also providing some relief to medical practitioners. On the other hand, predictive analytic systems must be appropriately trained to minimize future care inequities.

What is Predictive Care? #

Predictive care uses modelling and forecasting approaches to determine what is highly likely to happen in the future. Physicians, researchers, medical specialty societies, pharmaceutical corporations, and everyone else involved in healthcare can then use those projections to deliver the best possible care for specific patients.

Predictive care uses a number of modelling techniques, ranging from basic hierarchical linear models to modern machine learning and AI algorithms, to produce the most reliable predictions possible. Machine learning is a subset of AI that involves generating models to describe data with greater precision as more data is introduced. AI is a collection of technologies that can think and adapt itself.

Historical data is used in predictive care to train algorithms that can predict future outcomes. These models can build predictive models and find patterns or trends in data using statistics, machine learning, and/or AI. Understanding simple or complex links between several variables and one or more outcomes is a key insight. It can, for example, provide a credit rating in finance based on a history of loans or payments as well as a debt-to-income ratio. It can measure the risk of acquiring diabetes or other diseases in a clinical setting by taking into account health status, diet, age, and family medical history.

How Does Predictive Care Work? #

Predictive care uses machine learning and data mining technology to analyze risks and forecast outcomes. The system will use historical data and statistical modelling to determine individual patient outcomes.

Predictive care is showing promise in a number of medical fields as technology advances. Scientists at James Cook University have made headway in finding techniques to keep premature babies alive using predictive care.

Doctors can assess each premature newborn’s hazards and assign a score using the Neonatal Artificial Intelligence Morality Score (NAIMS). The risk score assists doctors in determining the optimal course of therapy for each infant as well as any potential risks that may occur along the way.

Predictive Care In Healthcare #

Predictive measurements can be beneficial in a variety of areas within healthcare. For example, in a supply chain, current in and outflow could be used to predict when resupply is required. You might forecast when machinery would fail in manufacturing to assist decide service intervals. In dharma and medicine, you may estimate how long a clinical trial would take in each population based on the population’s disease occurrence, previous trial participation, and the number of trial sites required.

Payers can profit from predictive analysis by projecting service use for a specific group. Identifying solutions to save costs and increase revenue could be beneficial to healthcare administration. Another intriguing area is precision medicine, which could anticipate treatment effectiveness based on a patient’s medical history or genomic results, allowing for the avoidance of unneeded therapies and the provision of high-quality care.

Predictive algorithms are used in medicine to help doctors make more personalized and targeted treatment decisions for specific patients. We and others have utilized image algorithms on medical images to comprehend better aggressive diseases and guide therapies, including forecasting better patient outcomes. Particularly in digital pathology, image comprehension and processing have come a long way. During the epidemic, we saw the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) systems to aid clinicians in making quick diagnoses.

Benefits of Predictive Health Care #

Predictive care in healthcare employing machine learning tools and techniques has a number of benefits, including boosting company efficiency and supporting clinicians in providing health care services to each patient.

Choosing an Appropriate Location for New Clinics and Hospitals #

It takes a lot of effort to open a new clinic or medical center. The first step is to choose the ideal location for the business. If management makes a mistake here, it could have ramifications throughout the company, resulting in losses. In order to deliver valuable services to the public, a hospital must be located closer to the target audience, be conveniently accessible, and carve out a niche among competitors.

Predictive care can assist management in assessing potential sites based on a variety of factors. Predictive care in healthcare can show you the benefits and drawbacks of opening a clinic in a specific area by looking at how competitors are doing and examining the location’s accessibility (among other factors).

Outbreaks and Pandemics: Predicting and Analyzing the Risk #

The pandemic brings up another significant role of predictive care in healthcare research articles. Researchers and scientists can forecast outbreaks and the spread of contagious diseases using historical and real-time data. This can assist governments in taking proper actions to manage the outbreak and reduce the number of people killed in society.

Different governments employed a variety of such techniques to track the spread of the coronavirus in an attempt to limit it and reduce the number of impacted areas.

Improving Business Operations for Efficient Hospital Administration #

Hospital administration is possibly the most difficult of all. Even little blunders and misunderstandings might result in life-threatening scenarios. Everything has to be perfectly in tune and streamlined. However, saying it is easier than doing it.

Using sophisticated technology, however, is conceivable. In the case of healthcare insurance, predictive care has resulted in patients, hospitals, and insurance companies working together to process claims and avoid difficulties. Delays in processing and approval of claims can be eliminated, allowing patients to receive treatment more quickly.

Healthcare centers may have a stress-free work environment by automating recurrent processes, allowing staff to focus on providing courteous and efficient patient service.

Conclusion #

It is past time for medical companies to include predictive care into their healthcare systems and develop models that can provide reliable insights and forecasts. It’s also important to remember that no model is completely error-free or capable of replacing experts.

Related reading

Questions and answers

What is Predictive Care? #

Predictive care uses modelling and forecasting approaches to determine what is highly likely to happen in the future.

How Does Predictive Care Work? #

Industry-optimized Cloud Deployments - The Next Big Thing

Vin Patel — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 14:16:02 +0000

Key takeaways

The industry cloud has recently gotten a lot of attention as a solution.
According to statistics: - 58 percent of large corporations are currently employing industrial cloud solutions or plan to do so over the next year.
It will be fascinating to see how it develops in the future.

The industry cloud has recently gotten a lot of attention as a solution. According to Teach Pro Research’s findings, the industry cloud was assessed as safe, agile, low-cost, and domain-specific by respondents. The results of the poll have no influence on other types of cloud services. Other horizontal cloud providers offer special advantages of their own.

What Exactly Is Industry Cloud? #

The domain expertise of the industrial cloud is its distinguishing attribute. All industry cloud providers specialize in one business, such as medicines, finance, banking, insurance, or manufacturing. There are several cloud providers in the sector.

Rootstock - Offers on-demand ERP solutions for the industrial industry.

Health Athena - Provides healthcare using on-demand health records and software.

The Avatar Group - Cloud tools for CRM, content management, and data for the financial services area are available.

As a result, industrial cloud solutions include industry-specific tools, processes, business services, and customizations. Domain specialists are employed by all industry cloud providers. For example, Veeva, which focuses on life sciences, is led by Matt Wallace, who formerly led Siebel’s life sciences section.

Distinctions Between Traditional Cloud and Industry Cloud #

The following are the key distinctions between industry cloud and conventional cloud:

Domain — Industry cloud focuses on specialized domains, whereas standard cloud services include practically all domains. Traditional cloud is horizontal, whereas industry cloud is vertical.
Income model – Because the people who manage these providers frequently know one other or have worked together in the same business, reference selling will account for a large amount of their revenue. Traditional cloud, on the other hand, is widely available, and its income model will be based on on-demand or subscription billing.
Market share – Given the scale of the horizontal market and the competition, typical cloud service providers will find it challenging to capture significant market share. Industry cloud providers, on the other hand, can control a large portion of their market. Consider Doximity, which is a safe social networking site for doctors. This cloud-based social networking tool is presently used by 40% of doctors in the United States.

Industry Cloud is the Next Big Thing for a Reason #

There are clear indications that the industry cloud will have an influence. The results of a poll performed by Teach Pro Research suggest that the industry cloud is on its way. The following are the survey’s key findings:

Percentage of respondents that use industry cloud #

The following figures reflect the percentage of respondents that use or do not use the industrial cloud:

Industry cloud is already being used by 38% of respondents.
19% want to utilize it during the next 12 months.
Although no timetable has been established, 23 percent want to utilize it in the future.
Only 20% do not have any plans for the industry cloud.

Percentage of small and large businesses who use industry cloud #

Small (fewer than 50 employees) and large (1,000 or more employees) businesses are already utilizing the industry cloud. According to statistics:

58 percent of large corporations are currently employing industrial cloud solutions or plan to do so over the next year.
59 percent of small businesses are already using industrial cloud solutions or want to do so over the next year.
Mid-sized businesses are slightly behind when it comes to adopting or planning to use the industry cloud. 54 percent of organizations with 20-249 workers use it or intend to use it, while 46 percent of companies with 250-999 employees use it or plan to use it.

According to the poll, the top three reasons for utilizing the industry cloud are security, cost, agility, in that order. Sixty-nine percent of respondents believe security is the most important element driving adoption, while 67 percent believe operating costs are the most important issue.

Aside from statistics, it has been highlighted that the budget has been growing. Forty-three percent of respondents stated they were raising their budgets, while only 18 percent said they were decreasing their budgets. Those with no budget allocation are likely to be those who do not utilize the industrial cloud or use free services such as Dropbox.

The study seemed to have offered a favorable image of the industrial cloud and its future. In the Teach Pro Research report, Scott Matteson observed,

Industry Cloud Implementation Case Study #

Consider a scenario of industrial cloud adoption at the Financial Times, based in the United Kingdom, and the benefits that resulted.

When there is a large amount of incoming traffic on Financial Times servers, the websites and other online public interfaces can become exceedingly demanding. If the servers are not designed to manage such demands, they will fail, which would be a huge disappointment for visitors. So the Financial Times needed a system that would allow the server load to readily scale up when there was a large quantity of traffic pouring in. They needed a system that was scalable, robust, and dependable. As a result, the FT platform was created.

The FT platform automates the software and virtual infrastructure that runs on top of in-house servers and the AWS EC2 platform.

It is now much easier to handle the older infrastructure. The Financial Times has control over the cloud platform’s building pieces and can transfer apes between its in-house virtual machines operating on AWS and Cisco UCS servers.

After migrating its data warehouse to Amazon Redshift, the Financial Times was also able to reduce expenditures. The cost of supporting business processes has dropped by 80%.

Conclusion #

Industry cloud is clearly gaining pace, owing to its niche-specific offers. The question of whether these advances endanger generic cloud services is still being debated. However, there is a school of thinking that both general and specialist cloud services may survive since they each have their own set of advantages and disadvantages. However, the movement of many businesses from general cloud to industrial cloud cannot be ruled out. The advent of the industrial cloud as a solution has proven promising. It will be fascinating to see how it develops in the future.

Related reading

The Evolution of Cloud-Based Data Storage in Healthcare

Vin Patel — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 13:04:49 +0000

Key takeaways

Finding important details from previous medical records is the key to a proper medical investigation.
Moreover, this industry has way too many stakeholders - doctors, patients, nurses, administrators, government, etc.
Many countries already have such policies in place, and many other countries are framing policies in this regard.

Finding important details from previous medical records is the key to a proper medical investigation. For a long time, doctors were informed about these records either verbally by patients or through handwritten records in medical books. Both these methods are flawed. In the former case, the concerned patient might not know what details are important. In the latter case, it is not humanely possible to go through years of written documents. This is where digital records play a crucial role in the healthcare industry. Digitally stored data can be easily accessible to patients as well as doctors using keywords and links. Moreover, integration with modern technologies like AI and IoT can improve user experience.

A prime example is monitoring blood sugar or blood pressure at home and linking it with health-tracking apes. An update to digital storage is cloud storage, which increases interoperability and offers more freedom. In this article, we will explore the evolution of cloud-based data storage in the healthcare industry.

The Evolution #

According to a report, the market for cloud technology in the healthcare industry is supposed to increase by 25.54 billion USD in two years. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a paradigm shift regarding how service is delivered. Social distancing norms have prompted patients to opt for more online consultations. People, during the pandemic, were afraid to visit clinics or hospitals. Home-delivered diagnostic services have become more popular. E-commerce sites have reported more than a double increase in sales of at-home health monitoring kits.

Consequently, a lot of health-tracking apes have popped up to integrate these data into one place for users. Thus, the pandemic has boosted the adoption of cloud-based health technologies, IoT devices and AI. However, for a long time, this was different. These technologies’ major advancements and public adoption started around 2016-17. This is quite late when compared to other industries. It is essential to understand why there has been a late adoption of cloud technology in healthcare.

The government highly regulates the healthcare sector. The cost of risky errors is much higher than in any other sector. Moreover, this industry has way too many stakeholders - doctors, patients, nurses, administrators, government, etc. So many moving parts and gears in the industry make it tough to adapt to new technologies. A huge factor to consider in this is privacy. Amidst increasing incidents of data leaks and cybercrimes, it is important to keep healthcare data safe. After all, peoples’ lives depend on it. Thus, any hasty adaption of such technology wouldn’t have been the right decision. As mentioned earlier, how a doctor treats a patient depends on these data. Any discrepancies can cost lives.

The evolution of cloud computing in this field can be divided into phases. These are:

Phase 1(2007-09): Cloud computing was mainly used for back-end processes to streamline administration. They contributed to reducing costs incurred by physical labor.
Phase 2(2010-12): Scholars started studying security systems to perfect them.
Phase 3(2013-15): Bioinformatics enabled big data for health services to start evolving.
Phase 4(2016-17): This was when machine learning-enabled mobile health technologies came to light, and people started adopting them. There has been a rapid increase in the market of cloud technologies ever since.

Thus, a long time was spent studying and exploring these technologies before deploying them to the public.

Conclusion #

Cloud computing has made healthcare more accessible and efficient. A host of new services have started, which no one could imagine before. We can have all our medical information in one place. A whole ecosystem is being created, which benefits everyone. Cloud computing addresses the issues of storage, bandwidth and cost optimization through data-driven resource allocation. However, the cooperation of government and private players is necessary to implement it as an umbrella scheme. One example can be India’s Ayushman Bharat Digital Health mission which plans to provide a health card to every eligible citizen. This health card will be a one-stop solution for all medical health-related data. The benefits of such a scale should be inclusive and accessible to even the lower sections of society. The digital divide can be detrimental to this. Many countries already have such policies in place, and many other countries are framing policies in this regard.

Related reading

Acceleration in Adaptation of IoT in Modern Day Businesses

Vin Patel — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 12:33:38 +0000

Key takeaways

It’s difficult to leave the “Internet of Things” out of a list of cutting-edge and paradigm-shifting technologies in a world dominated by artificial intelligence, data, and ever-evolving connection technology.
Sharing of perceptions and data** Almost every organization relies on data gathering and transmission, and the advent of IoT has completely changed how data is processed.
The fact that IoT technology is still in its infancy and its applications are expanding across various industries suggests the possibility of introducing additional features and advantages in the future.

It’s difficult to leave the “Internet of Things” out of a list of cutting-edge and paradigm-shifting technologies in a world dominated by artificial intelligence, data, and ever-evolving connection technology. IoT is actually one of the most significant technologies in use today because it is essential to the development of numerous other technologies, including machine learning.

Nearly every element of our life creates data, which is captured, shared, and tracked in order to provide us with fresh perspectives, increase efficiency, and enable businesses to make wise decisions. Enterprise leaders are beginning to grasp the value of the Internet of Things in enterprises. Healthcare, energy, automotive, manufacturing, agriculture, and other sectors are implementing IoT. It has numerous uses, including an air track, doorbell cameras, security systems, thermostats, and many others. The Industrial Internet of Things industry will continue to expand annually as more businesses adopt the IoT.

Why is the Internet of Things (IoT) so Important? #

IoT has emerged as one of the most significant 21st-century technologies in recent years. Continuous communication between people, processes, and things is now possible thanks to the ability to connect commonplace items—such as household appliances, automobiles, thermostats, and baby monitors—to the internet via embedded devices.

Low-cost computers, big data, the cloud, analytic, and mobile technologies enable sharing and collecting of data by physical objects with minimal human intervention. Digital systems can monitor, record, and modify every interaction between connected entities in today’s hyper-connected environment. The physical and digital worlds collide, but they work together.

What Technologies Have Made IoT Possible? #

Although the concept of IoT has been around for a while, it has only become a reality thanks to various recent technological advancements.

Availability of inexpensive, low-power sensor technology: More manufacturers may now use IoT technology thanks to reasonably priced and trustworthy sensors.
Connectivity: It is now simple to link sensors to the cloud and other “things” for effective data transfer thanks to a variety of network protocols for the internet.
Cloud computing infrastructures: Businesses and consumers may now get the infrastructure they need to scale up without having to manage it, all thanks to the expansion of cloud platforms.
Analytic using machine learning: Businesses may acquire insights more quickly and easily thanks to machine learning and analytic improvements, along with access to diverse and enormous volumes of data stored in the cloud. The development of these complementary technologies pushes the limits of IoT, and the data generated by IoT feeds these complementary technologies.
Artificial intelligence with speech (AI): Natural language processing (NLP) is now available on the Internet of Things (IoT) devices, including digital personal assistants like Alex, Cortana, and Sir. This has made IoT devices more appealing, practical, and inexpensive for usage at home.

Long-Term Adoption of IoT Will Change the IT Workforces of Businesses #

The operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) teams are naturally merging together as businesses concentrate on accomplishing this transformation. Due to the increased enterprise adoption of IoT, both domains are increasingly collaborating, which has an impact on the priorities and workload of internal technology teams.

The transition to Industry 4.0 is continuing, and it appears that corporations are more at ease than ever with their part in it. Companies are increasingly incorporating IoT into their business strategies, according to new data from the Information Services Group (ISG), and they’re not only swiftly updating their IoT plans—their scope is also “becoming more ambitious” as a result. Now, businesses are receiving long-term IoT care.

In practice, this implies that companies are investing in connected device sensors, whether they are in automobiles, buildings, or tools and equipment, and utilizing the layers of analytic available for each use case to produce actionable data sources that “derive higher-level business insights.”

The value of the IoT technology market is anticipated to reach $1.39 trillion by 2026, according to Mordor Intelligence. Several things are probably to blame for this phenomenal increase, including:

The COVID-19 epidemic has expedited the development of data analysis, smart home technology, and remote monitoring.
Businesses are vying with one another to create superior artificial intelligence products. These frequently call for an IoT-related network of cutting-edge sensors and edge computers.
IoT networks are more effective compared to centralized systems at completing some jobs.

Industries, including manufacturing, logistics, oil and gas, transportation, energy, mining, aviation, etc., have all been significantly impacted by IoT. In fact, a fourth industrial revolution has already begun, marking a new phase in the management and structure of the industrial value chain. The fourth industrial revolution (industry 4.0) is based on caber-physical systems, also referred to as smart machines. By the end of 2023, 94% of organizations are expected to be using IoT.

Acceleration in IoT Adoption #

The survey claims that 79% of firms intend to invest sizable sums of money into at least one IoT project in the next two years. In fact, in the next two years, the typical large organization plans to invest in nine different IoT use cases. The majority of businesses want to invest in IoT for asset/plant performance improvement, with 42% of those surveyed planning significant investments. It should come as no surprise that the willingness to invest (more) and overall ROI have a strong association. 97% of businesses that have implemented IoT solutions for asset/plant performance optimization—technologies that let users operate and maintain assets at higher levels of equipment effectiveness—have already demonstrated a profitable return on investment.

But even less common use cases are anticipated to experience significant growth. For instance, more than one-fifth of businesses want to make significant operational investments in augmented reality (augmented operations). The conclusion is clear: IoT technology will be adopted more widely in the upcoming years, according to all indications.

Benefits of the Internet of Things (IoT) for Businesses #

Let’s examine a few strategies firms can use to enhance key areas of their operations by utilizing the Internet of Things and its cutting-edge technologies in the future.

Cost reduction

Internet of Things technology will be more specifically designed to support the success of those organizations as they deploy IoT devices to optimize operations and boost profitability. IoT devices are already having an effect on business profits, from cybersecurity to workplace productivity.

Maintenance expenses can be reduced when IoT devices and sensors are used to maintain corporate equipment at peak performance. Office equipment on-the-fly troubleshooting detects issues before they have an impact on staff and employees, avoiding the inconvenience and expense of significant repairs.

One advantage the Internet of Things delivers to your operations and maintenance process is the reduction of expensive extended downtime for repairs.

2. Sharing of perceptions and data

Almost every organization relies on data gathering and transmission, and the advent of IoT has completely changed how data is processed. IoT apes allow for broader access to personal data and track user connection patterns with the device. As the application learns from the patterns, it gets wiser and offers a better user experience.

IoT products let businesses analyze this data at the same time in order to grow their operations. The information can be used to study consumer wants, the buying cycle, the scope for advancements and innovations, and marketing and advertising tactics.

3. Moving real-time insights #

Real-time data from processes, devices, and people via sensors is revolutionizing business since it can be a game-changer in the visibility into what is happening. The important industries are already experiencing innovation, particularly in the retail sector.

Retailers can increase profitability by managing sales and inventory effectively by collecting real-time buyer insights. In order for devices like systems and smart cameras to work together, the Internet of Things is crucial. A corporation can then make well-informed decisions and acquire novel business models that aid in achieving its goals.

4. Deliver multimedia services more easily #

An omnichannel sales strategy streamlines the entire purchasing process, making it popular nowadays. This service is significantly aided by the Internet of Things (IoT), which also enhances the user experience.

Thanks to the installation of sensors on internet-connected equipment, businesses or manufacturers can monitor operations, status, and service levels from remote places and offer prompt support as and when consumers require it.

5. Accessibility, effectiveness, and output #

These advances will enable enterprises to operate more affordably, resulting in a significant landscape expansion due to the affordability of insertion and the increased viability of production. Smart desks, enabled by IoT, provide workers with the optimum workspace. To guarantee that people are seated for maximum comfort and efficiency, smart desks monitor user preferences and learn from them.

These upgrades will make it possible for businesses to run more efficiently, leading to a huge landscape expansion as manufacturing and insertion become more feasible. For instance, IoT-enabled smart desks give staff the ideal workstation. Smart workstations adjust and vary based on individual preferences, guaranteeing constant user comfort and efficiency.

6. Enhanced security and safety #

IoT has a huge potential in high-risk EHS businesses where events like collisions with large items, falls, and electrocutions put human lives in danger. Due to their ability to support remote operations, enable collaboration between human employees and robots, and give rich low-level data, such as high or low temperatures, IoT applications are equipped to offer safe, dependable, and practical solutions to improve safety conditions in the workplace.

IoT technology also provides a creative design for an autonomous system that localizes, watches, and warns site employees who work in dangerous areas, particularly in hostile and distant areas where the difficulties and risks associated with these facilities are raised. Assuring security and defense against physical threats like fire accidents in the workplace, the IoT also sends notifications for abnormalities or other acts that risk the enterprise.

Drawbacks of IoT #

The Internet of Things has advantages that are particularly wanted for boosting business profitability, but it also poses some risks. Let’s take a quick look at the drawbacks of IoT for the purpose of fairness.

Security holes

The most pervasive issue impeding IoT development as a whole is insufficient security measures. Because smart gadgets capture and transmit private information that may have serious repercussions if revealed, there is always a concern about data leaks. However, IoT solutions rarely adhere to all applicable data protection standards, encryption protocols, and other laws and technologies intended to prevent unwanted access to sensitive data. They also rarely have sufficient anti-tampering measures. Inadequate data protection may have expensive, terrible, or even catastrophic results, such as identity theft, the theft of company secrets, the loss of tools or products, sabotage, etc. Because of this, experts who can guarantee that the installed hardware and software systems have no vulnerabilities and are well-protected against any hacking attempts must create and execute IoT solutions in the company.

2. Connection and workload

With many gadgets linked to the internet, network and bandwidth limitations are becoming a problem. The majority of IoT features require lower latency for efficient performance, and others may call for local servers or service providers to offer new bandwidth and QoS to handle workloads with specific needs. Even without considering the cost of labor, putting this into practice could not be economical.

By using edge data centers to handle some of the computing workloads, businesses may increase the devices’ processing power and boost connectivity performance. Due to their proximity to the network edge, they will assist decrease latency and speeding up information processing. The ability to address connection concerns by extending network services into remote locations is another benefit of edge data centers.

3. Dependence on a network #

The extensive network of connections between different devices and accessibility to the global network are the essential components of the Internet of Things. IoT devices consequently also need an infrastructure that guarantees continuous cable and wireless connection with high throughput, low latency, and ongoing Internet access. Therefore, to use IoS, a corporate firm must first offer the full complement of necessary networking hardware, including cables, routers, hubs, local data storage devices, etc.

4. Demands for high skill levels #

IoT solutions need responsible, knowledgeable experts who are well aware of the scope and potential repercussions of their job. IoT solution deployment, setup, upkeep, and scale changes in a commercial operation require highly trained administrators, who may be difficult to discover and hire given their high salary expectations. All staff members should obtain the appropriate training and manuals before dealing with the implemented network of smart devices. Therefore, even though IoT decreases the need for human resources, the staff that is still on-site must be well-trained to avoid interfering with the operation of smart devices and causing a “snowball effect.”

Conclusion #

By offering data-driven insights into the effectiveness and performance of their processes and systems, opening up fresh perspectives on customer behavior and pain spots, and generating new business prospects, IoT enables organizations to innovate and flourish.

Because of this, businesses have a lot to gain from implementing IoT, despite the fact that there are difficulties before, during, and after deployment. However, organizations can use the technology’s disruptive potential by combining technological know-how, support infrastructure, and cybersecurity protocols. The fact that IoT technology is still in its infancy and its applications are expanding across various industries suggests the possibility of introducing additional features and advantages in the future.

Related reading

How Is Web 3.0 Blockchain Technology Fuelling a Six Trillion

Vin Patel — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 12:21:28 +0000

Key takeaways

Web 3.0, as its name implies, is the most recent or developing phase of the interne’s evolution.
According to insiders in the industry, as the Web3 ecosystem matures, demand for Web3 developers will rise.
Web 3.0 blockchain will significantly impact both old and new businesses.

Web 3.0, as its name implies, is the most recent or developing phase of the interne’s evolution. The foundation of Web 3, or Web 3.0, is the idea of building a completely decentralized environment. This emerging field of technology thinks that the power of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cutting-edge technologies like blockchain can resolve the issues facing the modern internet and online ecosystem.

What Drives The Growth of Web3.0? #

As per Market Research Future, the market for Web3.0 blockchain technology will be valued at more than $6 trillion in 2023. From 2023 to 2030, Web3.0 is expected to increase at a CAGR of 44.6%. Consequently, the market for Web3.0 blockchain technology will be worth more than $6 trillion. Almost every industry is anticipated to use Web3.0 blockchain, including financial services, retail and e-commerce, media and entertainment, healthcare, IT, government, and energy.

Many people think Web3.0’s fate is inseparably related to the tumultuous market of cryptocurrency. The reason behind this is that it depends heavily on the blockchain. However, that is not the case. Cryptocurrencies are only one aspect of the emerging sector.

Gartner reports that although the value of cryptocurrencies fell in the first few months of 2022, decision-makers cannot assume that the same is true for Web3.0 technologies. The research and consultancy business claims that Web3.0 technology will soon pass the threshold of maximum acceptance, and sectors ranging from food safety to aviation maintenance will tokenize their apps. The study suggests that CEOs, decision-makers, and IT executives should consider themes like the metaverse, the decentralized app market, artificial intelligence, video games, and machine learning. These technologies will accelerate Web3.0’s development.

How is Web 3.0 Essential for The Financial World? #

Understanding human emotions and thoughts will be one of Web 3.0’s key characteristics. Artificial intelligence, also known as AI, will be heavily utilized to filter data and information and customize search results based on user preferences. Integrating blockchain with IoT for logistics, supply chains, and manufacturing line operations is attracting the attention of the industrial sector.

The banking, financial operations, and insurance industries are some significant proponents of Web3.0 blockchain technology. The weight of the global economy is propelling Web3.0 into a new age as the new technology is anticipated to overhaul the established financial institutions.

Web 3.0 will further broaden the scope of engagement, including secure data transfers, richer information flows, and frictionless payments. This will occur due to web3, allowing us to communicate directly with any machine without using intermediaries who charge fees. From the widespread use of NFTs and cryptocurrencies to the expansion of decentralized autonomous organizations and blockchain-based infrastructure and storage, rapid Web3.0 innovations are taking place everywhere.

Web 3.0 Blockchain Teach #

The blockchain’s advantages are intriguing. It increases customer acceptance because it is simple to use, extremely inexpensive, and far quicker than conventional decentralized operations. Decentralized networks are deemed safer by the cybersecurity industry because it takes coordinated efforts to compromise a blockchain operation.

Blockchain is one of the technologies driving web 3.0, along with others like IoT and AI. More specifically, because it redefines the data structures in the semantic web’s backend, blockchain is the basis of web3. Since there is a historical increase in the demand for Web3 developers, 2021 will witness a rise in Web3 development. According to insiders in the industry, as the Web3 ecosystem matures, demand for Web3 developers will rise.

Blockchain-based Web 3.0 has the potential to be highly beneficial in many ways. With the help of blockchain technology, transaction speeds can increase surprisingly. Blockchain technology has enough potential to drastically change how the internet will function in the future, from the first seven transactions per second (TPS) of Bitcoin to the current 50000 TPS of Solano. Blockchain technology can significantly enhance several key industry sectors, including supply chains, digital health care, and digital transactions in general. Blockchain technology has enough potential to ultimately alter how we view social media platforms today.

Different Blockchain Applications and Innovations in Web 3.0 #

The primary end users of this new technology are anticipated to be the retail and e-commerce industries. They will gain from safer transactions, new services and apes, and innovative purchasing and selling methods. Developers are promoting blockchain as a remedy for privacy worries, rising as more users worldwide refuse to divulge their personal information to significant internet firms.

The blockchain is being used in various ways by other businesses. Healthcare, for instance, is rethinking how to maintain and store electronic health records. A significant element of web 3.0, speech recognition software, is exemplified by Sir.

Web3 is now used by the artificial intelligence platform Wolfram Alpha. An excellent illustration of a web 3.0 social network website is Steemit. It is a decentralized rewards system that exclusively utilizes the social media platform of the Seem Blockchain. IDEX is a well-known decentralized marketplace for selling web 3.0 compatible ERC-20 tokens.

Users can build their addresses or even engage with the network because everyone has access to the blockchain. One cannot exclude users from this network because of their social makeup, gender, income, or geography. Thanks to this capability, users will find it much simpler to move their wealth or assets anywhere in the world quickly.

Conclusion #

The world of developers is presenting Web 3.0 as a movement that will take back internet control from the five major teach giants. This is because blockchain has a lot of use cases for cryptocurrency, blockchain, and the metaverse. Web 3.0 would see our data reside on blockchain networks, where people rather than centralized organizations would hold it as it is today.

Web 3.0’s impact on businesses will make them more transparent and user-centric. There will be a radical transformation in everything wrong with how corporations handled customer data in the past. Web 3.0 will fundamentally transform the way we communicate and collaborate online, and this transition will affect everyone. Web 3.0 blockchain will significantly impact both old and new businesses.

Related reading

What Drives The Growth of Web3.0? #

As per Market Research Future, the market for Web3.0 blockchain technology will be valued at more than $6 trillion in 2023. From 2023 to 2030, Web3.0 is expected to increase at a CAGR of 44.6%.

How is Web 3.0 Essential for The Financial World? #

5G & IoT Opens New Opportunities for Telecoms

Vin Patel — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 10:41:53 +0000

Key takeaways

***Every ten years or so, the telecommunications industry ushers in a new era of mobile technology.
But if the aim is to progress to provide communications and content through broadband networks, a consumer and provider mindset change is in order.
By extrapolating what we have today in our communications while opening a path to tomorrow that is based on a strategic value drive proposition, CSPs can move beyond connectivity to create an IoT that is smart at every level.

Every ten years or so, the telecommunications industry ushers in a new era of mobile technology. 2G, 3G and 4G LTE, all shepherded in with increased speeds and more robust connectivity. Today, this industry stands witness to yet another innovation, 5G. But with plateauing of traditional revenue streams and heavy investment costs to offset, how can telcos position themselves to play a more central role in the economic ecosystem, instead of just being the bystanders of yet another age of better mobile offering.

As the newer slew of smartphones hit the markets, touting revolutionary 5g connectivity capabilities, telcos have had to speed up their delivery of this promised innovation. 5G, a massive evolution over LTE, is designed with a trifecta of capabilities: Extremely high-speed broadband, low latency and fully automated machine-type communications.

For the layman, these capabilities merely mean faster video streaming, but when combined with IoT these abilities assume enormous significance. From futuristic remote-controlled robotics in healthcare to near real-time video analysis, 5G will unleash the full potential of the IoT value chain, in turn providing telcos with the ability to exploit new market opportunities for their monetization.

As per GSMA, the number of global IoT connections will rise to 25 billion by 2025, while global IoT revenue will touch $1.1 trillion, with connectivity revenue only accounting for 5% of the total IoT revenue opportunity. Telcos, until now, have matured into a robust, reliable provider of connectivity services on the go, but to keep up in the future, this industry needs to take a leap forward. It needs to go ‘beyond just connectivity’.

At the Crossroads #

To make this happen, telcos must escape the commoditization trap, seizing a more substantial role as a service creator and provider for IoT-enabled industries. As IoT devices proliferate across businesses, cities, and environments of all types, connectivity service providers (CSP) will be hosts to vast new arrays of sensors and endpoints, becoming conduits for vast swathes of data that operators will be able to collect and process. In today’s world, data is an asset, one that telcos have not capitalized on for years. From usage to location information, from wearable sensors to health information, these interconnected devices can create efficiencies, improve product designs, create new business models, and even enhance customer experiences.

From the Sidelines to Data Entablement #

The potential associated with connectivity is big and promising, with a prodigious hurdle at its heart. Most companies are not equipped to handle the magnitude of data generated by IoT devices. Developing their existing infrastructure to account for high-scale data ingestion, storage, and analytic, will provide the stepping stone toward the connected end-state. Cleaning and indexing the scores of disparate datasets being generated every second through myriad endpoints for actionable insights needs to become a parallel focus to connectivity.

Do note adopting this does not require any additional technological breakthroughs, most of this can be achieved with technology that is being perfected now. Leading-edge cloud computing and machine learning combined with 5G can provide telcos with the edge to gain critical insights from these massive datasets at previously inconceivable speeds. Building this agility will help telcos, unlock greater value across the IoT value chain and help them make the shift from a sole connectivity provider to the powerhouse of data enablers.

Keeping this aspect for B2B aside, telcos still hold strong their ‘Trusted Service Provider’ position with the end consumer. But this digitally savvy and hyper-informed consumer too, is looking to bring the added benefit of 5g to its very own domestic IoT without substantial incremental cost, creating a business case for a newer, more encompassing pricing strategy.

Overcoming the Pricing Disadvantage #

A PWC research published in 2018 shows that just one-third of Internet users would pay more for 5G technology; 33 percent would do so for 5G in the home, while 31 percent would do so on mobile. Notably, the excitement in adopting 5G certainly lags compared to its 4G counterpart, given the benefits. But if the aim is to progress to provide communications and content through broadband networks, a consumer and provider mindset change is in order. Archaic pricing models, which resorted to one size fits all methodology, need to shift to a capabilities-based pricing model.

For many customers, in the current environment, seamless connectivity equates to higher bandwidths in terms of capacity and speed than they need, hoping in most circumstances, this will enable a reasonable service level. Herein lies an opportunity for CSP’s. By encouraging users to adopt a singular access network like broadband for all their home connectivity and mobile use, they can bring about a simplified pricing model that is specifically enabled by 5g’s unprecedented capabilities.

Prioritizing A Value Creation Structure #

But bringing all this to fruition needs an agile mindset that keeps up with the pace of the fast-developing industry. For CSPs this means navigating this massive task through a framework that foremost focuses on its core competency connectivity.

Connectivity is the foundation for increasingly intelligent mobility systems. Expanding on their existing capabilities, CSPs need to serve a broader but targeted solution for both B2B and B2Cs. With 5G, telcos, for the first time, have the unique capability to slice the telecoms network into an end-to-end digital infrastructure with features precisely tuned to the demands of a specific industry. This creates an opportunity for a pricing model that can be tailored by the size of the network slice they require instead of the traditional speed/data-based pricing that allows a significant proportion of network bandwidth to be allotted and yet not be used.

As they progress, telcos, having mastered wider adaptability, have the option to expand their ecosystem horizontally through partnerships that open lucrative opportunities. By expanding beyond their capacity provider role, CSPs can engage in industry experience that can complement and fill capability gaps. Say in healthcare, which is perennially beseeched by a lack of medical/ paramedical professionals, relevant diagnostic equipment, and timely delivery of care. Partnerships that provide real-time diagnostic, consulting, and surgery in cohorts with CSPs providing guaranteed service level agreements regardless of location can significantly expand industry verticals and provide additional monetization opportunities.

As they secure their position, they become the orchestrator, building cross-sectoral uses. A matchmaker for B2B players, integrating their offering with third-party bundles. They create and provide complex value at additional levels by combining multiple offerings. For CSPs this will mean a digital marketplace that will serve a fusion of vertical market needs, technology, and process applications.

All this redefines interoperability standards. But achieving the full potential of connectivity requires improvements in data security. Data privacy, protection of intellectual property and data ownership might be the purview of policymakers, but collaboration amongst various stakeholders is certainly needed to enable the connected world vision.

Keeping challenges aside, opportunities abound for CSPs and companies seeking to capture the full potential of IoT and 5G by becoming closely aligned partners. By extrapolating what we have today in our communications while opening a path to tomorrow that is based on a strategic value drive proposition, CSPs can move beyond connectivity to create an IoT that is smart at every level.

Related reading

Top 3 Industries Harnessing the Potential of IoT for Digital

Vin Patel — Tue, 15 Nov 2022 12:38:53 +0000

Key takeaways

In an era where people are shifting to digital mindsets, companies are left with no choice but to keep pace with this change to thrive in the global market.
At the same time, smart manufacturing is largely fuelled by machinery having internet capability to monitor production processes constantly.
The ideal combination of IoT and digital transformation makes for a better business model, systems, data analysis, and ultimately better customer experience.

In an era where people are shifting to digital mindsets, companies are left with no choice but to keep pace with this change to thrive in the global market. Leveraging cutting-edge technologies can be a practical option for companies ready to plunge into the wave of digitalization. Digital transformation has become a buzzword among companies. But do we really know what it means? Digital transformation entails using advanced technologies across business processes to challenge the status quo and achieve profitability by converting every resource and asset into a digital format.

The World Economic Forum predicts the value of digital transformation is expected to be more than $100 trillion by 2025 for industry and society. But why are companies so eager to achieve digital transformation, and how can IoT be instrumental in realizing this? Read on to learn the answers.

Digital transformation can revive companies that are losing steam in the competitive market, giving them the resources and assets required to improve the experience of employees, customers, and shareholders. IoT can be a major catalyst for digital transformation, enabling companies to make sense of the massive amount of data available in the growing number of connected devices. Today, IoT effectively changes how businesses are carried out across various industries, allowing them to capitalize on emerging and existing market opportunities.

In this blog, we will learn about three major industries that are adopting IoT to unlock the full potential of digital transformation.

Healthcare- Making Strides with IoT #

The need to step up efforts toward digital transformation in the healthcare industry is higher than ever. Challenges like shockingly low doctor-patient ratios, obsolete systems, and a growing number of chronic diseases overwhelm every entity in the healthcare system, creating a need for digital transformation backed with IoT, which can be a workable solution to navigate these challenges.

IoT takes the name of the Internet-of-Medical-Things (IoMT) in the healthcare industry, a network of medical systems that work together to obtain, share and analyze crucial healthcare data. IoMT has been strengthening healthcare infrastructure by improving telemedicine, remote surgeries, chronic disease management, drug delivery and management, patient-focused approach, and much more. Additionally, IoT helps enable telemedicine, an effective method adopted by doctors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Stringent COVID-19 guidelines further supported the concept of telemedicine, allowing patients and physicians to remain safe during communication and treatment in a virtual world.

IoT empowers physicians by allowing them to check patients’ conditions remotely, using wearable devices and monitoring systems integrated with IoT sensors. With the nature of diseases getting more uncertain, IoT establishes a streamlined connection between patients and physicians in seconds. IoT integration in this industry can improve patient satisfaction, provide better treatment plans, and decrease healthcare costs and the complexity of disease management. Healthcare institutions are expected to increase their budget for IoT systems in the upcoming years.

Manufacturing and IoT - Offering Hope for Accuracy and Speed #

Unlike many sectors, manufacturing has rather been slow to the technological revolution. However, the manufacturing industry is undergoing digital transformation allowing the sector to fully realize the potential of new concepts, technologies, and systems. Smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0 are some of the digital transformation outcomes in this sector.

Industry 4.0, or the fourth industrial revolution, is a concept that revolves around leveraging digital technologies for large-scale automation and data analytic. Industrial IoT (IIoT) is a subset of Industry 4.0, driven by smart machines’ use to analyze and communicate data to make informed decisions. At the same time, smart manufacturing is largely fuelled by machinery having internet capability to monitor production processes constantly. Both Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing must be paired with IoT to maximize manufacturing performance.

Untimely errors in manufacturing equipment and machinery have compelled manufacturers to harness the power of IIoT for predictive maintenance. IoT-enabled machines can help manufacturers constantly monitor the environment and carry out analytic to get an accurate estimate of machine failures and defects. Faster analysis and repair would mean a more effective maintenance process, which ultimately reduces downtime and enables manufacturers to save costs.

Redesigning the Transportation & Logistics Sector with IoT #

While IoT is making smart cities a reality, it is now making inroads in the transportation & logistics sector to support smart cities, infrastructure, fulfill shifting demands, and prepare them for digital transformation. In this digital age, companies in the transportation & logistics sector pursue on-time delivery, service, warehouse management, and smart fleet management, not to mention improved customer experience, which is key to unlocking more revenue. The rising implementation of IoT-enabled devices is likely to ensure the sector achieves the digital transformation it deserves.

Monitoring and managing vehicle activity, route, driver’s behavior, and fuel consumption could be daunting without advanced technologies like IoT. Integrating IoT in vehicle tracking and management systems can help shareholders expertly manage the abovementioned factors. For manufacturers, warehouse security is the highest priority as it is a storehouse of products (eventually money). Locating missing products and discouraging intruders in a warehouse can be roadblocks for manufacturers’ journey towards frictionless operations. But thankfully, IoT-powered devices can help manufacturers navigate these challenges by offering them real-time insights into any person entering and leaving the entity. Using IoT systems, authorities can lock/unlock warehouse doors from any remote location - making it easier to monitor activities happening on the floor and reducing the chances of theft.

Moreover, automating the toll collection process can help both passengers and authorities, enabling hassle-free journeys for passengers and freeing up human resources for other essential tasks. Automated toll systems are integrated with IoT sensors and RFID tags that will allow quick online payment, helping authorities to manage better traffic flow and garner information like vehicle count, fare collection, and others.

Summing Up #

Digital transformation is crucial because it would be difficult to navigate modern challenges and serve digital-savvy customers if companies continue to operate with traditional models and systems. IoT, an integral component of digital transformation, can completely change how activities are done, creating new values for business owners and customers. Using IoT devices, companies analyze customer, employees, and their systems & process to make sense of the enormous amount of unstructured data related to these entities. Based on this data analysis, they become empowered to anticipate better and proactively deal with emerging problems.

IoT can be easily paired with other emerging technologies to continue to drive digital transformation for companies, helping them to gain early advantages in the competitive market. The ideal combination of IoT and digital transformation makes for a better business model, systems, data analysis, and ultimately better customer experience.

Related reading

How Chatbots Disruption Benefits Healthcare Industry?

Vin Patel — Fri, 11 Nov 2022 11:28:49 +0000

Key takeaways

Introduction Smart algorithm-powered interfaces conversing via text or audio are becoming more and more popular.
Chatbots can even provide links to training material, videos, and other relevant information, making it easy for employees to access necessary information.
The future is yet to be determined but the healthcare industry could definitely leverage them to improve patient care as well as customer service.

Introduction

Smart algorithm-powered interfaces conversing via text or audio are becoming more and more popular. The recent surge in chatbots has led to their prominence in several industries, including retail, entertainment, social networks, finance, and healthcare. Chatbots are particularly widespread in customer services; they could help perform all the repetitive and lower-level activities of a representative.

A chatbot uses machine learning algorithms with an NLP (natural language processing) layer built-in to communicate like humans with users via text or audio. Healthcare providers, doctors, and medical assistants are now leveraging these artificial intelligence solutions to streamline patient care and reduce unnecessary expenses. There have been various cases where a digital personal assistant or a chatbot has helped patients with their queries. The patient may not even be aware that the human-like medical representative is actually an intelligent conversational machine in many cases.

Healthcare Chatbots: Future Analysis #

The demand for healthcare services has reached an all-time high in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Doctors are in short supply around the world, and chatbots have proved to be an essential tool in healthcare delivery. Chatbots could help patients detect symptoms, manage medications, assist with chronic health issues, and schedule their appointments at healthcare facilities.

According to ‘The Global Chatbots in Healthcare Market Report’ by BIS Research, the market is expected to grow at a significant CAGR of 26.29% during the forecast period from 2019 to 2029. Healthcare chatbots, thanks to improved internet access, a rise in smart device adoption, and advancements in speech recognition and NLP, will see significant growth in coming years.

Governments of various countries are investing money in the healthcare sector, resulting in better healthcare infrastructure and increased digital technologies usage.

Why use Chatbots in Healthcare? #

Healthcare chatbots are growing at a CAGR of 26.29%
38% of the users believe that chatbots offer good experience
33% have rated chatbots as friendly and accessible
Clinical chatbots have a satisfaction rate of 73%
Healthcare bots will save $3.6 billion worldwide

The Importance of Chatbots in The Healthcare Industry #

Amidst the new coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the CDC and WHO have suggested using chatbots to distribute information about symptoms, recommend behavior changes and provide emotional support. If we implement chatbots properly, we will be able to actively share current information that enables suitable health practices and reduces the psychological harm caused by anxiety and social isolation.

It is possible that chatbots could lead to a major healthcare overhaul. They can enhance efficiency and accuracy. Here are the key advantages of a healthcare chatbot:

Reduce waiting time: Time is essence, specifically in medical issues. Chatbots can answer your queries within seconds. Patients need not wait in line, call or email hospitals to get answers to their questions; they can just type in their queries and get an immediate response.

Daily Medication Reminder: Doctors prescribe medicines to help patients with various health conditions. A research study suggests that over 50% of patients do not take their medication on time.

Chatbots can provide not only timely medical advice but also send daily reminders to patients for their medication.

Appointment Scheduling: Scheduling an appointment over a phone call could be time-consuming and even frustrating sometimes. The call operator will need to get details about the patient, the doctor they need to see, and manual check if the slots are available. It leads to an additional administrative cost. A well-employed chatbot could assist patients in booking their appointment with the right doctor.

Improved Internal Communications: Chatbots aren’t limited to helping patients. They can be used to facilitate better internal communication among employees. Chatbots can even provide links to training material, videos, and other relevant information, making it easy for employees to access necessary information.

Billing and Registration: Healthcare facilities can use our platform to integrate with backend billing, insurance claims, and inventory management systems. This allows quick and easy generation of invoices and payments.

Health insurance providers could utilize the bots to answer common queries related to coverage, claims, and procedures.

24*7 Availability: Doctors may not be available all the time for every patient. Bots can be available 24/7 personally for you and assist you throughout your recovery. They can provide medical information, give tips, remind you about medication, and care for your overall health.

Famous Healthcare Chatbots #

There are quite a few variants of healthcare industries. Here, we are mentioning some of the chatbots characterized by their biggest features.

Real-Time Healthcare Assistance #

Elomia #

An AI-powered virtual therapist trained using thousands of consultations conducted by doctors. The virtual therapist could take care of the users emotional well-being and can help patients with:

Depression
Anxiety
Lower self-esteem
Sleep Issues
Relationship Issues

Youper: Self-Guided Therapy #

A mental health app that uses AI and is backed up by an army of healthcare professionals. It helps users with personalized conversations and offers:

Personality Assessments
Emotional State test
Mood Tracking
Mindfulness

Babylon Health #

A chatbot that gives medical advice before you have to go in for an appointment. Here is how it works

The rob-doctor talks to you
If needed, it redirects you to a video conference with a Babylons full-time physician
The physician prescription is sent to your nearest pharmacy right from the app

Note: The app also stores consultation notes for future reference.

Ada Health Companion #

Ada Health is a diagnostic tool that requires users to fill out a detailed health assessment based on their symptoms.

Ada helps you have basic conversations while also inputting information from a massive database of relevant inputs and cases. It feeds into a larger machine-learning model to provide an accurate estimation of your overall health and pinpoint the causes of your problem, as well as possible solutions.

Buoy Health Data-Backed Discussions #

Used as a diagnostic tool. It helps users self-assess for their symptoms. Here is how it works:

Talk about your symptoms
Get clinical insights on your symptoms
Choose the best care option based on your symptoms

Note: They will follow-up with you if you allow the access and they also have an ‘Buoy Community’ where they can connect you with people experiencing similar symptoms.

SafedrugBot #

Aimed to help out physicians. The bot has three different commands:

Information on Drugs
Active Ingredients
Alternative Drugs

In the future, it can help identify allergies and foreign prescriptions.

Content-Rich

CancerChatbot’s #

An AI medical chatbot software for helping people learn about different types of cancer, various treatment options and the long-term outlook.

This bot crowdsources the information from relevant sources on various types of cancers, organizes them, and makes it available for users in an approachable way. Cancer-related information is regularly provided to users via a chatbot, which also answers users’ queries and runs them through a database of cancer research data, and treatment trials.

Your MD #

A symptom diagnostic chat tool with a database of information. It can be accessed via various platforms like

Skype
Telegram
Facebook
Slack
Android App
iOS App

Reminders #

Florence #

Used to remind patients to take their medication. They need to enter the medicine name, quantity, and the time patient has to consume it. It has several other features like:

Track weight and periods
Send prescription refill reminder
Daily health tips
Moderate mood
Locate nearest physician or pharmacy

Conclusion #

Chatbots are undoubtfully beneficial in the healthcare industry. They are an important part of the future of health IT. In the wake of the pandemic, these bots have multiplied. Although, they offer a lot of advantages; there are concerns about data privacy and security. The future is yet to be determined but the healthcare industry could definitely leverage them to improve patient care as well as customer service.

Related reading

Internet of Medical Things (IoMT)

Vin Patel — Fri, 11 Nov 2022 11:28:04 +0000

Key takeaways

The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) is an integrated infrastructure of the healthcare systems and services to medical devices and software applications that transmit real-time data through a network of technologies.
Rogue access: Interception of traffic by installing forged gateway within wireless network range.
In the future, medical professionals can expect further simplification with further advancements in the IoMT, which will benefit the patients and the healthcare system.

What Is IoMT (Internet of Medical Things)? #

The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) is an integrated infrastructure of the healthcare systems and services to medical devices and software applications that transmit real-time data through a network of technologies. The IoMT is a subcategory of the Internet of Things (IoT).

IoMT brings together the patient, doctors, and caregivers by providing data and processes that enable the caregiver to deliver efficient patient support through connected medical devices, biometric monitors, and smart devices, and wearable.

With the challenge to better serve patients and reducing expenses, IoMT can be the game-changer by streamlining processes and ultimately lowering costs.

The healthcare industry has joined the digitalization bandwagon over the last few years, and COVID-19 has necessitated faster adaption of the technology. COVID-19 brought about the need for more connected medical devices and smart monitoring. Many manufacturers of medical devices came out with smart integrated medical devices, which helped the hospital systems, healthcare providers, and governments save lives by early detection of pathogens and providing appropriate patient care.

The Potential of IoMT in Healthcare #

The IoMT has benefited the healthcare industry in many ways, right from convenience to the patient receiving treatment to hospitals and medical practitioners providing patient care.

An article in the Fortune Business Insights states, “The global Internet of Things in healthcare market size was USD 71.84 in 2020. Based on our analysis, the global market exhibited a significant growth of 24.1% in 2020 compared to the average year-on-year growth during 2017-2019. The market is projected to grow from USD 89.07 billion in 2021 to USD 446.52 billion in 2028 at a CAGR of 25.9% during the 2021-2028 period.”

Some of the advantages brought about by the IoMT are its more accurate diagnosis & prognosis, fewer errors, better patient care, and significantly reduced treatment costs.

Hospitals and clinics have readily embraced the IoMT as it is more cost-efficient and improves the quality of patient care. The technology allows medical practitioners to monitor patients remotely, and with any changes in medical parameters, the medical staff is alerted and can take the appropriate corrective measures.

The introduction of medical devices in the healthcare industry played a significant role in diagnosing and preventive treatment of chronic illnesses. These assistive medical devices have eased the burden of physicians, giving them more time to focus on patient treatment. The integration of IoT in devices like scanners, x-ray machines, MRI machines, etc allows early detection and treatment of potentially fatal conditions like cancer, heart conditions, and many more diseases.

Security Concerns of IoMT: #

Like any device connected to a network, IoMT is also vulnerable to cybersecurity threats to medical devices. Patient health and information are at risk when smart devices get hacked and crumble the healthcare system infrastructure.

Some of the security concern points are:

Endpoint Security: IoMT devices are generally not designed to keep security in mind; hence medical devices are defenseless against hackers as they lack a robust firewall and mostly use default passwords. Hackers gain easy access to these devices and perform unauthorized manipulations to the device software. The lack of security can lead to failure to comply with HIPAA regulations, data manipulation, and loss of Patient Health Information (PHI). MedTech companies need to develop anti-malware mechanics to protect devices from spyware and Trojan attacks.

Communication Security: Mobile apes and smart telehealth devices use VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) for audio and video communication for doctor-patient interaction. They carry vital signs of the patient from smart devices to the hospital network. These data can be intercepted by hackers and be compromised.

Different IoMT Attack Types #

Side-channel: A side-channel attack indirectly exploits security by monitoring the electromagnetic activity around a medical device.
Tag cloning: Duplication of gathered data for unauthorized access to confidential patient information.
Tampering devices: Physically tampering with sensors to manipulate functioning by exploiting firmware vulnerabilities to install malware and then take control of the device.
Sensor tracking: Attack of patient monitoring devices that have GPS sensors that send information to doctors and steal or send inaccurate data.
Replay: Reuse of previously exchanged authenticating message to hack a device.
Rogue access: Interception of traffic by installing forged gateway within wireless network range.
Cross-Site request forgery (CSRF): Tricking end-user using vulnerable applications.
Brute force: Using trial and error and guessing login info hackers gain access to IoMT devices.

Applications of IoMT: #

Hospitals and ClinicsIoMT devices are increasingly used in hospitals and clinics to improve healthcare quality and reduce cost and time. Some examples are X-ray machines and CT scans. Also, smart apes are used for patient monitoring and connecting patients and doctors.
Home and remote areasTelemedicine enables Remote Patient Monitoring for patients with severe illnesses and avoiding frequent doctor visits. These devices can monitor glucose levels, blood pressure, heart rates and automatically alert the doctors.
On-the-Body/wearable devicesBiosensors are used in making wearable medical devices that are embedded into apparel or attached to the skin to monitor patient health parameters.
Patient Information ManagementIoMT helps store useful information like a patients past medical history, family history, and personal information (contact details blood group, insurance details), which are easily accessible to the healthcare providers at the time of treatment. The technology also enables medical practitioners to monitor real-time patients vital parameters so the course of treatment can be altered based on the patients response to the line of treatment.
Inventory managementThe use of automation in inventory management systems in the inventory of medical supplies (storage, application, demand, orders and inspection) ensures effective utilization of resources by reducing time, effort, documentation, and money.

It also helps monitor the stock of medical supplies, healthcare support supplies, locating hospital equipment like stretchers, wheelchair and other assets, making smooth functioning of hospital processes. 6. Research and analysisWith a large amount of patient information easily available on cloud servers, it makes analysis and research work easy and in a reduced period.

The analysis of the available data sets is valuable as they help take preventive measures, improved treatment, and develop more effective drugs. Hospitals can make quicker informed decisions on treatment and minimize errors with the statistical report generated, thus improving thousands of lives.

Future of IoMT #

In the past, home visits were made by physicians to check on their patients. But today, we no longer need home visits. With the advancement in technology, and in particular, electronic and digital technology, telemedicine allows the healthcare practitioner to communicate with the patient requiring fewer hospital visits.

Frost & Sullivan research indicates “growth of nearly 20-25% in-patient engagement management solutions in 2021 alone”. There is a demand for digital healthcare as patients are now accustomed to the convenience of their treatment.

Platforms Offering Digital Point-of-Care testing will play a substantial role in the future as they benefit from the leverage of machine learning (MI) and artificial intelligence (AI).

Connected Devices and IoT: Smart connected devices allow real-time patients data to be collected, processed, and shared with caregivers so they can address problems immediately. The demand for smart devices is on the rise as they play a significant role in the healthcare industry.

AR-VR Collaboration: Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) tools are in the product development process with several software and hardware vendors collaborating to provide the best solution for patient and clinicians.

Biosensors and Wearable: Biosensors are emerging as a key technology because of their potential analytical tools used both in point-of-care diagnostics and wearable devices. They hold an advantage over traditional methods as they can predict variations in a patients clinical condition by analyzing the blood, sweat and other biological agents.

Conclusion #

With the growth of the internet and medical devices, IoMT has transformed monitoring and controlling capabilities to accomplish higher standards of patient care. Wearable devices have reduced the burden of physicians and eased patients have embraced the use of these devices.

In the future, medical professionals can expect further simplification with further advancements in the IoMT, which will benefit the patients and the healthcare system.

Related reading

Auditing Your DeFi Smart Contracts is Important for Several

Vin Patel — Fri, 11 Nov 2022 08:40:40 +0000

Key takeaways

Smart contracts are computer protocols that allow an agreement to be verified, controlled, and executed digitally.
However, there is one key stumbling block that needs to be addressed.
As a result, conducting regular audits should be your preferred method.

Smart contracts are computer protocols that allow an agreement to be verified, controlled, and executed digitally. Smart contracts are essential for Decentralized Finance, or DeFi. They are, however, one of the most vulnerable components of the DeFi ecosystem. The necessity of DeFi smart contract audit will be discussed in this blog.

Unaudited smart contracts are to blame for the hacks we read about in the press, as well as the tremendous losses sustained by those who utilize DeFi services. But, before we can understand the significance of smart contract audits, we must first understand how they function and where they are employed.

Smart contracts are used to facilitate transactions on the blockchain network. Signatories (using digital signatures), the contract’s subject, and the contract’s precise provisions are the three primary objects of smart contracts. Smart Contacts are employed in nearly every industry where Blockchain is used, including healthcare, insurance, supply chain management, financial services, legal processes, initial coin offerings (ICOs), and even government voting systems and business management.

Smart Contracts: Benefits #

The first and most obvious benefit of using smart contracts to enforce your transaction’s conditions and terms is that they save you money by preventing third-party intervention. Furthermore, because they function on blockchain systems, there is no need for additional security or regular data backups. They are much faster than the traditional procedure in terms of speed since computer protocols automate processes, reducing the likelihood of errors and increasing accuracy.

It’s also worth noting that blockchain is a shared database shared by many corporations and individuals. As a result, no single person, company, or body has authority over it, making it a skewed system. At the same time, keeping a shared record by numerous parties makes it unhackable.

Is smart contract enforcement legal? Let’s tackle the most pressing concern on our minds.

Smart Contracts: Legal Enforcement #

UKJT Chair Sir Geoffrey Vos announced the results of the UKJT’s consultation in a document titled Legal statement on crypt assets and smart contracts on November 18, 2019. The major result was that smart contracts can satisfy all of the legal criteria of English law Contract formation principles, and hence can be understood and enforced using conventional or well-established laws or legal concepts. As a result, the courts will be able to enforce them, which will assist to restore market trust.

This is just one example in one country, but it demonstrates how smart contracts have the ability to replace traditional contracts and provide a slew of benefits across the board. However, there is one key stumbling block that needs to be addressed.

Audit of DeFi Smart Contracts #

Although the underlying Blockchain technology of a smart contract is secure from hackers, the project may be hacked if we fail to maintain a high degree of security and code quality. As a result, smart contract cybersecurity is critical; failure to do so will not only result in significant financial losses but will also permanently lock down the assets under contract. Aside from that, these agreements are legally enforceable. As a result, a smart contract audit is strongly advised.

A smart contract security audit is a technical evaluation of a blockchain application and its supporting artifacts. The main goal of obtaining a smart contract audit is to uncover and destroy smart contract vulnerabilities, as well as to maintain track of the contract’s interactions’ reliability.

This can be accomplished in two ways: manually (by independent auditors who produce a report upon completion) or automatically (by software tools running over the codebase) by simply following four basic steps: assessment, verification, testing, and reporting.

Relying on Past References Will Keep You Safe in the future #

Furthermore, we will attempt to discuss and clarify some critical smart contract audit concerns that must be considered while eliminating flaws and errors from projects. But, first and foremost, I believe in learning from past mistakes before devising future tactics and goals. So, let’s take a look at some recent cases/projects that were hacked because their smart contracts were not inspected.

The DAO? $55m loss, etc.

Lend.me? $25m loss

Parity? $150 000ETH loss

bZx? $645 000 loss

Getting a smart contract audited requires your complete focus. You won’t be able to hire someone to do it for you. While having your smart contract audited, you will face a number of problems, including:

Reentrance Attacks, short address assaults, replay attacks, and reordering attacks are some of the most prevalent weaknesses that smart contracts encounter. An audit must be thorough enough to cover all potential threats.

It can take a few days or perhaps a month to perform a smart contract audit. It’s important to remember that the length of the audit is determined by the type of smart contract audit and the contract’s size. Even if you get to go to the market as soon as possible, you must ensure that it is adequately audited.

An accurate smart contract audit can be difficult to obtain if you don’t know who is qualified and trustworthy.

What Does Smart Contract Audit Entail? #

In the last section of this article, we discussed two methods for conducting an audit: manual and automated. We’ll understand a well-defined approach for providing the finest audit for the smart contract here:

Specification

Running Tests

Running automated Symbolic execution tools

Manual analysis of the code

Creating the report

This method not only speeds up the process by allowing the audit and code fixes to happen simultaneously, but it also keeps the focus on detecting and correcting bugs rather than on producing a nice-looking report.

Final Thoughts #

To summarize, examples of numerous high-profile projects losing a significant amount of money have made us all aware of the critical requirement for a thorough smart contract audit. Even if your smart contract is audited, it does not guarantee that it will remain secure from new attacks indefinitely. The audit rules continue to evolve in tandem with the progress of DeFi. Any reliance on an oracle or another contract may, in some situations, result in a new vulnerability as a result of their alterations. As a result, conducting regular audits should be your preferred method.

Related reading

Top 5 Defense In Depth Strategies to Combat Healthcare

Vin Patel — Thu, 10 Nov 2022 11:40:57 +0000

Key takeaways

While cybersecurity is leading in providing advanced shielding to data, there’s a revolting term that has filled the minds of technologists, “Defense in Depth”.
Firewalls are only a piece of the much more extensive security process.
This strategy promises that healthcare data will be protected for the foreseeable future.

While cybersecurity is leading in providing advanced shielding to data, there’s a revolting term that has filled the minds of technologists, “Defense in Depth”. Although it’s an ancient concept, its benefits have recently become widely known and valued in business and industries. Before you continue reading about defense in depth (or DID in short), it is recommended that you know who and when it was invented. Edward Luttwak used this term to describe his theory of the defensive strategy while being employed by the late Roman army in the 3rd and 4th centuries AD. Well, now you know why it’s called ancient! As you read this article, you will understand the concept of Defense in Depth and how it has mainly helped combat cyberattacks in the healthcare industry.

What’s Defense in Depth? #

Defense in depth is originally a military strategy used to put multiple mechanisms or layers of defense to slow down the advances of an attacker. This same strategy applies in cybersecurity, where security agents or experts put in multiple layers of protection to stop attackers from getting unauthorized access to your data. In simpler terms, if one part of the security solution fails, then another part acts as a resistance to the attack.

Role of Defense in Depth Strategy in the Healthcare Industry #

As organizations have discovered, caber security alone is not enough to stop the increasing number of data breaches and caber hacks. Combined with the complexity and sophistication of the attacks, organizations realize they cannot rely only on caber security measures. Based on this fact, the healthcare industry has grown highly dependent on the defense in-depth strategy for protecting its most valuable asset- “patient data”. When cybercriminals attack a facility’s data and operation systems, software failures can disrupt care. Due to multiple major and minor caber breaches each year, the healthcare industry has moved one foot toward advanced cybersecurity practices to prevent all caber-attacks.

Five Ways to Implement This Strategy #

Physical Security #

One primary way to apply defense in depth strategy is byphysical security. Here, physical security refers to protecting buildings or host sites that act as the center of all data. Defense in depth strategy in such areas is applied in the forms of biometrics and key cards. The main function of the key cards or biometrics is to block unauthorized access. Along with host site protection, the physical safety of devices is equally important. Loss of electronic health information is the most common way cybersecurity is compromised, whether by accident or theft. It mostly happens due to a loss of data storage devices. Such devices should include limited physical access. It is also important to protect the storage devices from all environmental hazards such as fire, water etc.

Network Security #

You might be wondering how to start controlling connectivity across all environments! Well, the answer is by implementing network security.

Network security can be attained by limiting network access through an organization. Setting up broadband capability within a home or office is quick and simple with wireless routing, network segmentation and network access controls. Moreover, a firewall in a network edge is considered to be a source of network security. But it’s a colossal blunder to rely entirely on a firewall. Firewalls are only a piece of the much more extensive security process. Another way to implement defense in depth in network security includes installing and maintaining anti-virus software. An anti-virus software predominantly focuses on preventing the network from external malware and caber threats through continuously updated protection. The data on an infected machine could be stolen, destroyed, or defaced. Even an attacker can easily take over such systems.

Strong Passwords #

A password is the first line of defense against unauthorized access to a computer. An attacker cannot be stopped from trying to gain access if they have a strong password. However, strong passwords will prevent them from gaining access quickly. A combination of such strong passwords and access controls helps prevent unauthorized access. A strong password should never have sequential numbers or letters. It should not be short or contain any personal information. Rather, it should be a mixture of strong and complex characters to be hacked. Also, it is recommended to update the system regularly and configure it so that passwords can be changed regularly.

Control Access to Protected Health Information (PHI) #

Another protective method to combat cyberattacks using the defense in depth strategy is limiting protected health information access to authorized personnel only. It can be executed by an authorized person or even an administrator. It is imperative to determine which employees should access files prior to setting these permissions. Access can also extend to specific roles such as physicians, nurses, billing specialists, etc. This case requires extensive attention to ensure that staff are assigned with the correct roles and access is provided accordingly.

End-to-End Encryption #

Healthcare organizations should use end-to-end encryption methods to transfer information between two endpoints securely. It reduces the impact and costs of a data breach massively. Encryption is one of the most effective means of technical security. Traditionally, encryption is seen as an application-level feature, but including it to the application itself can add an important layer of defense-in-depth by shielding the system from infrastructure-level failures. During a transaction, the data containing patient details is encrypted at the sender’s end, and it remains encrypted throughout the process. Additionally, the data remains encrypted after reaching the recipient’s system. An authorized person or recipient can decrypt this protected information.

Overall, to maintain the highest level of security at all times, organizations must take multiple defense-in-depth measures. This strategy promises that healthcare data will be protected for the foreseeable future.

Related reading

Automation in Healthcare Industry Using RPA

Vin Patel — Thu, 10 Nov 2022 11:11:01 +0000

Key takeaways

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) have gained considerable importance, especially in the healthcare industry, in implementing automation and improving the workflow.
A patient’s need for medical care is unpredictable and can arise at any time.
RPA offers an improvement over traditional enterprise applications because it reduces training costs and time.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) have gained considerable importance, especially in the healthcare industry, in implementing automation and improving the workflow. Lately, there has been a lot of discussion about artificial intelligence (AI) and robots taking over the jobs of human beings. RPA helps to streamline existing manual processes but at the same time helps employees focus on more critical and strategic tasks.

How Can Automation Help in the Healthcare Industry? #

The healthcare industry is one of the most important industries in the world. In the United States alone, the healthcare industry accounts for17% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). As such, it is essential that it operates at an optimum level to ensure that all patients are treated effectively and efficiently. One way to do this is by using automation. Automation can help in many ways in the healthcare industry. Here are four ways it can help:

- Easier Scheduling #

The ability to automate scheduling is one of the biggest benefits of RPA for healthcare organizations. Automated scheduling solutions enable healthcare organizations to optimize a variety of complex processes, including appointment scheduling, patient access management, online registration, and patient check-in. It also reduces administrative costs by eliminating manual tasks like faxing or scanning documents.

- Reduced Errors #

With automation, repetitive tasks involving data collection and entry can be automated. This means that human errors like typos or inaccurate data entry are drastically reduced with automation.

As we know, inaccurate patient information can result in insurance claims being rejected or delayed, meaning a loss of revenue for both hospital and health insurance companies. Automation helps reduce such errors and improves accuracy in patient information handling.

- Reduced Costs #

The first area where automation can be used is to reduce costs. As an example, let’s consider a hospital that uses robots to perform tasks such as dispensing drugs or cleaning rooms. These robots can perform these tasks at a faster rate than human beings, which means that they don’t require as much time to complete their tasks. This means that they will not take up as many hours of human workers’ time, allowing them to perform other tasks more efficiently and effectively.

In addition to this, if you consider how much training it takes for someone to become a doctor or nurse versus how much training it takes for someone to learn how to operate a robot, it’s easy to see why automating certain tasks could lead to significant cost savings over time.

- Automated Patient Access #

A patient’s need for medical care is unpredictable and can arise at any time. This brings about a requirement for a 24/7 availability of healthcare services for the patients. However, these facilities are not feasible to provide by human labor on account of the costs involved and the unavailability of much-needed manpower. Automation can fill this void by providing a self-service portal that enables patients to book appointments with doctors online, view their health records, and even enable them to make payments virtually. A lot of time can be saved if these processes are automated as they require no human intervention and are completed seamlessly within seconds.

- Handling Emergencies and Adapting to Change #

We are living in an era where pandemics like Ebola and Covid-19 have taken over thousands of lives. Also, several other outbreaks, such as polio, measles, dengue fever, etc., continue to affect people. This makes it essential for organizations to respond to emergencies and adopt changes in their processes quickly. RPA can help healthcare organizations respond quickly to emergencies such as epidemics or natural- and artificial disasters. By automating simple and repetitive tasks in the organization’s workflow, organizations can ensure compliance with regulations and improve efficiency significantly during critical situations.

The Benefits of RPA Implementation Across The Qualitative Category Include: #

The development of a centralized system to store patient information in electronic health records (EHRs) enables physicians to access the data at any time.

The helpdesk function is automated for customer support services, with virtual assistants answering simple questions and enabling human employees to focus on more complex tasks.

Intelligent automation helps in managing medical claims. It ensures that claims are not duplicated and unnecessary payments are avoided. The key features include – Fraud Detection & Prevention, Compliance Management, and Automated Claims Processing.

RPA can be used in medical image processing, medical research, and diagnostics to understand body patterns, predict diseases, and improve treatment effectiveness.

Summing it Up #

Robotic process automation (RPA) will be a major driver of digital transformation in healthcare. While the term “automation” may evoke negative connotations, RPA is an advanced method of using software robots to perform manual and repetitive tasks that humans currently perform in both large and small organizations. The main benefit of RPA is that it automates a process without changing it, which means that the knowledge required to use or maintain the system is still the same. RPA offers an improvement over traditional enterprise applications because it reduces training costs and time.

Related reading

Everything You Need to know about Confidential Computing

Vin Patel — Wed, 09 Nov 2022 14:50:36 +0000

Key takeaways

Confidential computing uses secure enclave technology to facilitate the establishment of a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) based on the security elements offered by CPU manufacturers.
Understanding that the information is protected and encrypted throughout every level will help organizations speed up the development of new AI solutions, enhance patient clinical results, and reach great medical discoveries.
This is a challenging mission that calls for teamwork to progress the technology.

Confidential computing uses secure enclave technology to facilitate the establishment of a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) based on the security elements offered by CPU manufacturers.

A TEE enables memory and data segmentation, CPU-based encryption and decryption, and additional security elements that differ based on the CPU manufacturer. The efforts can reduce the possibility of sensitive data getting exposed, while measures are recommended for control and transparency by allowing encrypted data to be handled in memory and minimizing the threat of exposing it to the rest of the system.

Potentials of Confidential Computing #

This raises the question of what motivates such a positive mindset. The need for more detailed data without compromising security or privacy is a reasonable explanation. Organizations of all shapes and sizes desire to utilize their data, even the most sensitive data, for internal purposes and work with other corporations.

This bit of teach has the potential to promote relevant research and lead to the development of new remedies for enhancing productivity, health, and quality of life. In highly regulated businesses, like healthcare, banking, IT, etc., confidential computing offers more efficient and secure ways to use the most sensitive data.

Each of the above industries needs to use data responsibly and access enormous amounts of highly private information. In essence, businesses in any industry can benefit from confidential computing by safeguarding their data while it is being used, moved, or stored.

Infrastructure protection is incredibly challenging as there are too many vulnerability points. Confidential computing is centered on protecting data while it is being utilized, which is impossible with any other technology.

How Does Confidential Computing Benefit Financial Institutions? #

Why is confidential computing protection essential for highly regulated businesses to protect user data, Mufti-Party Computation (MPC), and other applications?

As previously mentioned, today’s financial threats associated with the cloud give people goosebumps merely thinking about them:

Ramped-up money laundering operations
Seven-figure ransomware demands
A whole buffet of fraud

The cloud is a haven for caber theft as financial institutions scramble to find security mechanisms. Banks desire and require the cloud’s efficiency. Companies still worry about storing sensitive data in the cloud environment due to data privacy and governance issues. Can they comply with legal requirements without compromising the confidentiality and integrity of customer data?

In a way, banks are catching up to the exponential growth of cloud computing. Managing critical, confidential information is essential to any bank’s operations, but the laborious, resource-intensive, and conventional industry practices can’t scale to the cloud. The crucial argument, therefore, becomes, “How secure does the cloud power my legacy systems in a world?” Because of this, confidential computing is specifically designed to meet the banking sector’s deep encryption and privacy requirements.

How Does Confidential Computing Benefit Healthcare Institutions? #

For many years, the improvements provided by using AI and ML have been accepted with open arms in the healthcare industry. These technologies are considered a utopian answer by the analysts and scientists addressing today’s healthcare concerns because of their ability to analyze and make logical sense of complex data sets efficiently, accurately, and with cost- and time-saving benefits.

Healthcare organizations “need to make cybersecurity a fiscal, technical, and operational priority,” according to the 2020 HIMSS Healthcare Cybersecurity Survey.

HIMSS also highlights that “patient lives depend upon the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data, as well as reliable and dependable technology infrastructure.” The frictionless, independently audited, and expandable data security provided by confidential computing technology benefits healthcare organizations in all circumstances and may be used for the demanding processes associated with AI.

Understanding that the information is protected and encrypted throughout every level will help organizations speed up the development of new AI solutions, enhance patient clinical results, and reach great medical discoveries. This implies that medical research teams won’t be constrained by the fear of cybersecurity incidents and legal penalties in using AI to its full potential.

How Are Businesses Adopting Confidential Computing? #

Even though the market and the industry are still relatively young, it is receiving a great deal of attention. For instance, the European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) has included confidential computing in its checklist of cutting-edge security measures that ought to be taken into account when enforcing the EU General Data Protection Regulation and the IT Security Act (Germany) (GDPR).

The amount of the world’s best technology businesses investing in confidential computing has become the most optimistic development in the field. On the hardware level, this mainly comprises AMD, Intel, and ARM, while some other suppliers, most notably NVIDIA, are starting to express interest. As previously indicated, the top cloud service providers, including Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, all have private cloud options available right now.

Furthermore, a large number of companies have surfaced to solve the current drawbacks or difficulties of the available confidential computing services. Arjuna, CYSEC, Edgeless Systems, Fortanix, Profian, Contain, and more suppliers are among them. Red Hat and VMware, two well-known software companies, are also participating in the market.

On top of secure computing solutions, online businesses are also joining the market and developing apes and services like data clean rooms. These include, among others, Decentriq and Cosmian.

Conclusion #

Imagine working together on scientific studies in the cloud with people from other countries and businesses while ensuring the confidentiality of private medical records. Imagine being able to develop vaccines and cure diseases more swiftly, thanks to secured collaborations. Transformational technology will genuinely address issues which will improve our quality of life; one among them is confidential computing. All implementation of an enterprise cloud needs and will include it. This is a challenging mission that calls for teamwork to progress the technology.

Related reading

Questions and answers

How Does Confidential Computing Benefit Financial Institutions? #

Why is confidential computing protection essential for highly regulated businesses to protect user data,.

How Does Confidential Computing Benefit Healthcare Institutions? #

For many years, the improvements provided by using AI and ML have been accepted with open arms in the healthcare industry.

How Are Businesses Adopting Confidential Computing? #

Even though the market and the industry are still relatively young, it is receiving a great deal of attention.

All About Layered Security in Healthcare

Vin Patel — Wed, 09 Nov 2022 11:25:34 +0000

Key takeaways

Online security has become a major point of concern today, especially in healthcare systems, where a tiny security breach can cost someone their life.
The same question also prompted companies across the world to take immediate action.
Thus, we can hope that in the future, layered security tools can help make the digital healthcare environment a safe place for every stakeholder, especially patients.

Online security has become a major point of concern today, especially in healthcare systems, where a tiny security breach can cost someone their life. As security technologies evolve, so does the immunity of threats. Thus, there isn’t a single umbrella entity that can handle all types of security breaches. This is where layered security comes in. A very common example of this is mufti-factor authentication on various websites.

What is Layered Security? #

As the name suggests, layered security refers to a robust security system where the programs work in multiple layers. Since no security system is invincible, this is to ensure that there is a backup plan for any shortcomings or security breaches at each step. In this regard, the US NIST framework provides the industry standards and best practices for organizations to follow. Their cybersecurity framework includes five steps: identify, protect, detect, respond, and recover. A good security system should be able to identify a threat, deploy means to protect against it and, if it fails, be able to detect a breach. Thereafter, it should respond and recover lost data accordingly. The most common tools of a mufti-layered security system, in order of contact with threats, are- firewall, patch management, mufti-factor authentication, and end-point protection. Some tools that supplement these systems are web content filtering, e-mail filtering, and dark web monitoring. Dark web activity has increased by 300 percent in the last three years and hackers attack every 39 seconds, on average 2,244 times a day. Since 94 percent of malware are delivered through e-mail and most ransomware attacks happen through the dark web, these are very useful supplements to have in good mufti-layered security infrastructure.

How Does It Benefit Healthcare Systems? #

Healthcare has been dependent on physical infrastructure for a long time. During this time, digital infrastructure was used mainly for administrative purposes. The vulnerabilities in such a system could be solved through firewall and virus protection software. However, with the advent of cloud computing in healthcare and connected allied health tools, the vulnerabilities have increased. What happens if a phone which is used to access health records gets hacked? Thus, the number of focus points has increased with the emergence of connected technology, and IoT for that matter. According to a Sophos report, some 34 percent of healthcare organizations were targets of ransomware attacks in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed many cracks in the digital health infrastructure. Institutions like hospitals have robust security in place, but what happens when healthcare is taken outside the institutions? This is a question that emerged during the pandemic. The same question also prompted companies across the world to take immediate action.

These vulnerabilities can be protected through round-the-clock monitoring and mufti-level security tools. Many companies are opting for a zero-trust security model. This model presumes that any information source can be a threat and works accordingly.

How To Implement It? #

In a healthcare system, the following layers are used to protect patient data:

End-point security layer – commonly known as antivirus software. This software protects the end user from virus, ransomware and malware attacks. This is the last line of defense. Ex- Avast, Microsoft Defender, etc.
Network security layer – there are tools that can monitor the network traffic activity and raise flags to block any vulnerabilities from inside. Ex- Microsoft Advanced Threat Analytic, Cisco Stealthwatch, etc.
Perimeter security layer – these consist of firewalls, the first line of defense in a network. This security layer tries to make the digital infrastructure invisible to attackers. It ensures that no attack happens in the first place. Better the firewall, less the risk of caber-attacks. Cisco, SonicWall, Barracuda Networks, and Palm Alto Networks are some companies that provide these tools to healthcare providers.
Physical security layer – as imperative monitoring the digital infrastructure is, it is also important to see whether the physical infrastructure, such as servers and network appliances, are protected. Limiting access to these important areas should be part of a conscious company policy.
Human security layer – similar to the physical security layer, human security is important in terms of moles who have access to important data and can give them away to intruders. These factors shouldn’t be ignored as a lot of attackers operate through personal contacts inside the system. In this case, the role of digital technologies is to help frame protocols and train personnel so that such intentional or unintentional human errors can be avoided.

Conclusion #

As clear from the facts, it is always important for a healthcare provider to stay up to date with security technologies. A lot of companies are hiring officers in this regard. Moreover, we should also consider that these organizations must also comply with their respective governments’ IT laws. Such government regulations can be counterproductive sometimes. Thus, there is also a role of government here in framing up-to-date public policies. The advancement of health technology is a misnomer if it attracts greater threats and jeopardizes sensitive patient data. Layered security is being more actively used every day. Its effectiveness is well-proven. Thus, we can hope that in the future, layered security tools can help make the digital healthcare environment a safe place for every stakeholder, especially patients.

Related reading

Questions and answers

What is Layered Security? #

How Does It Benefit Healthcare Systems? #

Healthcare has been dependent on physical infrastructure for a long time. During this time, digital infrastructure was used mainly for administrative purposes.

How To Implement It? #

In a healthcare system, the following layers are used to protect patient data: - End-point security layer – commonly known as antivirus software. This software protects the end user from virus, ransomware and malware attacks.

The Changing Scenarios of Digital Enterprises in 21st

Vin Patel — Wed, 09 Nov 2022 11:22:26 +0000

Key takeaways

Introduction In today’s teach-savvy generation of modern computing inception, AI has been a far-fetched objective, yet each day appears to bring us closer to that goal with new cognitive computing models.
Numerous cognitive computing drawbacks have been identified, posing substantial obstacles to broader implementation, including the following: SecurityWhen digital devices manage sensitive data, the issue of security inevitably arises.
All enterprises and humankind as a whole will benefit from initiating the transition process and adopting innovative technologies to ensure a bright and much more efficient future.

Introduction

In today’s teach-savvy generation of modern computing inception, AI has been a far-fetched objective, yet each day appears to bring us closer to that goal with new cognitive computing models.

Coming from a synthesis of cognitive science and based on the fundamental premise of simulating the human thought process, cognitive computing as a concept and its applications are sure to have far-reaching implications for our personal lives and industries such as healthcare, insurance, and more. The advantages of cognitive technology much outweigh those of conventional artificial intelligence systems.

According to David Kenny, General Manager, IBM Watson – the world’s most powerful cognitive computing framework — “AI is only as intelligent as the people who educate it.” The same cannot be said of the most recent cognitive revolution.

Cognitive computing processes employ a combination of artificial intelligence, neural networks, machine learning, natural language processing, sentiment analysis, and contextual awareness to solve problems in the same way as people do. IBM defined cognitive computing as an advanced system that learned rapidly, reasoned purposefully, and interacted naturally with humans.

Artificial Intelligence vs. Cognitive Computing #

While the fundamental purpose of artificial intelligence is to find the optimal algorithm to solve a problem, cognitive computing takes a step further by attempting to replicate human intellect and wisdom via the analysis of a variety of elements. Cognitive computing is an entirely distinct notion from Artificial Intelligence.

Cognitive computing emulates and learns from human cognitive processes. #

Unlike artificial intelligence systems that solve a specific problem, cognitive computing learns through pattern analysis and offers appropriate actions to humans based on their knowledge. In the case of artificial intelligence, the system takes absolute control of a process and uses a pre-defined algorithm to finish a job or avoid a situation.

In comparison, cognitive computing is a distinct discipline in which the computer acts as assistance rather than the performer of the work. Thus, cognitive computing enables people to do faster and more accurate data analysis without worrying about the machine learning system making incorrect conclusions.

Cognitive computing does not obliterate people. #

As said previously, cognitive computing’s primary goal is to aid people in decision-making. This endows humans with exceptional analytical precision while also assuring that everything remains under their control. As an illustration, consider artificial intelligence in the healthcare system. A system powered by AI would make all treatment decisions without consulting a human doctor. However, cognitive computing would enhance human diagnosis with its own set of facts and analysis, improving decision quality and adding a human touch to essential operations.

Going Cognitive: Cognitive Computing’s Benefits #

Modern computer technologies are poised to transform current and historical process automation systems. according to Gartner, cognitive computing will reshape the digital world in ways that no other technology has in the past two decades. By enabling the analysis and processing of massive volumes of volumetric data, cognitive computing enables the use of a computing system for meaningful real-world applications. Cognitive computing provides a slew of advantages, among which are the following:

Analyze Data with Precision #

Cognitive systems are incredibly efficient in collecting, juxtaposing, and cross-referencing data to understand a scenario efficiently. In the healthcare industry, cognitive systems such as IBM Watson assist physicians in collecting and analyzing data from a variety of sources, including previous medical reports, medical journals, diagnostic tools, and historical data from the medical community, thereby assisting physicians in providing a data-backed treatment recommendation that benefits both the patient and the physician. Rather than replacing physicians, cognitive computing accelerates data analysis through robotic process automation.

Streamlined & Expanded Business Processes That Are Efficient #

Cognitive computing enables real-time analysis of developing trends, identifying business possibilities, and resolving crucial process-centric concerns. A cognitive computing system like Watson can streamline operations, mitigate risk, and adapt to changing situations by analyzing massive amounts of data. While this equips firms to respond appropriately to uncontrolled variables, it also aids in the development of lean business processes.

Enhancement of Customer Interaction #

By incorporating robotic process automation, the technology may be leveraged to improve client relations. Customers can obtain contextual information from robots without interacting with other staff members. Because cognitive computing enables businesses to present consumers with only relevant, contextual, and meaningful information, it enhances the customer experience, increasing customer satisfaction, and engagement.

Cognitive Computing Issues: Obstacles to a Better Future #

Each new technology has challenges during its existence. Even though cognitive computing can transform lives, humans oppose innovation because of fear of change. Numerous cognitive computing drawbacks have been identified, posing substantial obstacles to broader implementation, including the following:

SecurityWhen digital devices manage sensitive data, the issue of security inevitably arises. With the ability to process and analyze enormous amounts of data, cognitive computing faces substantial data security and encryption challenges.

With the proliferation of connected devices, cognitive computing will need to consider the implications of a security breach by building a foolproof security strategy that includes a system for identifying suspicious behavior to maintain data integrity.

AdoptionThe primary impediment to every new technology’s success is voluntary adoption. To ensure the success of cognitive computing, it is critical to building a long-term vision for how the new technology will improve procedures and enterprises.

The adoption process may be simplified by collaboration amongst many parties, including technology developers, corporations, governments, and individuals. Simultaneously, it is critical to have a data privacy policy that will further accelerate the adoption of cognitive computing.

Management of ChangeChange management is another critical issue that cognitive computing must address. People are reluctant to change due to their inherent human nature, and because cognitive computing can learn in the same way that humans do, people are concerned that robots will eventually replace humans. This has had a significant influence on growth prospects.

Cognitive technology, on the other hand, is designed to function in concert with people. By injecting information into the networks, humans will foster technology. This makes it an excellent illustration of a human-machine relationship that people must accept.

Protracted Development CyclesOne of the most significant obstacles is the time required to construct scenario-based applications using cognitive computing. Cognitive computing is presently being developed as a generic solution — which implies that it cannot be applied across numerous industrial segments without the support of large development teams and a significant amount of time.

Protracted development cycles make it more difficult for smaller businesses to build cognitive capacities independently. With time, as development lifecycles decrease, cognitive computing will undoubtedly take on a more significant role in the future.

Conclusion #

Adoption of cognitive technology begins with the discovery of manual tasks that can be automated utilizing the technology as part of the digital evolutionary cycle. Numerous businesses, such as IBM, have previously pioneered the cognitive technology space, which is now powering a slew of genuinely digital corporations worldwide.

Each minute, additional data is evaluated to acquire insight into past occurrences and to optimize present and future activities. Not only can cognitive technology aid in prior analysis, but it also aids in far more accurate prediction of future occurrences via predictive analysis. Due to the strong and adaptable nature of the technology, the future opportunities and pathways in both the B2B and B2C segments are enormous. IBM Watson is already leveraging the power and benefits of cognitive computing in the finance and healthcare industries. It is thought that in the future, such technology would assist humans in becoming more efficient, delegating routine analysis and focusing on creative tasks.

To maximize the benefits of cognitive computing, firms must do a thorough study of their processes, data, talent model, and the market in which they operate. Beyond cost reduction, we believe that one of the greatest potentials for cognitive technology is the capacity to create value, as well as the ability to restructure work and boost efficiency by streamlining a variety of procedures.

Regardless of the difficulties and obstacles, the benefits of cognitive technology cannot be underestimated. All enterprises and humankind as a whole will benefit from initiating the transition process and adopting innovative technologies to ensure a bright and much more efficient future.

Related reading

Direct-To-Consumer Pharmaceutical Advertising (DTCPA)

Vin Patel — Wed, 09 Nov 2022 11:19:22 +0000

Key takeaways

Overview Direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising (DTCPA) refers to marketing and advertising pharmaceutical products directly to the consumers as patients, opposed to specifically targeting healthcare professionals.
This ad provides sources of further information, such as a website and a toll-free telephone number.
and New Zealand as well in other countries and regions where the ban on such advertising is being challenged.

Overview

Direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising (DTCPA) refers to marketing and advertising pharmaceutical products directly to the consumers as patients, opposed to specifically targeting healthcare professionals. DTCPA refers to advertising prescription medicines via mass media communication platforms such as television, radio, magazines, newspapers, and online platforms. Most countries ban any advertising of prescription drugs directly to the consumers.

Direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising is only legal in the US and New Zealand. Still, it is subject to regulations concerning the balanced disclosure of a prescription’s benefits in comparison to its risks, including the side effects and contraindications. Typically, the regulations for DTCPA are applied to advertising materials describing the indications and benefits of the prescription and may be more lenient to advertising materials that don’t discuss its uses.

There are ethical and regulatory concerns surrounding DTCPA, explicitly the extent to which these ads may influence the prescribing of the medicines based on consumer demands when in some cases, they may not be medically required, or other cheaper options are available. Critics of the DTCPA have argued that excess money is spent on marketing the medications instead of research and development in the US. The ad spending by the pharmaceutical industry reached US$5.2 Billion in 2016.

Types of Direct-to-consumer Pharmaceutical Advertising (DTCPA) #

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA ) defines several common types of DTCPA for prescription medication in the US.

1) Product Claim Advertisement #

This is the most common DTCP advertising that identifies the drug name and trademark brand name of the medication and summarizes the efficacy and risks of the drug.

2) Reminder Advertisement #

Generally, it serves to build brand recognition instead of promoting the drug’s uses and benefits. Though this type of DTCPA ad can provide information about the price or dose, it avoids making claims. Moreover, it cannot contain any information or imagery of the drug itself, including how it functions or the advantages, but may still contain a call to action (CTA) urging viewers to seek an external resource for more information or ask their doctor. The reminder ads may include themes that vaguely allude to the drug’s purpose.

For instance, a reminder commercial for the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra featured the show tune “Good Morning” and scenes of a man walking to work happily, emphasizing a sexual innuendo in the lyric “it’s great to stay up late”.

3) Help-seeking Advertisement #

This is more of an awareness campaign for a specific medical condition instead of marketing the drug name or treatment. So, this type of advertising includes information about a medical condition and encourages individuals to see a doctor or seek an external resource such as a website or a phone hotline for more information. These external outlets may, in turn, be used for promoting specific prescription options. Usually, these types of DTCPA are used as preliminary marketing for new drugs.

The pharmaceuticals often use reminder and help-seeking ads to bypass onerous restrictions such as listing side effects or outright prohibitions on product claims advertising. This is because the types of DTCPA don’t focus on promoting the drug itself. In some cases, a campaign may mix both of these ads with one ad discussing the condition. Another similarly-styled ad mentions the product but not the medical condition, letting the viewers infer the association between the ads.

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Regulation in the US #

Direct-to-consumer advertising of drugs has been legal in the USA since 1985. FDA eased up the rules obliging companies to provide a detailed list of side-effects in their infomercials (long format television commercials) in 1997, and DTCPA really took off.

Under the regulation in the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires all DTCPA information:

To be accurate and not misleading
To make claims only when supported by substantial evidence
To reflect the balance between risks and benefits
To be consistent with the FDA-approved labeling

As per the FDA, the direct-to-consumer “product claim” advertisements for prescription medication must include information about the major side effects and contraindications in the main body, with a “fair balance” of benefits to risks in its coverage. Unless these prescription drugs are given “adequate provision” at a variety of different outlets, the DTCPA ads must include a “brief summary” of all risks related to the medication.

Typically, in print ads within magazines, this summary is given on a second page. The print ads must contain a standard notice that instructs the patients to report negative side effects to the FDA’s MedWatch program.

Whereas, in the ads carried on broadcast media, such as the radio and television commercials, only the major side effects of the drugs are listed, and the ad contains blurbs directing viewers to where they can obtain more information, such as on a website, phone hotline, or a current magazine issue.

If the drug is subjected to a boxed warning from the FDA, it indicates a serious risk. So, the warning must be reproduced in all advertising materials, and reminder ads for the drug are prohibited. Further, the ads that do not make any health claims do not fall under the FDA’s jurisdiction but can still be regulated by the Federal Trade Commission. [3]

What Can You Say? #

The FDA has rules for what drug ads MUST tell the consumers. The FDA criteria include:

At least one approved use for the drug
The generic name of the drug
Not be a false or misleading advertisement
Include the facts about the uses of the advertised product
Present a fair balance of information about the risks and benefits of the drug
A brief summary of the risks of using the drug or the important ones under certain circumstances

This product claim ad identifies the fictional drug’s brand name- Arbitrager and generic name- misvastatium.
It accurately states an FDA-approved use for the drug, in this case, Arbitrager is approved to treat seasonal allergy symptoms.
It says Arbitrager is a prescription drug.
This ad as a whole provides the required “fair balance” of information about the risks and benefits of Arbitrager.
The man on the beach who is pictured in the ad is in the approved age range for users of Arbitrager. So, this ad reinforces that the drug is for adults 18 and older and is not for use in children.
As required by the Food and Drug Amendments Act of 2007, this print ad includes the statement “You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit MedWatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.”
This print ad includes a “brief summary” of all the risks listed in the drug’s FDA-approved prescribing information.
This ad directs the reader to seek a doctor’s advice about taking Arbitrager. The pharmaceutical company has included this statement to ensure that a consumer will not think he or she is qualified to make the prescribing decision.
This ad provides sources of further information, such as a website and a toll-free telephone number.

What Can You Not Say? #

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When the industry’s use of direct-to-consumer advertising was challenged in the US in January 2008, it led to an investigation of several advertisements including the one featuring Robert Jarvis rowing a boat for Lipitor by Pfizer. A month later Pfizer pulled that ad and Ian Read, President of worldwide pharmaceutical operations of Pfizer, expressed regret about people getting the wrong impression. Later the pharmaceutical industry announced that it will update its voluntary standards for direct-to-consumer advertising. Moreover, it pledged to stop using actors to play doctors, and to ensure that the endorsers who said they had used a particular drug had actually done so.

The image of the young girl in this fictional drug ad is misleading because Arbitrager is approved for use only in adults 18 years of age and older.
Though the claims must be supported by data from well-designed studies, consumers may not know if such studies exist and show this specific stay. If the FDA determines that claims are not supported, it will take action to have the ad fixed.
This ad falsely states that the fictional drug Arbitrager is approved to help control asthma symptoms while in the correct product claim ad it is approved to treat seasonal nasal allergy symptoms.
This ad shows a specific stay that the consumers may not know about whether such a study exhibited this data. Moreover, if the FDA determines that the ad claims are not supported, it will take action to have the ad fixed.
This ad presents the risks of Arbitrager in small type size and positions this information far from where the benefits are discussed. This makes it harder for the reader to notice and read the risks of this drug. So, this product claim ad doesn’t follow the “Fair balance” needed to specify the risks and benefits of the drug.
This ad does not include the “brief summary,” that includes additional required risk information that should be present in print ads by the Food and Drug Amendments Act of 2007. Usually, a brief summary is given as a statement “You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit MedWatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.”

Additionally, pharmaceuticals can choose whether or not to disclose other information such as the drugs price, if insurance plans will cover the cost, the number of people the drug has helped, if the drug is necessary, or if there’s a cheaper generic version or an older medication that works well.

DTCPA and Online Ads #

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Most marketers are beginning to recognize the enormous potential of DTCPA and online ads as it reaches millions of potential consumers globally. Though a vast majority of DTCPA budgets are still allocated to traditional media such as the television, magazine, newspaper, and radio, the marketers are beginning to shift some of their promotional expenditures on digital promotions including product Web sites, search engine marketing, online display advertising, mobile advertising, and social media campaigns.

With the health-related information searches ranked as the third most common activity among the online users in recent years, the drug marketers have also increased their expenditures for marketing efforts on the Internet. The pharmaceutical industry spent $59 million on DTC advertising and promotion on the Internet in the year 2003, and now the spending is estimated to have grown to $1 billion. That’s because the online channel of promotion promises to be lucrative as the data show a 5:1 return on investment for online DTCPA, which is targeted better than print or television ads in reaching the intended audience.

Though the FDA has not yet issued formal guidelines for online DTCPA, it did send warning letters to over a dozen pharmaceutical manufacturers for company-sponsored search engine links that failed to mention the risks of the product. So, now the drug company-sponsored links include the indication or the name of the product and not both. In the absence of regulation for DTCPA and online ads, the drug companies have asked the FDA for guidance regarding what is acceptable especially when advertising on social media platforms.

The internet has become an increasingly popular source of medical information for consumers. As per a 2005 study of over 6,000 adults, though the physician was still the most trusted source of information. Nearly 48.6% of the patients went online before consulting their physician whereas only 10.9% talked to their doctor first.

DTPCA and International Acceptance #

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DTCPA and international acceptance include informing the patients by communicating the safety risks and public health information and warnings about topics such as adverse reactions and online drug purchasing, etc.

This type of advertising informs, educates, and empowers the patients by allowing them to take charge of their health. Consumers can benefit from having access to multiple information sources about drugs and other treatment options instead of solely relying on healthcare providers. It encourages patients to contact their doctors and seek medical advice. As per a 2004 FDA consumer survey, exposure to DTCPA has prompted 27% of Americans to make an appointment with their doctor to talk about a condition that has not been previously discussed.

Another study found that the small print in a drug ad has a strong impact on the patients to contact their physicians. Moreover, the effect of DTCPA increases the patient contact with the doctors through promoting dialogue about the lifestyle changes necessary to improve the patients health. As per the FDA survey, 73% of doctors believed that the DTCPA helped patients to ask more thoughtful questions and 53% of doctors said that it has led to a better discussion with them. So, the DTCPA promotes heightened awareness and detection of any adverse reactions among the patients that lead to a healthy discussion with a physician.

As per studies, DTCPA strengthens the patient-clinician relationship due to the participation of an informed patient in the clinical decision. Because 83% of the ads focus on the physician-patient communication and 76% explicitly promotes consulting your healthcare providers. Additionally, DTCPA reinforces the doctors recommendations and make the patients follow treatment instructions diligently.

In the 2004 FDA study, 33% of physicians reported that DTCPA increased patient adherence. In another study by Harvard University/Massachusetts General Hospital and Harris Interactive, 46% of physicians said that they felt DTCPA increased patient compliance.

DTCPA decreased the under-diagnosis and undertreatment of medical conditions among the patients. As per the 2003 Harvard University/Massachusetts General Hospital/Harris Interactive study, it was found that 25% of patients who visited their doctor after seeing DTCPA received a new diagnosis; of these, 43% were considered to have a high-priority health condition.

However, the physicians thought the DTCPA did not convey information about risks and benefits equally well. About 78% of doctors believe that their patients understand the possible benefits of the drug very well or somewhat, compared to 40% who believe their patients understand the possible risks, while 65% believe these ads confuse patients about the relative risks and benefits of prescription drugs. Moreover, nearly 75% of physicians believed that the DTCPA causes patients to think that the drug works better than it does, and 80% of doctors feel pressure to prescribe the specific brand-name drug when asked.

As per the currently available evidence, the effect of DTCPA on consumers is both positive and negative. An increased understanding of the effects of DTCPA will have significant implications for public health in the U. S. and New Zealand as well in other countries and regions where the ban on such advertising is being challenged. Although a ban on DTCPA has occasionally been called for in the US owing to the debate regarding the rising prices of drugs, it is hoped that the measures to maximize the benefits and reduce the risk of such advertising will allow this controversial, but powerful, medium to be better utilized for the improvement of public health.

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The Healthcare Industry Endorses Predictive Analysis Now!

Vin Patel — Mon, 07 Nov 2022 12:21:49 +0000

Key takeaways

Statistics, machine learning, data mining, and other statistics-related technologies have already accomplished the inconceivable in the IT industry and are quickly developing every day, extending their wings across many technological areas.
These biosensors are discretely attached to the patient’s chest and collect, store, measure, and transmit respiratory and heart rates as well as contextual data including posture, activity level, and ambulation every minute.
This article focuses on the use of predictive analysis in monitoring a patient’s health.

Statistics, machine learning, data mining, and other statistics-related technologies have already accomplished the inconceivable in the IT industry and are quickly developing every day, extending their wings across many technological areas. Predictive analysis has also been used in the healthcare business to embrace these technologies.

Predictive analytic is a field that evaluates historical and real-time data to create predictions about the future using diverse approaches such as modelling, data mining, statistics, and artificial intelligence (AI). Predictive analytic in healthcare may benefit the sector in a number of ways, and some of the use cases have practically changed the industry.

How does predictive analysis function in healthcare? #

Every case that healthcare staff deal with requires them to handle a vast quantity of data from many sources. Patients’ electronic health records, medical imaging, screening findings, and different administrative data are all included. Furthermore, they are frequently required to make quick judgments based on this knowledge. Every time they connect with their physician, patients want a consistent, informed experience. They want a smooth, customized experience whether they’re getting a basic check-up or visiting a specialist.

Predictive analytic tries to warn physicians and caregivers about the likelihood of events and consequences before they happen, allowing them to prevent rather than treat health problems. We now have algorithms that can be supplied with historical as well as real-time data to generate meaningful predictions, thanks to the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT). Predictive algorithms may be used to help clinicians make better decisions for individual patients as well as to influence treatments at the cohort or community level. Basically, predictive analysis solves functional and management problems in hospitals.

Use cases of predictive analysis: #

Advanced predictive analysis methods can perform wonders like improving chronic disease management, reducing overhead costs, being a great assistant in medical research, and many more. Here we read about the use cases of predictive analysis in the healthcare industry:

Predictive analysis detects early signs of patient health deterioration: #

In the ICU, where a patient’s life may rely on quick action when their health is likely to deteriorate, predictive insights can be very useful. The number of patients requiring acute care in the ICU has increased since the coronavirus pandemic, highlighting the need for technology to assist caregivers in making quick decisions.

Because patients’ vital signs are continually monitored and evaluated, predictive algorithms can assist in identifying patients who are most likely to require care within the next 60 minutes. This enables caretakers to intervene at an early stage in the patient’s condition, depending on minor symptoms of deterioration. Predictive analytic may also estimate the likelihood that patients will die or return to the ICU within 48 hours if they are discharged from the ICU, assisting caregivers in deciding which patients can be discharged.

In a hospital’s general ward, where patients’ deterioration sometimes goes unreported for lengthy periods of time, predictive analytic can assist discover early warning indicators of unfavorable outcomes. As wearable biosensors become more widely used, care professionals may be able to detect early indicators of patient deterioration as patients travel through different acuity levels in the hospital. These biosensors are discretely attached to the patient’s chest and collect, store, measure, and transmit respiratory and heart rates as well as contextual data including posture, activity level, and ambulation every minute.

Predictive analysis helps in chronic disease prevention and management: #

Predictive techniques like remote patient monitoring and machine learning can help hospitals make better decisions by providing risk grading and threshold alarms. This feeds into personalized messaging with the predictive analytic data cloud, reminding patients to refill medicines or assisting them if they have problems getting refills or going to the pharmacy.

Predictive analysis uses big data to find solution to the problem. The system may provide a specific risk score to a person based on test results, patient-generated data on their lifestyle, and biometric data. This score indicates the likelihood of a problem occurring in the near future. It’s also more likely to spot early indicators of deterioration and report them to a doctor.

Furthermore, AI may notify a care manager when a patient is lagging behind on their treatment plan and suggest targeted outreach. These are the types of flawless patient experiences that encourage better compliance plans and, as a result, better health results.

Predictive analysis delivers predictive care for at-risk patients in their houses: #

Many patients are now discharged without long-term health monitoring following a hospital stay, putting them at risk of adverse events and hospital readmission that may have been averted with proper preventative measures. Falls at home are particularly prevalent among the fragile and old, and they are a primary cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries. It’s yet another way for predictive analytic to help turn a reactive healthcare strategy into a proactive one.

Predictive analytic may leverage data from a variety of sources, such as hospital-based electronic medical records, fall detection pendants, and previous usage of medical alert systems, to identify seniors who might need emergency transportation in the upcoming month. This enables healthcare practitioners to contact a senior citizen prior to a fall or other medical crisis, avoiding needless hospital readmission and lowering transportation, acute care, and rehabilitation expenditures.

Predictive analysis can make predictions based on genetic data: #

Adults with genetic abnormalities account for at least 10% of the population. Early detection of certain of them can aid in their management and avert issues later in life. However, because the human genome is a complex system, assessing genetic data is a difficult task.

Predictive analytic may be used to examine and compare a person’s genetic data to a database of potential faults and disorders. It can even be utilized as early as the newborn stage to alert parents to the problem their kid may be suffering from.

Bottom-line: #

Predictive analytic in healthcare is projected to grow in popularity since it has the ability to improve clinical care delivery and equipment maintenance. But, since as useful as predictive algorithms are, their influence is ultimately determined by domain specialists? physicians, nurses, engineers, and hospital managers? who understand how to assess probability in the context of a patient or healthcare system. As a result, professional input, as well as cutting-edge analytical capabilities, are required in the creation and deployment of such algorithms. This article focuses on the use of predictive analysis in monitoring a patient’s health.

Related reading

The Role of Big-Data in Healthcare sector

Vin Patel — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 06:50:16 +0000

Key takeaways

The collected data could be efficiently utilized to reveal additional insight and to address business issues that were previously unsolvable using traditional analytic or software.
It can identify methods and processes that provide inferior results or are too expensive in comparison to the results.
On a broad level, healthcare stakeholders may depend on big data and predictive analytic to address critical problems like as readmission rates, high-risk patient care, staffing difficulties, and medication mistakes.

What is Big Data?

Big data is a broad term that refers to an extensive collection of complicated data, whether unstructured or organized. The collected data could be efficiently utilized to reveal additional insight and to address business issues that were previously unsolvable using traditional analytic or software. Typically, data scientists use artificial intelligence-powered analytic to examine these massive databases constructively to find relationships and correlations that might give valuable business insights.

Big Data in Healthcare Sector #

In healthcare, big data refers to the application of prescriptive, predictive, and descriptive analytic services to derive actionable insights from healthcare data. Three objectives underpin big date’s use in healthcare:

Improve clinical results through the use of patient data;
Boost employee productivity by using operational data;
Utilize financial data from healthcare to help hospitals or healthcare institutions enhance their income stream.

The “Three Vs” are the pillars of big data technology - volume, velocity, and variety. These three characteristics or aspects define effective big data analytic in healthcare.

Volume refers to the massive quantity of data generated by healthcare organizations via their applications, portals, websites, and EHRs (electronic health records)
The term “velocity” relates to the rate at which datasets are created and processed.
Variety refers to the numerous sorts of data that we may currently produce, collect, and evaluate.

Apart from these three, big data has two new Vs: veracity and value.

The term “value” refers to the monetary value of the data being created, gathered, or evaluated.

Finally, but certainly not least, veracity refers to the reliability, integrity, or quality of healthcare organizations’ data generation, collection, and analysis.

Big data is projected to enter the healthcare industry more quickly and deeply than it did in other sectors such as media, financial services, and manufacturing. This is unsurprising given that healthcare is the largest private sector employer in the United States and accounts for 20% of GDP.

Indeed, it is anticipated that the worldwide healthcare big data market would expand gradually at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.07 percent to reach around $34 billion by 2022.

Another comprehensive analysis predicts that big data in healthcare will grow at an astounding 36 percent compound annual growth rate through 2025.

The term “big data in healthcare” refers to the massive amounts of health data gathered from a variety of sources, including electronic health records (EHRs), medical imaging, genetic sequencing, mayor records, pharmaceutical research, wearable, and medical devices. It differs from typical computerized medical and human health data used for decision-making in three ways: It is available in unprecedented volumes; data travels at a rapid rate and encompasses the vast digital universe of the health business; and, because it originates from a variety of sources, it is extremely varied in structure and character.

Applications of Big data #

The major application of big data in the field of health care sector are discussed below:

Maintaining patient health and preventing illness and disease should always be a top concern:

Consumer gadgets such as the Titbit activity tracker and smart watches, monitors an individual’s physical activity and can also report on particular health trends. The resultant data is already being uploaded to cloud servers, where it is being used to tell clinicians about their patients’ general health and wellness.
Titbit has already collaborated with United Healthcare, which pays its insured members with up to $1500 per year for frequent exercise. The One Drop app from Informed Data Systems for Android and Apple is causing substantial improvements in A1c levels in persons with diabetes. Meanwhile, Apple’s HealthKit, CareKit, and ResearchKit applications utilize the technology built into Apple’s mobile devices to assist patients in managing their diseases and to enable researchers to collect data from hundreds of millions of users globally.

Expanding diagnostic services enables patients to receive expert treatment more easily: Apes for mobile devices, such as Etna’s Triage, advise people about their medical conditions based on aggregated data and even recommend them to seek medical treatment depending on their input.

Apple has teamed up with Stanford researchers to examine if the Apple Watch’s heart sensor can be used to detect atrial fibrillation, a disease that claims roughly 130,000 lives each year in the United States. If the gadget is successful in identifying the illness, Apple can alert wearers to the need for medical treatment.
Propeller Health utilizes a Bluetooth-enabled sensor that connects to inhalers and spirometer used by individuals with asthma or COPD. The business monitors ambient conditions at sensor locations and delivers information directly to patients’ phones, enabling them to gain a better understanding of the reasons of their symptoms and take preventative steps. Additionally, the business sends reminders when prescriptions should be taken. Propeller says that patients are reporting 79% fewer asthma episodes and 50% more symptom-free days as a result of its 34 peer-reviewed papers.

Cost savings: Medical data provides clinicians with more insight, which translates into improved patient care, shorter hospital stays, and fewer admissions and readmission.

Additionally, analysis of healthcare big data helps to a better understanding of patient cohorts at highest risk for sickness, allowing for a proactive approach to prevention. In brief, study of healthcare big data enables the identification of outlier individuals who spend much more health services than the average. It can identify methods and processes that provide inferior results or are too expensive in comparison to the results.
The knowledge gained through big data analysis provides healthcare practitioners with clinical insights that would not be available otherwise. It enables them to prescribe therapies and make clinical decisions more precisely, removing much of the guesswork associated with therapy and resulting in cheaper costs and improved patient care.

Importance of big data in health care sector #

Yes, there is growing enthusiasm for the potential of big data in healthcare, and investment in analytic is expanding. However, according to a recent Dimensional Insight research, 56% of hospitals and healthcare institutions lack adequate big data governance or a long-term analytic strategy. Here are some of the reasons why big data is critical for healthcare:

Inadequate data governance results in record duplication, unclaimed reimbursements, financial benchmarking issues, and other operational inefficiencies. That is something that big data can correct!
Patient care is also becoming more complicated, and without adequate analytic, it becomes increasingly impossible to offer high-quality, safe, and effective patient care. Numerous healthcare companies have had inconsistencies between their clinical and accounting departments as a result of data errors and incompatibilities.
In healthcare, big data is widely utilized to assist in identifying and managing patients who are both high-risk and expensive.
Indeed, 71 percent of respondents to the aforementioned research reported seeing discrepancies between data from several sources inside their company, most notably financial, clinical, and administrative information. Additionally, 51% of executives discovered discrepancies between data from several clinical departments.
Additionally, big data is utilized to identify high-risk regions where patients may get more efficient treatment, thus lowering costs and increasing patient satisfaction.
By assisting payers and healthcare providers in identifying high-risk and costly patients, big data and analytic technologies enable these people to get appropriate intervention and save money on preventative treatment well in advance.

Challenges to big data: #

The Difficulties of Data Aggregation To begin, patient and financial information is often dispersed among many payers, hospitals, administrative offices, government organizations, servers, and file cabinets. Bringing it all together and preparing for future collaboration amongst all data providers when new data is generated takes considerable preparation. Additionally, each participating business must comprehend and agree on the kinds and formats of big data to be analyzed.
Management Obstacles Finally, achieving the promise of big data analytic in healthcare would require companies to change their business models. Data scientists will very certainly be required, as will IT personnel with the necessary expertise to operate the analyses.
The scalability of data is also a problem in this sector, that needs to be taken care of.

Road ahead #

Big data is just now starting to transform healthcare and propel the sector ahead on a number of fronts. The advances in medicine, technology, and finance that big data in healthcare offers will enable healthcare companies to enhance patient care and generate value. However, it will need stakeholders — providers, payers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, government and politicians, as well as scientific and research communities — to cooperate and innovate in order to reinvent their systems’ design and performance. They must develop the technical infrastructure necessary to store and consolidate the enormous amount of healthcare data expected to reach 2,314 exabytes by 2020, according to industry experts. Additionally, they must invest in human capital—information technology professionals, data scientists, data architects, and big data engineers—to lead us into this new and exciting frontier of human health and well-being.

Final verdict #

Big data has the ability to completely transform healthcare. Healthcare companies should make significant investments in big data in order to improve patient outcomes, reduce costs, and increase efficiency across all departments. More importantly, big data will enable doctors and hospitals to provide more focused treatment with improved outcomes. For pharmaceutical firms, big data is a catalyst that will aid in the creation and development of more creative medicines and products.

On a broad level, healthcare stakeholders may depend on big data and predictive analytic to address critical problems like as readmission rates, high-risk patient care, staffing difficulties, and medication mistakes.

Related reading

Challenges and Impact of Cloud Technology in The Healthcare

Vin Patel — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 06:37:33 +0000

Key takeaways

Cloud computing (technology) is an infrastructure that operates on a subscription module and provides services such as servers, storage, databases, software, and allows users to access the information remotely.
Internet connection failures can be due to numerous reasons such as insufficient network capacity, physical barriers interrupting the wireless signals, and inadequate staff to fix problems.
Channelizing the power of cloud technology in combination with evolving technologies like machine learning, robotics, big data analytic, and IoMT will help streamline healthcare delivery.

Cloud computing (technology) is an infrastructure that operates on a subscription module and provides services such as servers, storage, databases, software, and allows users to access the information remotely.

The ‘cloud,’ in simple terms, is storing and accessing data over the internet. The data is hosted remotely on data centers and is managed by a cloud service provider (CSP). This technology allows for easy access to data from anywhere in the world without having to have the software installed into a particular computer.

Cloud Technology in Healthcare Industry #

The healthcare industry works under immense pressure to operate in real-time and provide healthcare professionals and patients with access to data across various locations. Cloud technology allows easy access and exchange of data between various departments as they are stored on a cloud platform and not on physical hardware.

According to a study done by the marketing research firm iHealthcareAnalyst, Inc., “The global market for cloud computing in the healthcare industry is expected to cross $23.7 billion by 2027, expanding at a CAGR of 16.1% throughout the forecast period, driven by its unique advantages in data flexibility, security, and scalability.”

Many hospital leaders and technology leaders are adopting the idea of the cloud as an extension to their already existing infrastructure, and this has helped transform the healthcare sector with ease in functioning and reducing operational costs.

With many medical devices using the cloud to tirelessly collect data for storage, computation, and share datasets, new cloud-connected devices are emerging, offering immense value to patients and healthcare providers.

Benefits of Cloud Technology in Healthcare #

Cost-effective and flexibleThe data is stored on cloud servers; it is more cost-effective as software is not installed on individual hardware, thus reducing operational costs and flexibility to access data across various locations and platforms.
TransparencyThe technology allows healthcare practitioners and patients to share health information more openly and in real-time.
Intelligent insightsEmpowers doctors and patients with precise data that help in proper decision-making. It also helps them predict potential risks and threats in advance.
Accurate decision-making and treatmentHuman errors can be reduced significantly with the help of cloud computing analytic.
Real-time accessWith the data accessible across multiple departments at the same time, each healthcare system can study and communicate across departments to ensure better output.

Cloud Computing in Medical Devices: #

In the medical industry, the term “smart devices” is generally devices used to receive and/or transmit data over the internet, whereas “connected medical devices” can receive and/or transmit data over the internet to/from other devices. Connected medical devices use the internet to collect, store, manage, transfer, and analyze patient data sets. These medical devices can be connected tirelessly to another device by using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or radio transmission.

Some of the major players in the connected medical device market are Medtronics, Moron Corporation, Johnson and Johnson, Titbit, GE Healthcare, Philips Healthcare, and Abbott.

Challenges in Medical Device Industry: #

Medical devices play a vital role within the healthcare industry. they need made healthcare operations smoother and hassle-free additionally as eased patient care. However, most of the devices being cloud-based are prone to caber threats, and managing regulatory compliance and internal control are key areas of concern.

CybersecurityConnected medical devices and instruments, although high on innovation, are vulnerable to potential caber threats. It is a huge challenge for medical equipment manufacturers to manage and secure the enormous amounts of sensitive data that are collected and stored on the cloud infrastructure from this equipment.

Complex RegulationsManufacturers of medical devices are bound by government guidelines and regulations that differ from country to country. The medical device regulations of the EU differ from that of the FDA.

In the European Union, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) gives security to the basic identity records of personal information, biometric records, health, genetic information, etc. While, in the United States of America, HIPAA Title II mandates standardization of electronic health records systems and addresses the privacy and security of patient health data. These differences in regulations make it difficult to maintain similar standards across the globe.

Remote ConnectivityThough IoMT seems to be an ideal solution, there is a dearth of skilled talent to handle the sophisticated electronics, communicating, handling, and evaluating the information gathered. Clinicians, patients, and healthcare infrastructure rely on continuous connectivity. Internet connection failures can be due to numerous reasons such as insufficient network capacity, physical barriers interrupting the wireless signals, and inadequate staff to fix problems.

Product QualityDespite the technological advancements, OEMs face the challenge of ensuring the quality of the products. Poor quality products not only lead to recalls but can hurt the brand reputation and hurt the company’s finances. Defective products can lead to incorrect test results, contamination, malfunctioning, or even unexpected shutdowns.

Impact of Cloud Computing on Healthcare: #

Cloud computing has greatly impacted the healthcare sector by increasing the industry’s efficiency, reducing costs, and making medical record sharing safer and easier.

Ease of Interoperability #

The power of cloud computing allows healthcare professionals to gain easy access to patient data collected at various sources and share the data with other stakeholders. This allows real-time access and review of cases and obtains quick opinions despite the geographical limitations.

As patient’s health data is stored in the cloud, it allows interoperability among several departments such as hospital administration, labs, finance, insurance, pharmaceuticals, etc. This seamless data transfer among various stakeholders accelerates healthcare delivery and increases process efficiency.

Access to Powerful Analytic #

With the large pool of healthcare data on the cloud, performing analytic on patient data has paved the way for more personalized patient care. Artificial intelligence algorithms and the application of big data analytic are powerful for medical research.

Patient’s Data Ownership #

As patient data is available on the cloud, the patient gets control over their health and boosts their participation in making informed decisions relating to their health. The medical records and medical images of patients can be easily stored on the cloud for easy access.

Patient Care Standards #

With the patient medical records stored on the cloud, this reduces paperwork and delay in treatment as physicians can remotely access the data and provide necessary treatment and recommendations.

Freeing Up Essential Resources #

With cloud computing, it is possible to allocate resources in the best possible manner, better and at a minimum cost, thus improving the resources’ working efficiency. It provides better support for repetitive admit works, HR, and other operational functions.

Predicts Device Maintenance #

With the help of Machine Learning technology, the medical device connected to a cloud network can predict the need for maintenance for the medical device of a hospital, clinic, or patient. This allows for organizing and scheduling periodic maintenance, thereby avoiding malfunctioning and unforeseen breakdown of medical devices.

Telemedicine #

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, cloud computing has revolutionized the healthcare industry by virtual medicine (telemedicine). Using cloud-based software and apes, medical practitioners can provide virtual consulting and precise, personalized care to patients.

Patient monitoring tools like wearable, in-home care devices, and biosensors provide continuous patient care, detect and alert distress signals, and remotely monitor vital signs and parameters. This information can be received over the cloud by the physicians, and appropriate treatment can be initiated.

Conclusion #

The healthcare industry is yet to realize the full potential of cloud computing. The sheer volume of healthcare needs demands more companies to focus on research and innovate new and better products that can collect, analyze, and interpret medical data. There is a vast potential for cloud computing in the healthcare industry due to the interoperability, which simplifies day-to-day hospital administration and patient care.

However, cloud technologies need to work around providing cybersecurity to medical devices and work with various governments to come out with standardized compliance regulations. Channelizing the power of cloud technology in combination with evolving technologies like machine learning, robotics, big data analytic, and IoMT will help streamline healthcare delivery.

Related reading

IoT Ransomware - How Healthcare Organizations Can Protect

Vin Patel — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 06:09:53 +0000

Key takeaways

In this article, we would first define IoT and then discuss its impact on the healthcare industry.
Besides, letting the users know that their IoT device has been hacked needs an additional step like getting their personal information to contact them, which is another challenge.
To deal with IoT Ransomware in healthcare, the straightforward way is to focus on basic caber hygiene.

In this article, we would first define IoT and then discuss its impact on the healthcare industry. The article will also talk about what IoT ransomware is, how it affects the healthcare sector, and the measures taken to protect against IoT ransomware.

What is IoT? #

IoT (Internet of Things) is the collection of computing devices, where all the inter-connected devices are connected via the internet and can receive and send data. In generic terms, we can explain IoT as a network of some physical objects that are embedded with software or sensors, that can make these objects smart. The scope of IoT begins with some mere household objects to extremely sophisticated industrial tools.

It’s fascinating to know how these interconnected devices have turned out to be one of the most promising technologies of this century and how it makes our lives more comfortable. The credit for the possibility of IoT technology goes to the internet. For instance, if your smartphone has an internet connection, you can access anything around the world, can’t you? Similarly, if any of your devices connected to the internet, it becomes a smart device.

IoT Redefining the Healthcare Industry #

Before the advent of IoT, the communication between doctor and patient was established either through direct consultation or text messages. A few years back, it was unthinkable for a doctor to monitor a patient remotely. However, now, we have IoT devices that let doctors examine their patients with more care and excellence without their physical presence. The impact of IoT in the healthcare sector is enormous.

With the origin of IoT and its major bang in improving treatment outcomes, it is evident that the healthcare industry is redefined. When the pandemic hit us, the doctors had to go through stressful conditions. Ensuring quality healthcare to ever-increasing infected patients was not a cakewalk. Thankfully, smartphone apes and IoT technology have brought in a positive transform here. With IoT technology in the healthcare sector, doctors can collect real-time data from patients through specific IoT devices. This, in turn, enables them to diagnose the disease and provide necessary treatment to remote patients. IoT has many other applications in the healthcare domain. Let’s take a brief look into it.

The patients can use wireless wearable devices to monitor vitals like pulse rate, blood pressure, heartbeat rate, calorie count, etc. The variations in these vitals are checked against normal values, and these values are shared with doctors and concerned family members without any external interference. It allows the doctors to keep a steady track of patients records and prescribe them treatment remotely.
Medical equipment like wheelchairs, nebulizer, defibrillators, etc., can be tracked in real-time using the IoT devices tagged with sensors. With the same concepts, IoT technology can help in asset management like pharmacy inventory control, monitoring temperature and humidity, etc.
It is not a wonder that even health insurance providers can make use of this technology. We have already discussed the wearable devices that can keep track of patients’ several health parameters; the insurance providers can use those values to ensure the credibility of the claim.

What is IoT Ransomware, and Why is it Underrated? #

Ransomware is the breed of malware that can encrypt the files in your system, which can be accessed only after you get a private key for which you may have to pay a ransom. IoT Ransomware is a similar concept, but it has been underrated for several reasons.

Primarily, ransomware attacking a computer is considered to be dangerous because of its irreversible nature. All your files, either personal or professional, are encrypted, and the only way to get them back is through the decryption key, which you may have to purchase from the culprit. Whereas in the case of IoT, things are a bit different. Mostly, we use the cloud to store the data generated by IoT devices. And so, the data available on the device is either little or nothing. This is one of the reason that explains why IoT Ransomware is not considered a threat by many.

Secondarily, the exploitation of a PC is much easier. The strategies required to hack a PC might be similar and popular. Whereas, the IoT devices will have to be targeted differently making it a big challenge for the hackers. Besides, letting the users know that their IoT device has been hacked needs an additional step like getting their personal information to contact them, which is another challenge.

IoT Ransomware is a Serious Threat and Here Is Why? #

According to Neil Case, CEO at Geotab, a manufacturer of IoT and telematics for vehicles, IoT Ransomware allows hackers to mess around with real-world objects and it is way beyond a single PC or laptop. He also added that shutting down a vehicle or turning off the power at a troublesome time can cause more damage. This indicates the threat in IoT Ransomware is not irreversible in nature, it is more into the impossibility of resetting the device at the time it is needed to handle a situation.

IoT Ransomware in Healthcare #

IoT ransomware affecting hospitals is too risky because, seemingly, the victim can be a human being, and the loss will be a human life. In case of hospitals, the risk is life-threatening, and this is exactly what makes hospitals a lucrative target for IoT ransomware attacks. As we won’t know the victim or when and where it will happen unless it occurs, all we can do is take proactive security to prevent IoT ransomware attacks in healthcare organizations. It is highly critical as the inadequate defenses to avoid such situations can affect a life or maybe more.

The problems faced by healthcare security #

Here is a list of few problems that make it difficult for hospitals to provide and ensure the appropriate security measures are not facile as we expect.

Ensuring security to all the interconnected devices of the IoT network in a hospital is not easily attainable. A hospital can have a large number of devices and explicitly all working on different Operating Systems (OS). Providing a security shield for these devices as a whole is possible only if the security is tailor-made for that particular IoT network.
In a hospital, there are chances that several devices have been under use for many years. It is crystal clear that some devices here may not be working with updated OS, indicating that patching up is no longer a possible solution.
Suppose a hospital gets attacked and the situation is resolved still, there is a big dilemma in getting things back to how they were. Only with an adequate backup plan can we handle this, or else, the time taken to get things right after an attack can be weeks or even months.

Preventive measures to overcome IoT ransomware in healthcare #

Before taking things into your hands, let me make it clear that some solutions can trigger other issues in the network. Healthcare organizations can still implement some actions to ease the impact of IoT ransomware at hospitals. Some of those are listed below

Make regular security checkups and identify the gaps, get them fixed at the earliest. In the meanwhile, backup all the critical systems and data. Make sure they are offloaded to an environment that is completely isolated from physical connections. Also, make sure that those backups can be restored by someone, and practice doing this, to make yourself prepared to face such a crisis.
Install an anti-malware and keep it updated regularly. Double-check whether it is configured correctly and make it a practice to do regular scans of your environment and handle the revealed vulnerabilities.
Make it a practice to provide staff training to keep every employee aware of the threats and the severe outcomes of it. A good approach can make them familiar with such threats. If they face any such threat, they will know what to do and how to deal with them.
Hospitals and health care organizations should follow the guidelines and security practices listed out by CISA, FBI, etc. It is also recommended to evaluate the cybersecurity postures to identify and fill in any gaps discovered.

Conclusion #

Today, the popularity of IoT has reached a situation where an average hospital room contains 15 to 20 connected medical devices. At the same time, each of these devices has a dedicated and significant role in the delivery of care and operational efficiency. However, through each connected device, we can open the door to a malicious cyberattack. It is important to make sure that the networks run while keeping everything safe and secure. This can be accomplished with enforceable security policies that focus on vulnerabilities, conﬁduration assessments, malware defenses, etc. To deal with IoT Ransomware in healthcare, the straightforward way is to focus on basic caber hygiene.

Related reading

The Value of Healthcare Privacy In Technological Age

Vin Patel — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 05:55:18 +0000

Key takeaways

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA), signed into law by President Bill Clinton on August 21, 1996, has been routinely considered a model piece of privacy legislation.
Most recently, in April 2021, the United States Government has now demanded all healthcare organizations to make all patient’s medical records accessible electronically without any charge.
Yet, only further studies of these trends would confirm if necessary interventions are required.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA), signed into law by President Bill Clinton on August 21, 1996, has been routinely considered a model piece of privacy legislation. Prior to its creation, a patchwork of both state and federal laws governed the communication, distribution, and use of medical data for patient care and finances. Inconsistencies in these laws allowed the access of these data without any authorization, including personal sanctioning of sharing, from the individual whose data was to be used for the purposes of assessing anyone’s potential for production and maintenance. This was especially relevant in the realm of financial lending and insurance, whereby lenders and insurers can bypass personal subjective assessments to view medical history as a means of assessing stability - determining if a candidate would be sustainable enough to produce a capital gain. This also affected employment opportunities with production being a function of health, often selecting for those without or with minimal complications, even if left undisclosed can easily be evident through this quick access.

Most importantly, individuals lost control over who and where that information was shared and were never notified of its distribution and the level of access the recipients were to have. A loss of control over one’s own data was abundant - a critical problem that has become a greater point of contention in the present. These problems required interventions that would make it easier for communication of health plans, claims, and access to those who should have the need and right to see them.

While respect for healthcare privacy has been a consistent moral imperative among those in the healthcare field, one’s own health is extremely interconnected with access to services and employment required for survival, hence the distribution of this information has become a critical part of economic sustenance. Even if there were minimal health issues that could be managed successfully with limited chances for a complication, having access to that information in the eyes of those not able to determine these intricacies provided an easy opportunity to label and select against. The establishment of HIPPA guaranteed federal protection for all citizens of their personal health information; allowing one to control its distribution, access, and most importantly the level of information sharing to be done. This meant that if employers were to request personal health information as a means of assessing one’s capability - individuals had the right to refuse and protected against being discriminated against guaranteed by law. While there are still continuous cases of employer discrimination, whereby records are accessed without permission or denied after review of records - the fact that these cases exist is evidence of HIPPA working as intended.

The Invisible Rules Within HIPPA: Is It Structuring Personal and Digital Health Privacy For Our Time? #

While HIPPA has had a total of 5 major rules that govern physical and digital health data, two main ones are designed for patient use and personal data protection. The other rules are meant to simplify the process of billing and identification of all parties involved in the patient care throughout their stay - including the provider, health institution, and insurance services.

**(1) The Security Rule:**As the use of electronic health records began to widespread and mainstream - necessary protection was mandated in response to easing the access of patients’ data. Electronic Health Records (EHR) began to run in a closed system, where data could be shared among systems with the same programs. It enabled the access of data to anyone working in the system or who has access to the system without proper procedure. The Security Rule wasofficially complied in 2003, with over the following couple of years created mechanisms for the protection, storage, accessibility, and distribution of these records within each system. These rules mandated both physical and technical securities with both software and hardware.

**(2) The Privacy Rule:**After HIPPA’s establishment, the Privacy Rule, also referred to as the Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information, was established four years after its initial ratification in September 2000. The rule provided increased protection for patient data in research and clinical environments. Going into full effect in 2004 - it offered limitations on disclosures that individuals were permitting the sharing only via certain forms - the ones signed commonly by everyone during healthcare visits. It further goes onto allowing patients to obtain copies of their own records, inspect and permit any changes for accuracy by using certain request forms for this purpose.

The remaining rules that serve to streamline patient care through ensuring provider and system compensation while preventing patient overwilling are:

(A)**Transactions Rule -**More relevant in the eyes of the payers and lenders behind the scenes, this rule mandates the use of standard codes. ICD (International Classification of Diseases), HCPCD (Healthcare Common Procedures Coding System), CPT (Current Procedural Terminology), or NDC (National Drug Codes) codes; all of which are used to standardize diagnosis, medication, treatment, and follow-up services over the scope of a variety of provider and payer systems. This essentially standardizes the language that is used to create efficient and accurate transactions.

(B)**Identifiers Rule -**Designed for simplification, this rule mandates that providers, health plans, and the insurance payers (either federal medicare/Medicaid or private third party) all have specific standard numbers for communication and documentation purposes.

**(C)**Enforcement Rule - If there is any failure in compliance of accurate reporting of negligence in protecting patient data either by the provider/system or limiting transparency in the eyes of the patient, then policies of the Enforcement Rule (also known as the breach notification rule) are used. The enforcement rule defines various tiers of penalties for infractions of rules while also defining reporting and investigation methods for any violation. This serves as an extra layer of protection by defining sanctions and monetary or potentially greater consequences under the law. They outline a certain length of time by which an infraction must be investigated and appropriately resolved per the recommendations that are defined within the law.

(D) Omnibus Rule - Given the constantly changing technological landscape since the time of HIPPA’s establishment, there have been frequent additions to the original provisions in an effort to increase transparency and allow further command of one’s own healthcare. Since the law’s inception, far more efficient electronic health record systems have been developed and continue to be consolidated over a large range of hospital systems - allowing for opportunities for greater access and transparency. Most recently, in April 2021, the United States Government has now demanded all healthcare organizations to make all patient’s medical records accessible electronically without any charge. This includes that all doctor authored notes, reasons for treatment plans, and assessments of patients’ conditions - all to be reviewed by patients. Prior to this, the update in 2013 was the Omnibus Rule, created to better consolidate healthcare systems by mandating specific structures to be developed that collect updated agreements from all involved business associates that a part of the patient care payment process to comply with HIPPA, strengthening the brevity of the existing security rule.

Given these recent changes, patient data protection has been continually advancing alongside a push for increased personal access to better the transparency of data for those sanctioned to access it under HIPPA compliance. These two paradigms can often conflict with each other as more access can leave greater room for unwanted dissemination.

Data Protection Under HIPPA, Are There Any Exceptions? #

A very important point to note is that only those providers and employees receiving compensation through insurance coverage are bound by HIPPA - meaning caretakers and health systems directly involved in reimbursement for patient care are responsible for adhering to the HIPPA laws. This means that those not covered by insurance are not in breach of this privacy law if they share various points of patient data - such as certain providers on medical talk shows. While these providers can still be in breach of state laws, the inconsistencies with those and federal protections can leave many areas to justify no breach and subsequent portions of medical stories that the patient themselves may not have sanctioned.

While the healthcare delivery sector is where HIPPA was developed to provide better protection for health data; other health-related sectors, including fitness & nutrition, are not covered. Even while having personal data recorded by users, protections mandating security to maintain transparency of access is not required. Unlike when HIPPA was first established, technology has allowed individuals to become more aware of what kind of health-related data is relevant to their well-being and the interplay of those data in their own lives. Simple metrics like heart rate and rhythm can now be taken on smartwatches and easily shared among friends or physicians. Blood pressures and blood glucose levels could be monitored at local pharmacies. Health tracking apes are rapidly gaining attention in the fitness sector, which tracks individuals’ weight and caloric intake daily. While many of these metrics are recorded to optimize the app experience to generate better results and create an appealing user experience, these metrics sometimes are used to make critical medical decisions in the hospital setting. Despite their importance, the laxity to which these data are given (which are the same metrics being protected under the regulations of HIPPA) underlies the collective importance placed on health-related data and emphasizes the complexity of privacy, that was not present during the development of the law.

The continued culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the technological marketplace continues to evolve new start-ups in the healthcare sector that have arisen to simplify the increasing complexity of health care data. Furthermore, its purpose in optimizing patient care has become a favorable use of resources, and continued investment for the use of this data requires that such data be available. Yet, the guidelines in HIPPA that cover the specifics of which data are protected have yet to be updated relative to the brevity and complexity of the types of data that can be used to create innovations to better the healthcare experience. Mainly Protected Healthcare Information (PCI), defined as any data that is a part of an individual’s health profile and can be linked to a said individual, is said to be covered. This means that those data that are not identifiable to any person can be used for research and innovation development. Therefore, while HIPPA protects individual data, there are relatively no legal ramifications if anonymity is maintained on a population scale. The exact format is also used in clinical research involving big data analysis for treatment algorithm optimization or quality improvement, whereby blinded data can be shared upon consolidation from electronic medical records.

Given these exceptions, an argument can be made for the benefit of sharing all data that is not related to identification, yet this is the exact data that HIPPA generally covers. While HIPPA was put into action to protect individuals rights to be assessed more objectively in any societal structure necessary for survival and upward mobility, the question becomes that is its relevance diminished if the health-related data is still shared, but it cannot be attributed to the individuals from which it was collected regardless of the benefits that its collection can have.

Do We Need To, and More Importantly Want to, Update HIPPA? #

Data analysis has lead to remarkable strides in creating personalized technological experiences for almost every technology used on the planet. It has allowed individuals to leverage technical analysis of their data to better their own lives and tailor it to the way they perceive to be the best for them while also optimizing their work for outcomes that they desire. Continued innovation in health-related data has been shown to do the same, as evidenced by numerous testimonies of how the benefits of tracking their own healthcare metrics have helped them optimize and tailor lifestyle and nutrition changes for their benefit. Yet data collection is also concomitantly being used to tailor and target individuals for increasing capital gain and users - such as personalized advertisements that can often be seen favorably by the end-user when they choose to click and purchase said product. This same trend could also occur in fitness and healthcare-related communities with more negative rather than intended positive outcomes for the end-user. While current regulations under health data privacy permit this under the condition that data remain anonymous, to preempt such outcomes - HIPPA may need to be updated. Yet, only further studies of these trends would confirm if necessary interventions are required.

Related reading

Blockchain Interoperability in Healthcare Industry

Vin Patel — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 05:46:40 +0000

Key takeaways

Introduction to Electronic Health Record The digital counterpart of the patient’s paper chart is commonly known as “Electronic Health Record” -EHR.
Most organizations and academics believe blockchain technology to be one of the frontiers to address the EHR interoperability issue.
That implies that blockchain is not far away as an essential component of the medical sector.

Introduction to Electronic Health Record

The digital counterpart of the patient’s paper chart is commonly known as “Electronic Health Record” -EHR. EHRs are patient-centered records in real-time that provide information for authorized users immediately and securely. EHR systems are constructed to go beyond conventional clinical data gathering and provide a wider perspective for patient care. EHRs are a crucial component of IT health and can:

Include patient history, diagnosis, medicines, treatment plans, vaccination dates, allergies, radiological imaging, laboratory findings, and test results.
Allow the proof-based methods physicians may utilize for deciding the treatment of a patient.
Provide transparent information available in a structured manner which lowers the clinical errors and administrative costs.

An EHR is characterized by its ability to digitally generate and manage health information by authorized personnel that can be shared with other physicians across various healthcare organizations.

EHR Interoperability #

The lack of access to medical records has been recognized as a barrier to transparent and efficient treatment for patients for a long time. While systems with electronic health records (EHR) assist in resolving this problem to an extent, many of these systems are heterogeneous and exhibit minimal interoperability within platforms, and demonstrate varying success integrating into clinical workflows. Many EHR systems are thus unable to provide key advantages of digital technologies, like data sharing capabilities, streamlining user experience, and advanced analytic. The lack of interoperability with various EHR platforms is very challenging as complex patients are present with multiple healthcare facilities in different healthcare jurisdictions.

The Lack Of Interoperability Causes Many Problems: #

• Restricted exchange of data: Currently, the EHR solutions available in the market limit patient information’s open flow across different platforms. For data transfer, most vendors impose interfacing costs. A lack of data sharing also encourages repetitive investigations, consuming additional healthcare resources and potentially delaying definitive care.

• The lack of a unified perspective of patients: The existing solutions provided by EHR vendors are compartmentalized, which fails to capture the entire medical journey of the patient. There is no common platform or API which enables smooth communication across different proprietary and older systems.

• Lack of insights: The advantages of data mining and data storage are significantly limited by the lack of full data and reluctance on the part of EHR suppliers to provide customized interfaces.

Challenges in Enabling Interoperability for EHR Systems #

Lack of interoperability leads to massive losses, yet the number of efforts the healthcare ecosystem is making for solving the issue is far lower than expected. Much contributes to the parties’ unwillingness to interoperate with EHR systems:

Failure to share data: Data sharing between payers and suppliers has always been a problem primarily because they operate independently and do not share common data exchange standards. This divide has produced cultural inertia in interoperability adoption for these parties. Due to the present drive towards value-based care, numerous efforts are underway to integrate care and delivery, which needs a seamless exchange of information across stakeholders.
Data security and integrity: The view of a single interoperable platform, which makes possible access to all health information in one place, raises significant issues about safety and privacy. The recent Anthem violation of medical data and WannaCry ransomware is evidence that a caber assault is threatened. When there is interoperability, the database becomes the target for caber attackers if the whole healthcare database is housed on a single central platform. Furthermore, it is essential for accurate health data not to be manipulated by any authorities.
Misaligned incentives: The motivations of stakeholders are not aligned with the interoperability objectives.

Suppliers: Currently, each EHR vendor offers its own systems. When interoperability becomes a reality, consumers will no longer find their own lock-in and will be free to pick any seller. This would weaken the competitive advantage of EHR companies and cannibalize their current income sources.
Buyers: Current users of EHR systems have spent trillions of dollars to purchase and set up traditional EHR systems. The use of an interoperable platform may force them to replace their current systems, resulting in the possible loss of trillions of dollars.

Government regulations: Forcing system interoperability is not an option with huge numbers of stakeholders in a complex information processing environment. An actual implementation would need the buy-in of all the parties involved who should be prepared to accept specific principles of governance and commercial agreements. Nevertheless, the involvement of public authorities would be essential in the timely implementation of advice and certification criteria and standards.

Why Chose Blockchain To Enable Interoperability #

Most organizations and academics believe blockchain technology to be one of the frontiers to address the EHR interoperability issue. Blockchain is designed to address the issue of health interoperability challenge by means of distributed ledgers, an information ecosystem similar to the healthcare landscape that spreads across different nodes (payers, providers, EHR platforms, etc.). Simply said, blockchain is an encrypted or encoded ledger that is a transaction database in the form of chain blocks. Multiple users verify these blocks via consensus methods over a public or private network. The cryptographic designs built-in blockchain technology prevents data tampering and unauthorized access.

Using blockchain technology to make data accessible for patients, providers, research institutes, and public entities offer several possible advantages. The use of healthcare at the patient level is a well-known trend that has led to a large number of patient data produced through mobile apes and other digital technologies. Patients can have an active and involved role in their treatment by making healthcare information more accessible. In addition, all pertinent health information would be sent to doctors at every meeting to allow effective and customized treatment plans and eliminate the chances for duplicate investigations. Enhanced access for scientists to the anonymized medical information on a scale may lead to more rigorous studies and better evidence-based decision-making. In addition, innovative efforts from developers and pharmaceutical companies could lead to lower research and development costs by making more accessible information and consent management via a patient-facing platform, thus providing patients as well as providers with more time-to-market and cheaper products and services.

Despite the advantages mentioned above, many major problems need to be addressed before using them safely and effectively. Like any technology that disrupts healthcare, blockchain must be properly assessed in light of their requirements, and providers must equip themselves to make good use of the technology. While blockchain may provide a better information platform, it is simple to believe that the aforementioned advantages are not immediately achieved when implementing a blockchain system. Although a blockchain system could facilitate sharing of information between healthcare systems, patients, providers, and governmental organizations, many technological, legal, and institutional obstacles restrict its full potential in the healthcare sector.

Barriers To Blockchain Adoption #

The use of blockchain as an interoperability platform will need the resolution of several issues:

• Scalability: The EHRs include the full health records for each person, and the database continues to grow with time. Traditional blockchain have limits on the maximum transaction pace because of the fundamental nature of blocks continuing to be added to a chain structure. Due to the complicated transaction logic, Blockchain transactions need sophisticated hardware. This begs the question: can blockchain be extended quickly enough to include EHR data?

• Micropayments: The healthcare industry is being inundated with related medical equipment in the near future. Micropayments have to be enabled across various IoT manufacturers to make sure these devices constantly communicate with one other and share real-time medical data. Because the conventional blockchain requires paying a fee to the miners for their computational power, it might mean paying a fee greater than the transaction value itself when processing the micropayments through blockchain.

• Power play of miners: Validation of network members known as miners is carried out in conventional blockchain. Some of the EHR prototypes based on blockchain have stimulated the participation of public health authorities as miners and offer them access to aggregate anonymized data as mining income. This provides a way to filter or postpone specific transactions for the privileged group.

Interoperable Ecosystem – An Ideal Setup #

The ecosystem utilizes both the forces of blockchain and the power of computation, but removes the constraints of current technologies simultaneously.

The ultimate platform should be a government or a public health agency distributed public leader, which allows all ecosystem members to connect and exchange data. The public ledger will be linked to every node family, including clinics, doctors, hospitals, and medical equipment; however, data on their systems will be on the private, licensed network or in the proprietary EHR. The fundamental concept of an authorized private network is identical to that of an authorized blockchain.

Blockchain platforms have a balanced set of rules to enable wider usage and flexibility to meet variations in the local practice to realize their full potential. In addition, technological solutions can be emphasized, but human aspects must be taken into account. Just as Blockchain essentially opposes a silted, decentralized approach, solutions should be decentralized as well and involve a broad range of multidisciplinary experts, including health care professionals, legal professionals, developers of technology and patients, so that information can be exchanged optimally while safeguarding patient safety.

The advantages of utilizing blockchain to make EHR more effective are undeniable. It will lead to customized and participatory therapy alongside results-based models; helps researchers develop better goods for less expense; helps to verify claim information quickly and accurately and improves settlements; reduces fraud, and helps to comply with regulations.

Conclusion #

The industry continues to focus on numbers — more patients, more consultations, additional testing, more operations and more hospitalizations. If the balance is translated into result-based charges, patient records are encouraged – interoperability becomes a compelling offer, and blockchain is the desired answer. It is already widely agreed that changes to the business model can only solve healthcare problems. That implies that blockchain is not far away as an essential component of the medical sector.

Related reading

Emerging Technologies Assisting the Healthcare Industry

Vin Patel — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 05:41:17 +0000

Key takeaways

We see improvement in various areas of our life with the advancement in technology; the way we use gadgets and equipment for learning, communicating, transporting, and for health emergencies.
Physicians can now better engage their patients using mobile computing charts and other wearable devices to help monitor patient their health and significantly reduce hospital visits and expenses.
The future of the healthcare industry depends on how the health sector embraces the emerging new technologies and how efficiently they can implement them in the organization to attain the true potential they offer.

Over the years, technology has accelerated at a rapid pace. We see improvement in various areas of our life with the advancement in technology; the way we use gadgets and equipment for learning, communicating, transporting, and for health emergencies. Innovations in Artificial Intelligence (AI), automation, robotics, and smart gadgets have greatly impacted the healthcare industry.

The Covid-19 pandemic has necessitated the need for early detection of infection, isolation, social distancing, and minimal human interference to reduce the transmission of the virus.

Digital healthcare technologies play a significant role in supporting epidemiological intelligence right from online datasets, identifying clusters of infections, monitoring travel patterns, rapid trace contacts, and communication of public-health messages.

Blockchain As A Catalyst to Streamline Healthcare Services #

Blockchain are publicly distributed ledger transactions that are managed by a peer-to-peer network for use.

In healthcare technology, blockchain enables the medical community and researchers to create a single database for all medical data; real-time tracking of patient medical records that allows healthcare workers, doctors, and patients to share information safely and quickly.

Blockchain technology could be used in storing electronic medical records enabling coordinated care for patients within the network. The shared data of blockchain allows the capture of comprehensive data sets from various countries; including various ethnic groups, geographic areas, environments, and socio-economic backgrounds. This provides health researchers access to vast data samples to study diseases, facilitate new medical discoveries, design patient-specific treatment, and track and develop drugs quickly.

The advantages of blockchain to the healthcare industry are - easy accessibly to electronic medical records, remote monitoring of patients, transparency, and quick accessibility of data for health insurance claims.

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) in Healthcare Technology #

Healthcare providers of various departments in a hospital need to perform multiple tasks which are repetitive such as:

Patient admission
Patient scheduling
Scheduling medical professionals for the job
Shift assignment
Collecting patient data and report,
Billing
Claims processing

RPA and automation address these issues making the healthcare system faster, efficient, minimizing errors, and improved patient satisfaction.

Some of the ways RPA streamlines hospital automation #

Electronic Medical Records (EMR) Management – RPA helps keep medical records updated, synced, and be made accessible to various other departments such as labs, admit, billing, pharmacies, and claims to execute their duties.
Regulatory Compliance – Ensuring the security of sensitive patient information by restricting the data access to authorized persons and thereby adhering to the compliance and data privacy regulations.
Managing Staffing Levels – Caregivers are crucial to the smooth functioning of the hospital system and scheduling staff is a huge challenge. RPA automation across multiple business applications helps organize and schedule the right balance between the availability of sufficient staff for each shift without them being overburdened.
Organize Claims Processing – Processing claims is very challenging as hospital facilities use multiple business applications to process data. RPA organizes and automates individual claims by collecting and segregating patient records, grouping them, and transferring them to the respective claims management systems, thus minimizing errors and saving time.

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a data protection act to ensure businesses adhere to strict guidelines while collecting, processing, and storing personal data. Penalty for non-compliance to GDPR has increased significantly under the Data Protection Act (DPA)

Healthcare providers and businesses have to cope with increasingly complex global privacy policies by constantly adapting to new privacy regulations, ensuring reliable data protection, and adapting systematic and programmatic approaches to simplify these operations.

Influence of Mobile Technologies in Healthcare Technology #

Mobile technologies and apes are beginning to play a significant role in the healthcare industry. The development of user-friendly mobile apes has benefited healthcare by improved patient care and also helps increase the productivity of medical professionals.

Physicians can now better engage their patients using mobile computing charts and other wearable devices to help monitor patient their health and significantly reduce hospital visits and expenses.

What Is Mobile Health (mHealth)? #

The Global Observatory for eHealth of the World Health Organization defines mHealth as “medical and public health practice supported by mobile devices, such as mobile phones, patient monitoring devices, personal digital assistants, and other wireless devices”. Mobile and wireless technologies have the potential to transform how health and healthcare services are delivered across the globe.

Benefits of Mobile Devices in Healthcare: #

Continuous Data Flow – It bridges the gap between the large volumes of data that needs to be communicated between healthcare institutions and patients every second by reducing personal interaction by the practitioners.
Real-Time Communication - With the use of smartphones, doctors and nurses can share real-time prescriptions and instructions for faster patient recovery and use mobile cameras to examine patients remotely.
Enhances Physician Efficiency – Cell phones handle the cumbersome tasks of recording patients data, provide updated and accurate drug information, and automatically handles paperwork, thus allowing physicians more time to treat their patients.
Direct Patient Management – Doctors can directly monitor patients and provide real-time consultation for faster recovery with the help of fitness apes and wearable devices.
Improved Accuracy and Efficiency – Paper documents were hard to maintain and mistakes are hard to detect. With EMR, patient records can be accessed on smart devices and apes from any location and they are accurate and reliable. This facilitates smooth functioning among various medical caregivers, departments and patients, thereby enhancing hospital efficiency.
Better Communication – Using apes, doctors can make prescriptions helping patients procure the right medication and adhere to medication schedule as wells as scheduling follow-up appointments and setting reminders.

Advanced Diagnostic Technology in Healthcare #

Healthcare analysts have observed that the increase in accessibility to reasonable medical treatment is evidence of how technology has changed the healthcare sector. The healthcare industry is constantly working to improve patient care and at the same time reduce medical expenses.

Tools and Gadgets - The advancement in technology has resulted in the availability of rapid diagnostic testing kits which are easy to use and generate test results within a few minutes.
**Diagnostic Testing -**The test results of advanced diagnostic testing and their efficiency determine whether certain therapies should be continued or not and also ensure that the right therapy is administered at the right time.
Artificial Intelligence - The introduction of Artificial Intelligence in the healthcare industry has shown significant improvement in areas of medical assistance and boosting diagnostic and treatment methods.

An article in Science Daily dated May 10, 2021, states that “Researchers at KU Leven (Belgium) have developed a 3D printing technique that extends the possibilities of lateral flow testing. These tests are widespread in the form of the classic pregnancy test and the COVID-19 self-tests. With the new printing technique, advanced diagnostic tests can be produced that are quick, cheap, and easy to use.”

Conclusion #

The advancement of healthcare technologies over the years have helped the healthcare industry in various ways, right from diagnosis of unknown pathogens and rapid test interpretation to remote patient treatment.

The implementation of technologies such as RPA, blockchain, and mobile technologies into the healthcare industry has resulted in streaming processes, increasing efficiency and accuracy, minimizing errors, lower healthcare cost, and has immensely improved quality of care.

The future of the healthcare industry depends on how the health sector embraces the emerging new technologies and how efficiently they can implement them in the organization to attain the true potential they offer.

Related reading

Role of Space-Based Communications in 5G Era

Vin Patel — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 03:21:34 +0000

Key takeaways

Introduction The mobile industry has entered the era of 5G communications.
HAPs are platforms in the shape of balloons or airships that operate at a fixed location.
Smooth connectivity in technologies in the 5G era, enabled through a network of networks that include space-based communications, opens new vertical doors for mobile operators to expand their markets and explore new revenue streams.

Introduction

The mobile industry has entered the era of 5G communications. New standards are being finalized, testbeds are proving technology worldwide, and the first commercial services have recently been launched. 5G will enhance mobile services for consumers and enable new application to serve a wide range of sectors, from healthcare to education and manufacturing to transportation.

5G gives the satellite industry the ultimate opportunity to get out of its place and offer a wide range of services to satellite service providers while enabling mobile and fiber operators to take advantage of its satellite connectivity to expand coverage areas and offload their network through critical functionalities like multicasting, backhauling, and mobility access where the satellite has better access technology.

The evolution of 5G is potentially important for the mobile industry. But the highlight of the big technological change is the hype surrounding 5G, which promises to provide extremely fast internet connection. This article provides a clear overview of the 5G market, explains why 5G networks will be networked and examines how space-based communication systems are a key component of mobile network operators 5G strategy.

Evolution of 5G #

5G is the fifth generation of cellular networks. Each generation has been improving with latest skills and services since the early 1990s:[R1] [R2] [UN3]

· 2G services provided us with digital voice communications, paid coverage and text messaging.

· 3G generated mobile internet and multimedia content

· 4G delivered mobile broadband, high-speed data, and smartphone

· 5G targets high network connectivity, high traffic results, energy-saving and cost-efficiency, as well as maximum device connectivity. The device not only caters to the growing level of mobile data traffic but also supports new revenue-generating services such as healthcare, transport, public services and the automotive industry.

Key Statistics of Mobile Data Traffic #

· 31% growth annually over the past five years to reach 136 exabytes per month by the end of 2024. (Ericsson Mobility Report)

· While 5G network will carry 25% of mobile data traffic globally. (Ericsson Mobility Report)

· By 2024, smartphones will consume more than 4 times more data on average than they do today.

The Role of Satellites in the 5G Networks #

The advanced communication of 5G is transformed into three major use cases:

Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB)
Ultra-Reliable and Low-Latency Communication (URLLC)
Massive Machine-Type Communication (MMTC)

Satellites have a critical role to play in these categories.

Enhanced Mobile Broadband: #

With 5G comes the opportunity to offer a wide range and faster broadband connectivity such as voice, video, data to wide area networks, hotspots for mobile or fixed networks.

Ultra-Reliable and Low-Latency Communication: #

Another set of 5G use cases are URLLC applications that are especially important for mission critical and pseudo real-time applications. Let’s look at the issue of autonomous cars, where delays are important. In order to operate successfully, autonomous cars must be able to talk to each other and their surroundings for seconds. Until the introduction of 5G, no network could handle the scale and minimal delay required to make autonomous driving a reality. 5G quality is changing with lightning speed connections and smart routing.

Massive Machine-Type Communication: #

The third set of usage cases is mMTC for M2M or IoT devices and sensors. The functionality of SDN will play an important role here as it allows a given UE to serve with very few resources, in return several UEs will be served with the same resources as the same 4G UE. It already shows the promised scale that comes with 5G.

5G architecture needs to scale dramatically as it will integrate and backhaul data from millions of smart devices and sensors within homes and urban infrastructure, as they become commonplace in the smart cities of the future.

Advanced Space-based Platform for the 5G Era #

Today, satellite networks consist of a variety of platforms, including Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO), Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), Low Earth Orbit (LEO), and High Altitude Platform (HAPs).

Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) #

The GEO platform covers a large geographical area from a fixed point above the Earth’s equator and corresponds to the Earth’s orbit. This platform provides predictive and effective coverage to a specific area. This platform requires only small stationary directional antennas, which are cheaper than tracking antennas.

Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) #

MEO space-based platforms are non-stationary and orbiting the earth. Because this platform is closer to Earth with a faster orbit than the GEO platform. This platform is used to provide us with continued coverage and positioning information such as GPS.

Low Earth Orbit (LEO) #

LEO space-based platform orbit is closer to Earth than MEO or GEO. It provides us with continued coverage and also provides a faster connection than MEO and GEO platforms.

High Altitude Platform (HAPs). #

HAPs are platforms in the shape of balloons or airships that operate at a fixed location. They cover small areas and can be quickly deployed to specific locations to provide flexible broadband connectivity. They can also provide a variety of usage issues such as remote monitoring such as weather conditions and earthquake activity or disaster recovery efforts.

Space-Based 5G Use Cases #

Early 5G deployments are likely to be in the case of the use of eMBB in densely populated areas. But with the addition of space-based networks, operators can extend 5G services beyond city centers and support widespread use. The following highlights some key space-based 5G usage cases.

1. IoT Service Continuity #

Having billions of IoT devices is a major operational challenge. To address ongoing security threats, devices need constant updates and future 5G devices will need efficient data distribution globally. With extensive coverage and broadcast capabilities, the satellites are well-positioned to support IoT. They can offer shared unlink connectivity and data collection for a large number of IoT devices.

With an integrated satellite-terrestrial solution, the extra capacity can be used as an IoT backup or to complement dense data traffic. This allows higher peak rates and higher reliability in large-scale machine communication.

2. Fixed Backhaul to Remote Locations #

Satellite communications have a long history of providing secure networks for high-speed and mission-critical environments such as air navigation systems. With large towers and end-to-end delays, satellite networks can provide the desired backhaul for high-speed services.

One problem with 5G is the backhaul demands in a large number of small cell networks. Satellite networks can be used as a solo centralized backhaul for commerce loading, boundary processing, and resource sharing.

With the right combination of economic features, satellites can provide more services in high-speed network environments that are difficult to manage on land systems such as airplanes, connected cars and drones.

The satellite can complete 5G broadband connectivity in insecure areas where it is difficult to deploy land infrastructure, such as remote villages, islands or mountainous areas.

3. Hybrid Networks #

Space-based platforms can provide high-speed direct connectivity to homes and offices to stream multicast content in large geographic areas, or make content unprotected to devices or users. Hybrid networks also support the collection of IoT data in large-scale machine-type communications. High-capacity satellite links provide direct connectivity to users as well as complement the ground network.

4. Multicast Streaming #

The traditional core market for satellite communications is the media broadcast. Now, with the accumulation of mobile devices, media content trends are shifting away from live linear television broadcasts, to low latency on-demand streaming.

Media streaming arguably the most successful 4G service will become one of the key issues in the use of new satellite technology. With 5G, users will use better mobile broadband (eMBB) applications such as 8K video streaming and online VR/AR gaming. With the help of 5G-enabled satellites, these in-depth experiments can transmit higher data rates globally to help mobile devices with smoother transmissions and less delays.

Conclusion #

Space-based communication platforms play a major role in mobile network strategies in the 5G era. Different cases of users with diverse requirements, as well as the desire to connect everyone and everything makes space-based solutions providers the ideal partners for providing 5G network strategies. Smooth connectivity in technologies in the 5G era, enabled through a network of networks that include space-based communications, opens new vertical doors for mobile operators to expand their markets and explore new revenue streams.

Related reading

Quantum Computing's Disruption In Finance Industry

Vin Patel — Wed, 03 Aug 2022 20:53:29 +0000

Key takeaways

(GIA)’s study shows that quantum computing has already brought changes in the market post-COVID-19.
All these are unbreakable and secured if it is used through conventional computers and advanced hardware systems.
They must be ready to handle challenges as soon as quantum-based solutions would take place at a high level.

Did you know that global quantum computing is expected to reach $411.4 million by 2026? Global Industry Analyst Inc. (GIA)’s study shows that quantum computing has already brought changes in the market post-COVID-19. The drastic transformation demanded by the pandemic in banking & finance, healthcare, transporting, space, defense, and other sectors has given an edge to the quantum computing market. Google has already got a quantum computer that can perform a calculation in 200 seconds only, while a traditional supercomputer would need 10000 years to solve the same problem.

Two main characteristics of quantum computers, superposition, and entanglement do things simultaneously and can transform anything. Because of high performance and speed, quantum computers can run complex algorithms and simulations. This feature is rising the quantum computing usages in various industries, especially finance.[R1] [Vs2]

Let’s discuss what problems took the attention of experts to initiate uses of quantum computing, how quantum computers are assisting the industries in solving their complex issues, how the industry is benefitted after adopting quantum computing, and if any banks are using and benefitting from it.

Why does finance/banking need high power quantum computers? #

Do you know, a quantum computer needs 1.3 hours (10 12 steps) to run a million operations per second using a quantum walk algorithm, whereas a classical computer needs 5 billion years (10 29 steps) to run trillion operations per second using a best classical computer or a cluster computer.

Globalization within finance industry has tremendously increased the number of daily business operations. Banks are expanding their networks and services around the world. Ordinary people become dependent on mobile banking, internet banking, and digital transactions. More than 50% of financial transactions occur over the internet today.

The applications of big data, artificial intelligence, and the cloud in finance have been improving with time. It is not only bringing transformation but also bringing challenges in different applications: investment banking, asset management, corporate banking, and retail banking.

Classical computer features provide ordinary business solutions. It’s one main limitation: “Doing one operation at one time” has been decreasing its usages.[R3] [Vs4] Solving real-world banking problems need high power and time. Classical computers can’t solve this intractable problem, but quantum computers can do that more accurately and faster.

Simulation, Machine Learning (ML), and optimization are the three most common concepts used in finance to implement various financial services and operations. All these support banks in different aspects including, risk management, economical pricing instruments, finding the best investment strategy, managing cash in ATM networks, capital management, credit scores, and fraud detections.

A recent paper, “Quantum Computing for Finance: State of the Art and Future Prospects” published in 2020 has highlighted problems, benefits, and various challenges. The authors of the paper have also pointed out the issues in these three categories. The following table shows multiple problems during the stage of the customer life cycle:


Customer life cycle	Simulation problems	Optimization problems	Machine learning problems
Customer identification	How to obtain new revenue sources?	How to improve supply chain efficiency, minimize risks, avoid late payment, and enhance liquidity?	Refining customer ratings, KYC, and how to avoid non-compliance annual penalties.
Financial products	Better management of value at risk, balance sheets, etc.	How to reduce operation costs, capital requirements, and systematic risks?	How to perform non-performing loan, improve recommendations systems, and customer retention?
Monitor transactions	How to optimize risk using a more precise calculation process?	How to keep relevancy in the portfolio based on market changes?	How to assess false alerts and suspicious notifications?
Customer retentions	How to improve risks analysis?	How to avoid customer churns?	How to maximize customer engagement?

In short, dependency on classical computers for the execution of operations linked with optimization, prediction, and simulation is not a good idea. Because it needs high power and high performance, and classical computers are unable to provide both. Finance industry needs supercomputers like quantum computers to process accurate data within seconds.

In a recent live discussion, a panel of experts discussed the value of quantum computing, quantum strategies, and the industry’s quantum readiness to adopt it. SGInnovate had initiated the session with the support of the High Commission of Canada.

Quantum computers have the potential to solve real and complex problems by offering better solutions. Various algorithms and methods have been used to provide specific solutions based on each problem. For instance, sampling methods are the best way to resolve the simulation problems as quantum computers need fewer samples than classical samples. Similarly, other algorithms have been used along with quantum computers to solve problems related to optimization, simulation, and machine learning.

Positive Impacts of Quantum Computing #

After discussing the problems and understanding that quantum-based solutions can solve these real-world banking problems, you can measure the benefits of quantum computing in finance. Here are some of the benefits quantum computing could offer the finance industry:

Reducing regulatory penalty costs
Avoiding human labor
Improving customer retention, interaction, and satisfaction
Increasing financial activities so fast
Improving cash flow
Reducing capital needs
Offering new investment methods
Effective risk identification and management

IBM has also pointed out these benefits after adopting quantum computing. The company has classified the use cases for finance industries into three areas: targeting and prediction, trading optimization, and risk profiling. We can consider these benefits, a positive impact of quantum computing, which lowers the risks in finance industry because of uncertainties.

Side Effects of Quantum Computing in Finance #

Cryptography is a well-known security method in finance. Symmetric keys, asymmetric keys (public keys), and hashing cryptography algorithms have protected sensitive banking data and provided integrity security checks. All these are unbreakable and secured if it is used through conventional computers and advanced hardware systems. Although, the same security algorithms become vulnerable and risky if superpower quantum machines would use them.

The quantum computers one characteristic: solving mathematical problems exponentially faster than the conventional computer, makes the standard cryptographic algorithms outdated and reduces the strength of public keys and hashes. In other words, a quantum computer is threatening the most regulated industry and asking to compromise in all aspects: client data, software/websites used for transaction and interaction with clients, and hardware that perform authentications during the payment process.

The leading magazine, Global Banking and Finance Review has pointed that quantum computing threat to cybersecurity. The National Security Agency had already warned of this quantum computing threat in 2016. After this, the agency has started researching new encryption algorithms and data protection methods to defeat the quantum threat. After spending four years, the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s post-quantum cryptography program has been chosen as the first standard to counter quantum decryption threat. This global effort would support overcoming the challenge of quantum threats.

How Are Real Banks Leveraging Quantum Computing #

You have already seen how diverse segments in banking & finance have increased not only data & operations but also realistic problems. When realistic banks found that investment in quantum computers and technologies could solve the intractable problems, they started making decisions. To date, many banks have already leveraged quantum computing to make their complex computing easy.

The leading global resource about quantum technology, The Quantum Daily, has revealed how 11 global banks have adopted quantum technologies. The list covered banks in US, UK, and Japan. JPMorgan Chase & Co., HSBC, City group, Barclay, Goldman Sachs are some names of those financial services firms. Some of them are in the initial stage of quantum programs, whereas some banks have completely adopted to quantum computing methods. According to their study, quantum technologies can solve problems like portfolio volatility optimization and value at risk calculation.

The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) announced a $1.78 million investment for developing advanced cybersecurity systems and privacy tools in 2018. The study is taking place at the University of Waterloo. An enhanced education program, CrypotWorks21, is a part of this research to bring post-quantum cryptosystems to their bank.

Multiple companies and working groups are developing quantum computing systems to support the finance industry. Theworking group, Multiverse Computing, is one of those companies that has already acquired working experience with various banks like Banka, BBVA. The big names like Forbes, McKinsey, IBM, The Economist, and Boston Consulting Group have already declared this company a world leader in quantum computing service offering. [R5] [Vs6]

The company brought Singularity, the first quantum & quantum-inspired toolbox for this industry. Recently, the company has resolved a real-world problem, dynamic portfolio optimization, faced by Banka using D-Wave quantum computers. We can say the problem was known as quantitative finance in simple language, and classical computers could not resolve it. The experts find an optimal trading trajectory for an investment portfolio of assets over time by considering constraints and account transactions.

Final Thought #

Various experts have declared that the era needs quantum computing to solve intractable problems faster. The director of the Quantum Alliance Initiative, Arthur Herman, has also highlighted that Q-Day is on a threshold, and it is taking place of classical computers in his recent article. Here, Q-day refers to a term when large-scale quantum computers can easily calculate prime numbers used in public encryption systems to protect sensitive data of banking, finance, and other significant sectors. Implementing quantum-based solutions is a time-taking and complex process. Multiple software[Vs7] and interfaces are available in the market, which might confuse experts; thus, experts must understand the specific problems first. And then decide the appropriate quantum application to solve the problem. They must be ready to handle challenges as soon as quantum-based solutions would take place at a high level.

Related reading

Changing Dynamics of Healthcare Sector - Quantum Computers

Vin Patel — Wed, 03 Aug 2022 20:49:10 +0000

Key takeaways

The concept of supercomputers working at speeds unimaginable by today’s computers has been around for a long — and while it may seem like science fiction, it is incredibly near to (if not already) becoming a reality.
Precision medicine attempts to personalize preventative and treatment plans for each patient.
While today’s most advanced technology enables the treatment of a wide range of ailments, quantum computing and its tremendous capability may one day allow for the prediction and successful removal of such conditions.

Introduction #

Quantum computing is a trend right now. The concept of supercomputers working at speeds unimaginable by today’s computers has been around for a long — and while it may seem like science fiction, it is incredibly near to (if not already) becoming a reality.

Quantum computing radically changes how we think about the digital world, the world of 0s and 1s, and how data is conveyed in real-time. It also makes grandiose promises of change and revolution – from one industry to the next, from one sector to the next, and from one area to the next. Quantum computing promises to open new possibilities for quicker, more agile, almost dreamlike efficiency in everything from finance to problem-solving and corporate operations — and healthcare is no exception.

But, to fully comprehend the influence quantum computing might have on the field of healthcare, it’s necessary first to understand how quantum computing works.

You might be wondering how quantum computers vary from the computers you’re familiar with. It turns out that the distinction between the two is rather significant. Ordinary computers work based on certainty: everything is black or white, and data is represented as a series of bits, or 0s and 1s. The bits in today’s computers can only have two states: 0 or 1. Because of its dual character, the system is sometimes referred to as binary.

The situation with quantum computers, on the other hand, is somewhat different. Quantum computers work in the opposite way that traditional computers do: they rely on process uncertainty and probability. Quantum computers employ quits instead of bits, which may be in many states at the same time. Instead of having a distinct location, quits might be either 0 or 1 or both, a phenomenon known as “superposition.”

Insights #

Traditional computers process data in a fundamentally different way than quantum computers. Prior developments in computer technology, such as integrated circuits, allowed for quicker computation, but they were still dependent on traditional information processing. Quantum computers are capable of manipulating quantum bits (quits).

Unlike conventional bits, which can only store information like 0 or 1, quantum bits can exhibit unique quantum characteristics like entanglement. Consequently, quantum algorithms that can outperform their classical counterparts that can’t make use of quantum events may now be built.

Quantum computers may be very effective in solving problems involving: –

Chemistry, machine learning/artificial intelligence (AI), optimization, and simulation challenges are possible options. In reality, quantum computing has the potential to improve machine learning, and the two are working together to accelerate quantum progress
Complex interdependencies and correlations among a large number of highly linked components, such as molecular structures with numerous electrons interacting
Scaling limitations of applicable classical algorithms are inherent. For example, when modeling the temporal evolution of quantum systems, the resource needs of conventional methods may grow exponentially with issue size.

Using quantum computers in conjunction with conventional computers in healthcare and other industries is expected to provide significant benefits that classical computing alone cannot provide. As a result, a race to develop quantum applications has begun. Three important quantum use cases that are crucial to the healthcare industry’s continuing transformation are as follows:

1. Appropriate Diagnosis: Diagnose patients quickly, correctly, and effectively #

Diagnoses made early, accurately, and efficiently typically result in better results and lower treatment costs. When colon cancer is detected early, survival chances rise by a factor of nine, and treatment expenses drop by a factor of four. At the same time, existing diagnostics are difficult and expensive for a wide variety of diseases.

Even after a diagnosis has been made, estimates show that it is incorrect 5–20 percent of the time. Over the last century, medical imaging methods such as CT, MRI, and X-ray scans have become critical diagnostic tools for practitioners. Methods for computer-assisted identification and diagnosis of medical pictures are constantly evolving. At the same time, noise, poor resolution, and limited replicability affect many of these pictures.

The necessity to follow stringent safety standards is one of the causes of these difficulties. Quantum computing has the potential to enhance medical image analysis, as well as processing stages like edge detection and picture matching. These enhancements would vastly improve image-assisted diagnosis. Furthermore, single-cell techniques may be used in current diagnostic procedures. Flow cytometry and single-cell sequencing data, in particular, sometimes necessitate complex analysis approaches, especially when integrating results from multiple techniques.

2. Precision Medicine: Personalized interventions/treatments keep individuals healthy #

Precision medicine attempts to personalize preventative and treatment plans for each patient. Individualized medicine necessitates considering elements that go much beyond traditional medical care due to the complexity of human biology. The interdependencies and correlations among these many components provide daunting computational hurdles in terms of improving treatment efficacy.

As a result of this individual heterogeneity, many current treatments fail to reach their intended benefits. Only a third of patients react to drug-based cancer treatments, for example. Medication treatments can have devastating results in some circumstances; up to 200,000 people die each year in Europe owing to severe drug responses.

Proactivity is an essential component in tailoring medical treatments. Early treatments and preventative interventions, as previously stated, have a solid tendency to enhance outcomes and save costs. Based on EHRs, traditional machine learning has shown the potential to forecast the risk of future illnesses for various patient categories. However, problems remain due to the characteristics of EHRs and other health-related data, such as the degree of noise, the extent of the relevant feature space, and the intricacy of relationships among the features. This implies that quantum-enhanced machine learning approaches, both supervised and unsupervised, may be able to provide earlier, more accurate, and granular risk forecasts.

3. Insurance Premiums and Price Optimization #

The method of determining health insurance rates is complicated. In creating a general pricing strategy, a health plan must consider several variables.

Complex interdependencies such as population health levels and disease risks, treatment appropriateness and costs, and the risk exposure a health plan is willing and able to tolerate based on business strategy and laws are among them. While traditional data science approaches have helped health plans make significant progress in this area, developing more granular models with reduced uncertainty remains a challenge. Risk analysis is one central area where quantum computing might assist in optimizing pricing.

Quantum computing might aid in determining a patient’s risk of developing a specific medical ailment. Health plans may enhance risk and pricing models by integrating these insights about illness risk at the population level with quantum risk models that can compute financial risk more effectively.

Potential Applications: #

In the era of quantum computing, healthcare companies are projected to gain significant commercial and scientific benefits. Aside from the advantages listed above, this powerful technology may also provide other benefits, such as recruiting people interested in working with next-generation technology. Early movers are expected to profit from quantum advantage, which is likely to be proprietary. Healthcare businesses can have the following potential applications:

· Enlist the help of quantum champions. Identify, empower, and employ quantum advocates in your business, including IT and healthcare experts. They can act as a focal point for bridging the gap between quantum knowledge and healthcare needs. These quantum champions remain current with quantum advancements and push quantum initiatives inside the company.

· Investigate and prioritize. Examine possible quantum use cases and rank the ones that will have the most impact on your company. This includes figuring out where quantum computing fits into your business and technological plans. Update your prioritized use cases over time based on the most recent company strategy and quantum computing advancements.

· Experiment with actual quantum computers and implement critical quantum applications. This will help you to get a quantum advantage while also providing hands-on entablement to your staff. These actions should be taken in a step-by-step manner. Joining a quantum ecosystem, a community of industrial and technology participants that share risks and profits in pursuing similar quantum computing goals can help you achieve them faster.

Conclusion #

Overall, quantum computing’s processing capacity opens the door to a goal that the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors have long coveted. Instead of being reactive and delayed, the objective is to be proactive and preventative. While today’s most advanced technology enables the treatment of a wide range of ailments, quantum computing and its tremendous capability may one day allow for the prediction and successful removal of such conditions. The volume of data created daily and the quantity of particular patient data currently accessible will provide fertile ground for quantum machines to work and offer important and in-depth analyses that will aid in curing and avoiding illnesses.

Related reading

Advancing Healthcare with Medical Image Processing

Vin Patel — Wed, 03 Aug 2022 12:34:50 +0000

Key takeaways

Artificial intelligence has been a far-fetched goal of computing since the advent of the computer, but new cognitive computing models may be getting us closer than ever.
The application, in general, enables users to interact with MRI, CT, and other forms of medical imaging data in a number of ways, including the development of models using CAD-designed implants and equipment.
Computers will expand our knowledge and talents when they attain the capacity to think like humans.

Introduction #

Artificial intelligence has been a far-fetched goal of computing since the advent of the computer, but new cognitive computing models may be getting us closer than ever.

The results of cognitive computing, a fusion of cognitive science (the study of the human brain and how it functions) with computer technology, will have far-reaching ramifications in our daily lives, healthcare, industry, and more. One such important fields of study is Medical Image Processing which has aided in advancing the healthcare industry.

What is Medical Image Processing? #

Medical image processing is the study and application of three-dimensional image files of the human body, typically obtained from a computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner, to diagnose diseases, guide medical procedures such as surgery planning, or for research purposes. Radiologists, engineers, and doctors employ medical image processing to better comprehend the anatomy of individual patients or groups of patients.

How Cognitive Computing Has Made It Possible #

Artificial intelligence (AI) and cognitive computing breakthroughs have had a substantial influence on medical imaging in recent years. Deep learning and other advanced AI algorithms have a wide range of applications in medical image processing and analysis, including image reconstruction, tumor detection, feature extraction, segmentation, and classification, as well as wound healing assessment and detecting cardiovascular abnormalities. The Image Processing

System has a vast range of benefits.

What Are The Benefits of Medical Image Processing? #

The main benefit of medical image processing is that it allows for in-depth but non-invasive investigation of internal anatomy. In order to improve patient treatment outcomes, develop better medical equipment and medicine delivery systems, and arrive at more accurate diagnoses, 3D models of the anatomies of interest can be built and investigated. It has become one of the most essential tools for medical advancement in recent years.

The higher image quality, along with better software tools, enables for exact digital restoration of anatomical structures of diverse sizes and properties, such as bone and soft tissues. Measurement, statistical analysis, and the creation of simulation models with correct anatomical geometries, for example, provide for a better understanding of interactions between human anatomy and medical technology.

How Does Medical Image Processing Work? #

The initial stage in medical image processing is to extract raw data from CT or MRI scans and rebuild it into a format that can be used in appropriate software. A common input for image processing is a 3D bitmap of greyscale intensities with a vowel (3D pixels) grid. The strength of signals from proton particles during relaxation and after the application of extremely high magnetic fields determines the greyscale intensity in a CT scan; however, the greyscale intensity in an MRI is determined by the strength of signals from proton particles during relaxation and after the application of extremely high magnetic fields.

Medical users frequently modify the rebuilt image volume to segment out and change specific anatomical regions of interest, such as tissue and bone. At the 2D and 3D levels, users may perform a variety of image processing tasks, including:

Image filters are used to reduce and remove undesirable noise and artefacts.
Cropping and resampling input data to make picture processing easier and faster
Automated approaches based on AI-based machine learning algorithms are being used to detect distinct anatomical areas utilizing segmentation tools.
Using measurement and statistical techniques to quantify various aspects of picture data, such as centerlines
Importing CAD models of implants or medical equipment in order to investigate how they interact with specific anatomies.
Exporting models for physics-based simulation, further design work, or 3D printing actual duplicates of the anatomy in question

Where & When Does Medical Image Processing Fit In The Product Portfolio? #

Simpleware software provides a wide range of medical applications, from fundamental research through multiple clinical processes. The application, in general, enables users to interact with MRI, CT, and other forms of medical imaging data in a number of ways, including the development of models using CAD-designed implants and equipment. Simpleware ScanIP’s capabilities, for example, are used by device engineers to tackle problems like organizing surgical procedures and analyzing the efficacy of alternative implant designs, as well as exporting models for simulation and design.

Cognitive Robotics goes beyond medical image processing #

After medical image data has been processed, Simpleware ScanIP comes with a variety of add-on modules that allow you to do more with it. Customizing steps and automating time-consuming or repetitive tasks are also options. Users in the medical field, for example, can:

For 3D printing, export STL files from processed medical pictures.
For size and location, combine CAD-designed implants with anatomical imaging data.
Create volume meshes for physics simulations using Finite Element and Computational Fluid Dynamics, such as impact or stress and strain.
Continue product development by translating processed picture data into CAD-friendly NURBS and interfacing with popular CAD software.

Putting Medical Image Processing into Practice #

Patient-specific hemodynamic models of difficult aortic dissections, developed at University College London to better comprehend life-threatening vascular illnesses, provide a fantastic example of how medical image processing works recently. To analyze CT scans and create models suitable for CFD analysis using Simpleware software, the following methods were followed:

Aortic dissection CT images are collected from patient-specific instances.
Simpleware ScanIP is used to rebuild patient geometry, which includes noise processing and segmentation of regions of interest such the dissected aorta and branches.
Smoothing procedures are carried out automatically using scripting to reduce pixelation artefacts.
Surface models of the dissected aorta are created and loaded into ANSYS® software for CFD simulations, which include intraluminal pressure and wall shear-stress-based indices.
The outcomes of the simulation provide hemodynamic information that may be utilized to aid future clinical understanding.

Conclusion #

We now have personal digital assistants (such as Sir and Google) on our phones and computers, but they are not genuinely cognitive systems; they have a pre-programmed set of responses and can only respond to a limited number of requests. However, in the not-too-distant future, we will be able to talk to our phones, computers, autos, and smart homes and receive a true, meaningful answer rather than one that has been pre-programmed.

Computers will expand our knowledge and talents when they attain the capacity to think like humans. We are on the verge of entering an era in which computers may augment human intelligence and knowledge in whole new ways, much like the protagonists of science fiction films rely on computers to make accurate forecasts, gather data, and draw conclusions.

Related reading

Edge Computing and 5G: The relationship

Vin Patel — Mon, 04 Jul 2022 11:34:17 +0000

Key takeaways

Taking compute and data to the edge is steadily gaining momentum.
Great CommunicationIn a typical IoT scenario, a large amount of data might be generated.
It also enables businesses to leverage successful examples of application and guarantees that technology evolves organically through use.

Taking compute and data to the edge is steadily gaining momentum. But with today’s data explosion and evolution of end devices, network infrastructures that can handle large data volumes and increasingly complex edge devices are in high demand. The combination of 5G and edge computing appears to be the answer to this problem.

Edge Computing and 5G #

A symbiotic link between 5G and edge computing technologies can support a new generation of smart devices and apes. 5G’s improved capabilities can boost computer applications by lowering latency, enhancing application response times, and expanding data collection and processing capabilities.

With the increased number and capabilities of edge devices, the Internet of Things (IoT) devices are becoming increasingly complex. Because they can collect numerous types of data, IoT devices are becoming increasingly complicated. The data created by these devices raises the demand for underlying data to help organizations stay on top of trends, predict new products and services, and gain a competitive advantage.

Every day, humans generate more than 2.5 exabytes of data. Consider sending a 1.7 megabytes per second route to be processed for everyone on the planet. This can put the network under a lot of strain, resulting in performance issues, including latency, back-to-back delays, and bandwidth abuse. The necessity for 5G and the computer edge to function together is reinforced by large volumes of data, the difficulty of transporting data, and the inefficiencies of remote computing.

Furthermore, because the COVID-19 outbreak has caused traditional employment patterns to change, there are additional responsibilities for surrounding equipment. With the increasing quality of computer cases and data requirements, this design necessitates a short control loop to meet near real-time reaction requirements. As a result, 5G network infrastructure can support and enhance cold complexity and expertise in edge computing.

Benefits of the Relationship Between 5G and Edge Computing #

Low LatencyTo achieve ultra-low latency across a wide range of devices and operational situations, the combination of 5G and edge computing is necessary. 5G pairing and edge computing address the growing demand for high-reliability and low-latency connections for smart industrial applications, healthcare, smart transportation, smart grid, entertainment, and media.

One millisecond is the minimal latency offered by 5G, with the restriction that one millisecond is only radio latency. End-users may be more concerned with device-to-device latency, and distance is the most straightforward way to calculate this latency. The resultant long-distance optical transmission in 5G is the sum of the device-to-device latency.

This allows us to compare the current situation to the previous 2G/3G/4G situation. Fiber transmission latency, according to OpenSignal’s analysis, is meaningless across the whole spectrum of device-to-device latency in the 2G period. This indicates that the total number of latency is calculated by the radio latency.

This percentage has risen to 60% in the 5G era. Device latency and detailed user experience can be affected by fire and location transmission. As a result, it should embrace supplying local services to lower the proportion of transmissions across all of its assets when low 5G latency needs to be better exploited. Computing technologies will aid the development of mobile edge computing at the IT edge, which can address this need. 2. High BandwidthThe high bandwidth of 5G is another important feature. Users, on the other hand, would be able to witness more vibrant video and enjoy depth sensitivity at up to 10GB per second. On the company’s side, the cost of cloud deployment rises dramatically, and building public network capacity for users is difficult. You must examine the network architecture and determine how traffic will be routed from the midrange cloud to the high-end cloud.

The technological success of 5G networks is aided by the link between 5G and edge computing. When working with the millions of devices connected to 5G networks, edge computing makes 5G conceivable.

All of these devices would send data directly to the cloud if they didn’t use edge computing. This will also push the demand for cloud transfer bandwidth to new heights, putting 5G networks to the test. 3. Great CommunicationIn a typical IoT scenario, a large amount of data might be generated. Resources are wasted if all data is transmitted to the cloud for processing. When the data is pre-processed in the middle, the downstream feedback can be swiftly built to complete the IoT system’s closed loop. Simultaneously, scalable data can be combined to form IoT swarm intelligence. The utilization of terminal computer services is the focal point here. As a result of the preceding study, the following conclusions can be drawn: 5G support capabilities will become the primary driving force for mobile edge computing development. 4. Real-time PerformanceBusinesses can collect large volumes of real-time data and analyze it to boost productivity and customer experience across a range of applications using 5G and edge computing, enabling them to process and analyze large amounts of data.

Organizations can get closer to the real-time performance of essential applications by doing analysis and processing close to where the data is created. 5. Development of Rising Applied SciencesThe advancement of applied sciences such as artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), machine learning (ML), and digital reality (DR) requires extremely rapid connections for information processing at the edge. These advancements in applied science are significant because they have the potential to revolutionize entire industries and enable endless creativity if new goals can be met.

5G and edge computing, particularly by bringing computers closer to information, are driving innovation since it allows for the integration of artificial intelligence and seamless machine learning, opening new possibilities for business situations. It also opens the door to IoT possibilities.

As technological and social challenges are minimized, combining 5G with edge computing and its impact on AI, ML, and IoT makes smart cities more viable and provides a foundation for innovation.

Telemedicine is another area where 5G and edge computing can help to eliminate constrained transmission. In addition, industrial automation entails learning from the most efficient and inventive solutions. Manufacturing may eventually appreciate the value of a well-designed and clever supply chain in increasing efficiency.

Potential Drawbacks #

Large attack surface:

The attack surface will grow when 5G confinement application cases become more common. As the possibilities of a successful attack increase, this appears to be a sensible way to scare the character.

Complexity:

Companies may try to use technology but fall short of meeting regulatory standards, financial performance, and underlying technical concerns like scope, rate of change, and variability.

Modular Ecosystem: #

Ecosystem communication has become unmanageable as a result of its dynamic nature. As a result, there are numerous options to explore for various budgets and degrees of performance and control.

Enterprise Use Cases #

Virtual and Augmented Reality:Employees from various sectors can exchange and use the same physical products, allowing corporate purchasers to benefit from engrained real-time interactions. Smart mirrors can also assist ART employees in changing assembly, maintenance, operation, and referral instructions, allowing them to complete their responsibilities more quickly.

New staff can be trained using augmented reality and virtual reality headsets. You can learn to accomplish a variety of activities and tasks with few errors. In marketing and promotion, 5G edge supports AR and VR, giving potential buyers an intuitive preview of products and services. Users can, for example, take a virtual tour of a real building or location and put on clothing and cosmetics. 2. ManufacturingOil and gas development, food and beverage, and consumer products are all affected by edge computing and 5G. Edge computing can be used in distributed and remote areas. These locations can use 5G to connect to independent systems. Infrastructure can also be improved to ensure that these locations can manage 5G data needs.

Environmental monitoring of food and beverage goods to maintain the freshness of perishable products is another edge computing and 5G deployment. Edge systems can be included in the manufacture of consumer items by adjusting structured production statistics. Using private networks, these edge systems can connect to channel partners.

Moving Forward With 5G and Edge Computing #

From a technological and business standpoint, businesses can begin to comprehend the value and effect of 5G and edge computing. They can then identify 5G and edge computing issues and possibilities that will assist them in winning or losing.

The development of 5G plans and edge computing at this stage will help ensure that the expected operational circumstances are not only business-specific but also technology-specific. It also enables businesses to leverage successful examples of application and guarantees that technology evolves organically through use.

Related reading

Edge Computing - The Key To IoT Success

Vin Patel — Mon, 04 Jul 2022 11:06:50 +0000

Key takeaways

Edge computing systems are accelerating the invention or assistance of real-time applications.
Further sensor data, image technologies, and the need to correlate all of this results in terabytes and megabytes of data being generated each second.
As these technologies are embraced by many sectors in the IoT ecosystem, there is still a lot to discover about them.

#

The manner in which organizations manage data, interpret it, and distribute it via millions of devices across the world is changing, owing to edge computing. The primary reason behind this widespread advancement in the field of edge computing is IoT or the Internet of Things. Edge-computing systems are being driven by the increasing proliferation of internet-connected gadgets (the IoT), as well as new software that demands real-time computing services.

Edge computing systems are accelerating the invention or assistance of real-time applications. These are video and graphics processing, analytic, self-driving cars, cognitive computing, artificial intelligence, and robotics, to name a few.

IoT - The First Wave of Edge Computing #

Edge computing has recently gained a lot of attention as a source of potential. Bold concepts like “the edge will devour the cloud” and “real-time automation will extend throughout healthcare, commerce, and manufacturing” are circulating in the business.

Experts agree that edge computing will serve a critical role in just about every company’s digital transformation. However, development has been sluggish. Organizations have been hesitant to fully utilize the edge for real-time decision-making and resource utilization due to outdated perceptions.

The concept of the edge has been closely identified with the initial wave of the Internet of Things in various sectors. Much of the focus at the time was on gathering data from little sensors mounted to everything and then transmitting that data to a central point, such as the cloud or major data center.

After then, the data flow had to be linked into what is known as sensor-fusion. Sensor economies, battery life, and pervasiveness at the time frequently resulted in data streams that were too narrow and had inadequate quality. Furthermore, upgrading old equipment with sensors was sometimes prohibitively expensive. While the sensors themselves were affordable, the installation took time and needed the use of qualified individuals.

Finally, the knowledge base of the workforce across enterprises was integrated with the skills required to interpret data utilizing sensor fusion. As a result, IoT adoption has slowed.

How Can Edge Computing Benefit Internet of Things? #

Processing power closer to the physical device or data source helps to improve the Internet of Things. The data which the IoT devices create must be examined at the edge, rather than travelling back to a central site, in order for it to respond faster or reduce issues.

For the data and computational demands of IoT devices, edge computing provides a local source of processing and storage. Here are some of the advantages that we derive from combining IoT with an edge:

Reduced Latency #

In cases where latency is an issue, edge computing can help. Since it does not travel over a network to the cloud or data center for processing, it minimizes latency. The time it takes to process and analyze data is referred to as latency. A connected device’s reaction time to the internet is less than a second. The answer may be delayed or halted in numerous scenarios.

It occurs when there is a problem with the internet connection or when the data center is located far away from the device. In such instances, the data processing speed is slowed. In order to compensate for the delay of data transmission across long distances, computational resources should be local.

Bandwidth

Cloud computing is used by businesses to handle and analyze large volumes of data. For the purpose of transferring data to the cloud, large quantities of electricity and bandwidth are required in the case of IoT. To gather and analyze data, IoT devices that create data and run software need to be linked to the cloud. Businesses may use edge computing to reduce their internet bandwidth use. Large volumes of data may be managed in close proximity to the source.

Another issue that companies had to deal with was the cost of operation. IoT devices create massive amounts of data and deliver minor updates to the cloud that aren’t essential. Because this procedure needs more bandwidth, the cost of bandwidth rises. The cost of the gadget to get to that bandwidth and the price of storage and analysis rises. This data may be collected and analyzed locally before being sent to the cloud via edge computing. It will be far less expensive than transmitting unfiltered data across expensive WAN networks.

Underlying Security Issues in IoT #

Organizations are committed to protecting the privacy of their essential data, regardless of the fact that the cloud provides great protection for their IoT applications. They fear that the data will be insecure once it reaches the cloud and departs their company’s premises. Edge computing can overcome this very obstacle by introducing additional security at the edge. This will increase the security of data storage and operations against hackers and assaults. Security can be adjusted on edge devices, for example, any outage will be limited to that particular device and its applications.

Taking IoT 1.0 to the Next Level #

The edge is present in every aspect of our lives: where we reside, operate, and where human activities take place. Improved and far more flexible sensors have overcome the problem of sparse sensor coverage. New assets and technologies come with a variety of built-in sensors. Sensors are now frequently supplemented with high-resolution/high-fidelity images (x-ray equipment, liar).

Further sensor data, image technologies, and the need to correlate all of this results in terabytes and megabytes of data being generated each second. Compute firepower is increasingly being installed near where the data is created to drive outcomes from these massive data flows.

The explanation is quite simple: between the edge site and the cloud, there is just insufficient bandwidth and time. In the short term, the data at the edge is most important. Data may now be evaluated and used in real-time at the edge rather than being processed and analyzed later in the cloud. Computing at the edge is required to achieve the next level of efficiency and operational excellence.

Proper understanding of massive data streams across a large number of geographically scattered sites is what the edge is all about. To properly comprehend what is now possible with edge computing, one must embrace this new perspective of the edge.

The Present Scenario of Edge Computing #

Instead of a few sensors at the edge, data may now be generated from a large number of sensors and cameras. Following this, the data is then evaluated at the edge using computers that are thousands of times more powerful than those used only two decades ago — all at affordable prices.

Real-time edge analytic is now a reality because of the availability of high-core-count CPUs and GPUs, as well as high-throughput networking and high-resolution cameras. Companies may better understand their processes and respond faster by deploying real-time analytic at the edge (where business action occurs). Some basic benefits of edge computing for IoT are:

Increased operational efficiency and faster reaction times.
Network bandwidth has been increased.
When a network connection is lost, the system continues to operate offline.
Analytic algorithms and machine learning provide local data processing, aggregation, and quick decision-making.
An IoT gateway can send data back to the cloud or a centralized data center from the edge, or it can deliver data to edge equipment to be processed locally.

By 2023, more than half of the new company IT infrastructure deployed will be at the edge rather than business data centers, rising from less than 10% now. By 2024, the number of applications installed at the edge will have increased 800%.

Anti-fraud Measures in Supermarkets #

Self-checkout is now widely used in supermarkets, and sadly, it has resulted in an upsurge in fraud. A shady shopper might exchange a lower-priced bar code for higher-priced goods, resulting in a lesser charge. Stores are increasingly deploying high-powered cameras to identify this form of fraud by comparing scanned products and weights to what they should be. Despite the fact that these cameras are very affordable, they create a large amount of data. Data may be evaluated in real-time by bringing computers to the edge. This implies that instead of waiting until the “buyer” has exited the parking lot, shops may identify fraud in real-time.

Food Production Monitoring System Using IoT #

At each stage of the manufacturing process, a manufacturing plant may now be outfitted with a slew of cameras and sensors. Real-time analysis and AI-driven inference can indicate if something is incorrect or if the process is straying in milliseconds, if not microseconds. Perhaps a camera indicates that too much sugar is being added or that an item is being covered with too many garnishes. Production lines may be modified to halt the drift or even stopped if repairs are needed, utilizing cameras and real-time analysis — all without generating disastrous wastage.

Edge AI in the Healthcare Industry #

The current healthcare business is being shaped by edge computing. As previously stated, there are several advantages to using Edge AI. It may be extremely important for both patients and healthcare practitioners in the healthcare business. It provides autonomous monitoring of hospital rooms and patients using computer vision and data from other sensors.

Consider the case of an accident due to fall detection. Several wearable now have the capacity to detect whether a person falls unexpectedly by utilizing particular technology. These gadgets’ edge AI can be trained to detect falls in real-time and even notify caretakers. In most circumstances, this can save a person’s life.

Role of Edge Computing in Autonomous Vehicles #

Autonomous cars are now conceivable because of affordable and widely accessible cameras that provide 360-degree stereoscopic vision. Analytic also enables accurate picture identification, allowing the computer to distinguish between a tumbleweed and the neighbor’s cat – and determine whether it’s safe to stop or steer past the obstruction. The real-time pattern recognition and vector planning that is the driving intellect of autonomous cars is enabled by the cost, availability, and compactness of the high-powered GPUs and CPUs.

The Future of Edge Computing in IoT #

IoT, or the Internet of Things, is driving the demand for Edge Computing due to very useful applications. Edge computing helps to bring the cloud closer to the edge of the network. Edge Computing is not a replacement for the cloud; rather, the two work together in a symbiotic way. Despite the fact that several companies are creating tools to manage this new infrastructure, there is still no standardization. Edge Computing will undoubtedly continue to expand and become increasingly common. As these technologies are embraced by many sectors in the IoT ecosystem, there is still a lot to discover about them.

Related reading

How Artificial Intelligence is Evolving the Future

Vin Patel — Thu, 17 Mar 2022 22:52:22 +0000

Key takeaways

Across industries, artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing how we communicate, consume information, and receive goods and services.
This is done by collecting data from numerous previously segregated sources, such as linked medical records, home devices, and, increasingly, non-medical data, that remained separated in 2020.
After a decade, we can see all of these and more applications of AI in improving healthcare.

Across industries, artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing how we communicate, consume information, and receive goods and services. AI is already transforming the patient experience, how physicians practice medicine, and how the pharmaceutical sector operates in health care. The quest has only just begun.

What Role Does Artificial Intelligence Play in Healthcare? #

AI Solutions For Doctors #

A variety of AI applications are already being utilized by providers to “improve human performance on cognitive activities.”

For example, by evaluating data and applying machine learning algorithms to diagnosis and treatment plans, AI is assisting doctors with decision support or even making decisions for them.

Two examples of existent applications in this area are:

Diagnostic imaging interpretation: Medical imaging devices enabled with AI is now integrated with some algorithms that make image reading faster and more accurate using deep learning and categorization technologies. This includes X-rays, CT scans, MRI tests, and others.

Precision health: It is a newer AI Solution as compared to other solutions out there. It is based on patient data which is obtained through genetic information, wearable gadgets, and advanced electronic health systems which focus on preventive care. Such technologies can identify potential threats and recommend preventive measures which are based on the patient’s information, such as their lifestyle, their biometric healthcare data, and also their environment.

AI-assisted Patient Care #

With a rising emphasis on patient experience and involvement in healthcare, it is only natural that AI has been adapted to assist both patients and providers. Patients now have more authority and influence over their care courses thanks to the adoption of AI-enabled interfaces.

Here are two instances of patient remedies that make use of artificial intelligence:

Virtual health assistants: With the use of augmented reality, speech and body recognition technologies, and cognitive computing, patients can interact with the virtual persona built for them. Such virtual health assistants provide a more tailored experience for the patients. It helps in making them learn how to better manage their health.

Customer service bots in healthcare: This AI application is an interactive chatbot that responds to patient remarks and queries about administrative issues such as bill payment, appointment scheduling, and medicine refills. It uses natural language processing, concept extraction methods, and sentiment analysis to provide the given features to the patients.

We know that when patients are engaged in their care, they do a better job of managing their chronic diseases and their outcomes improve, yet remaining in regular communication with individual patients adds a time-consuming strain to already overburdened medical personnel.

What Does The Future Hold? #

As with any rapidly evolving technology, predicting what the future holds for AI can be difficult at times. What is known is that medical data is becoming more digitalized and standardized, implying the availability of huge, mufti-site, or even multinational data pools with consistent information. Machine learning will become even more capable of automating a growing number of jobs when trained with this plethora of data, boosting both the precision and variety of such systems.

Because AI algorithms might also additionally research indefinitely, customers withinside the future will automatically gain from operations they did in the past, supplying their patient’s consent to proportion this information. Systems will routinely adapt to their environment and enhance with every passing day.

AI can now find patterns in massive volumes of data that are too subtle or complex for humans to see. This is done by collecting data from numerous previously segregated sources, such as linked medical records, home devices, and, increasingly, non-medical data, that remained separated in 2020.

The first key consequence in 2030 will be the ability of health systems to deliver fully proactive, predictive healthcare.

Predictive Care Enabled By AI #

AI and predictive analytic assist us to apprehend greater approximately the numerous factors in our lives that affect our health, which includes wherein we’re born, what we eat, where we work, what our nearby air pollutants degrees are, and whether or not we’ve got get entry to secure housing and a solid income.

By 2030, healthcare structures might be capable of are expecting while someone is vulnerable to growing a persistent condition, for example, and propose preventative steps before the disease worsens. Diabetes, congestive heart failure, and COPD are all on the decline as a result of this advancement.

Connected Hospitals Mean Connected Care #

Along with predictive care comes another innovation in terms of where that care is delivered. A hospital by 2030 will no longer be a large structure that treats a wide range of diseases; instead, it’s going to focus on the seriously unwell and enormously complicated procedures, whilst much less pressing instances are monitored and handled via smaller hubs and spokes, inclusive of retail clinics, same-day surgical treatment centers, professional remedy clinics, or even people’s homes.

A shared digital infrastructure connects these areas. This network, in addition to employing AI to identify patients in danger of deterioration, can also reduce bottlenecks in the system and guarantee that patients and healthcare professionals are guided to where they can be best cared for or where they are most needed.

Location is now not the glue that holds this community together. Instead, it’s far the reviews of the people it serves with a view to deciding the 1/3 essential distinction in 2030.

Better Patients-staff Relation #

For patients, research has long demonstrated that they can have a direct impact on whether or not they recover.

In 2030, AI-powered predictive healthcare networks are assisting in the reduction of wait times, the development of personnel workflows, and the remedy of the ever-growing administrative burden.

AI produces experiences that adapt to the professional and the patient by learning from each patient, diagnosis, and operation. This now no longer most effective improves fitness outcomes, however additionally decreases expert shortages and burnout, permitting the gadget to be financially sustainable.

This system spans communities, connecting people, locations, hardware, software, and services to form true networks of care that improve lifelong health and well-being.

Conclusion #

With a slew of difficulties to address, driven by well-documented factors such as an aging population and rising rates of chronic disease, the need for more innovative healthcare solutions is evident.

Despite the significant media attention, AI-powered solutions have taken minor efforts toward tackling major concerns, but have yet to make a big overall impact on the global healthcare industry. If several critical difficulties are addressed in the coming years, it has the potential to play a leadership role in how future healthcare systems run, augmenting clinical resources and assuring optimal patient outcomes. The ideas discussed above are not far from becoming accomplished. After a decade, we can see all of these and more applications of AI in improving healthcare.

Related reading

At 50.6% CAGR, Blockchain Technology In Healthcare Market

Vin Patel — Tue, 15 Feb 2022 22:05:30 +0000

Key takeaways

Blockchain technology is amongst the crucial as well as troublesome technologies across the globe.
Nonetheless, the scarcity of a primary entity & mutual bunch of standards may impede the market development.
- The Industrial report Solution offers you the answer to the above-quoted query regarding Blockchain Technology in the Healthcare industry.

The Extent of Global Blockchain Technology in Healthcare Industry Report #

Blockchain technology is amongst the crucial as well as troublesome technologies across the globe. There is a rise of blockchain technology in several businesses to innovate the manner they operate. Amongst the businesses that are hoping to acquire the blockchain is the healthcare market. A blockchain could be described as a time-stamped procession of inflexible lists of information that is governed by a clump of desktop that isn’t possessed by a sole entity.

All of these blocks of information are conserved and constrained to each other by utilizing cryptographic tenets. Blockchain technology has the power to revamp the health industry, positioning the patient amid the healthcare environment and expanding the protection, secrecy, and proper interpretation and usage of health information. It can deliver a fresh prototype for health information exchanges (HIE) by creating electronic medical data further productive, protected, and disintermediated.

Crucial industry competitors of blockchain technology in the healthcare industries, are as follows:

Microsoft
IBM
Hashed Health
Simplyvital Health
Chronicled
Blockpharma
Medicalchain
Pokitdok
Farmatrust
Patientory
Guard time
Factor
Gem
Solve

Heightening Hazard of Counterfeit Drugs is Amongst the Crucial Aspects Overseeing the Market Enhancement #

Heightening occurrences of data leaks, to lessen drug copy as well as strategic endeavors seized by the crucial competitors are the main components propelling the expansion of this industry. Artificial medicines are on the rise, massacring an anticipated 1 million people every year. For instance; The WHO assesses that approximately 10% of medications across the globe are artificial and that this percentage is as huge as around 30% in specific regions of Latin America, Asia, as well as Africa.

Therefore, the OECD has surmised that the phony medicine business is worth approximately in the range of around $200bn per year? for relation, the illegal medication trade is worth approximately $246bn.

As a result of how profitable the fake medication industry nowadays is, it has peaked subjective growth recently, rendering Interpol report a nine-fold growth in the amount of fake drugs delivered in the year 2011?14. Blockchain invention, popular for its appeals in ascertaining enormous swathes of data that is tough to supervise, can probably deal with this expanding illicit business by following the growth of drugs.

Also, the thriving demand for an efficient health information supervision system and the growing preponderance of illness are anticipated to establish a large quantity of information and augment the industry expansion. Nonetheless, the scarcity of a primary entity & mutual bunch of standards may impede the market development. Also, leveraging blockchain technology in healthcare data lists will assure that the information couldn’t be distorted to guarantee information integrity.

Blockchain in Technology Healthcare Industry category:

Based on the Type:

Public
Private

Based on the Application:

Clinical Data Exchange and Interoperability
Claims Adjudication and Billing Management
Supply Chain Management and several Other Applications.

Based on the End-User:

Healthcare Payers
Pharmaceutical Companies
Healthcare Providers and various additional End Users.

North America is Anticipated to Overwhelm the Blockchain Technology in Healthcare Industry.

North America is anticipated to monopolize the worldwide technology in the healthcare industry in the anticipated duration. As per The United States Census Bureau, exceeding 91.2 Million citizens of the United States were protected by remedial services insurance, out of which Medicaid provided inclusion to the percentage of around 19.4% and Medicare depicted 16.7% and 16.2% benefited protection advantages by direct-buy. To maintain the steady record of insurance proprietor’s insurance agencies can support Blockchain creation in the coming times. The European industry is anticipated to be the 2nd biggest demand for blockchain invention in the civil insurance showcase. The industry advancement in this region could be attributed to the broadening quantity of clinical preliminaries with broadening creative work consumption in the medicinal business, enlarging mindfulness regarding the Blockchain creation in the region, and surging social insurance usage is dependent on to navigate the expansion of the industry.

Asia-Pacific is foreseen to be the sharpest evolving blockchain creation in social insurance publicity in the predicted time attributable to the enhancing non-exclusive drug business in the region, invariably growing attraction in human aids as well as the reception of invention in medicinal assistance.

On particular Provision Blockchain Technology in Healthcare Industry Report is furthermore accessible for the following areas:

U. S, North America, Europe, Canada, France, Sweden, Turkey, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Netherland, Spain, UK, Switzerland, and all the other regions of Europe.
Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Japan, China, Australia, South Korea, India, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Colombia, Brazil, Middle East, and Africa.
UAE, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Egypt, and the remaining region of MEA.
The Industrial report Solution offers you the answer to the above-quoted query regarding Blockchain Technology in the Healthcare industry.

Related reading

Predictive Analytic in Combating Cybercrime

Vin Patel — Fri, 11 Feb 2022 01:30:00 +0000

Key takeaways

Today, cybercrime is a trending word across industries and has become a devastating threat.
Predictive analytic uses the method of attack graphs to handle such a heavy task.
For way better help in cybersecurity, companies can too accomplice with analytic firm to work and imply predictive analytic.

Today, cybercrime is a trending word across industries and has become a devastating threat. Cybercrime is on the rise mostly due to the uncountable and latest range of methods used for attacks. The rapid and dynamic development of methods to assault cybersecurity has made defending the network from this type of crime a harder task. Nevertheless, as an extract of the great saying “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can”.

Predictive analytic has proved to be a ray of hope against cybercrime. Do you think that a prior warning can help prevent these caber-attacks? Fortunately, there is an advanced way of doing so. As a prelude, I would like to introduce you to the concept of predictive analytic.

What is Predictive Analytic? #

Analyzing historical data and using analytical techniques, such as statistical modeling and machine learning, to predict future outcomes is called predictive analytic. Predictive analytic is termed as a solution because it is designed to handle growing volumes of data and simultaneously predict the possibility of an attack. With the aid of sophisticated predictive analytic tools and models, people can predict the future of their businesses. In addition, predictive analytic can be used to detect and cease various types of criminal behavior before they cause serious damage. By studying user behavior and actions, an organization can notice anything out of the ordinary, such as cybercrimes. As predicted outcomes have grown, security professionals have begun to leverage predictive analytic. Individuals run multiple models simultaneously and combine the outcomes to find the most likely result. The greatest preferences of predictive analytic are its capacity to distinguish inconsistencies.

How Predictive Analytic Work? #

The most commonly used methods in predictive analytic include:

Identifying Loopholes in Network #

Cybercrime is a threat to all industries with varying impacts. For example, the methods used for attacking healthcare industries will differ from the methods used in software or aerospace industries. These variations depend on the data available, and it is always an important step to implement ways of protecting data together with restricting cybercrime from taking place. Predictive analytic use tools which are based on identifying network vulnerabilities. These tools help identify and observe malicious activities on a network and use this analysis to anticipate possible threats. It is important that these systems are up to date and specifically capable of identifying sophisticated attacks buried under the heaps of data in order for them to be effective.

Handling Massive Data with Attack Graphs #

Predictive analytic deals with a huge data collection which can be exceptionally difficult to cross through and then process, analyze for required insights. These data results as an overall collection from databases, programs, devices, and servers.

Predictive analytic uses the method of attack graphs to handle such a heavy task. All paths of entry and exit to a cybersecurity network are represented by a caber-attack graph. They delineate ways in which an attacker can misuse the vulnerabilities of a network.

Lists Preventions to Avoid Future Attacks #

Predictive analytic focuses more on preventive future attacks rather than explaining the reason and areas of attack in the past. It provides a smart move for you to identify weak areas along with solutions to identify patterns and detect abnormalities that can be easily avoided with certain preventions to save your data. Predictive analytic combines with hacker bots to detect and monitor network activity. It can also detect immediate irregularities in the data flow.

Predictive Analytic Tools #

Here are three of the most popular predictive analytic tools:

? SAP Predictive Analytic — SAS — Microsoft Azure Machine Learning

These tools use big data, statistical algorithms, and machine learning methods to predict the probability of real-time and future results based on past data. The main objective of predictive analytic tools can be summarized in four points:

? Detect cybercrime — Optimize the operation of network stream — Improve overall performance and protect data — Reduce future risks

Industries Using Predictive Analytic To Prevent Cybercrime #

Predictive analytic is widely used among all industries to improve business with merely a minimum or negligible percentage of existing risk. It is a highly valued technology in industries like Retail, Marketing, Healthcare and Banking. Among these, banking and financial industries use predictive analytic to avoid cybercrimes. There are huge amounts of data and money in the financial industries which face extreme risk on a daily basis. Apart from detecting cyberattacks and protecting data, the banking sector takes the help of predictive analytic for optimizing customer-based decisions, avoiding fraud, enhancing risk management, and providing better customer solutions.

What Does the Future of Predictive Analytic Hold? #

In conjunction with being a commanding subject for study and research at this time, predictive analytic has already made a position in terms of security in each large and small company. Security being the most elevated need of each company, predictive analytic have combined with branches of artificial intelligence, modelling etc., and have come up as the foremost successful shield for cybersecurity. There’s continuously less chance for such caber crimes to end totally in near future but the possibility and accessibility of these security technologies has multiplied up. These innovations have a mind-blowing potential to form our virtual and computerized world free of all wrongdoings.

Conclusion #

By involving predictive analytic as a potential part, an organization can recognize the wide range of cybercrime taking place every day. Predictive analytic apply statistical algorithms for organizations to predict future caber-attacks in real-time. Organizations can take an active part in sorting these cybercrime assaults by involving a group of experts and analysts who can research how often it is possible for cybercrime to occur. Analysts can gather internet data measurements and apply predictive analytic techniques to identify any vulnerabilities in their cybersecurity that could be exploited by cybercriminals. By combining machine learning with predictive analytic, companies can move forward with the efficiency of cybersecurity and intelligently dodge all approaching threats. This implies they are able to form a total analytic and visualization arrangement which helps hold up all information and reports. For way better help in cybersecurity, companies can too accomplice with analytic firm to work and imply predictive analytic.

Related reading

Questions and answers

What is Predictive Analytic? #

Analyzing historical data and using analytical techniques, such as statistical modeling and machine learning, to predict future outcomes is called predictive analytic.

What Does the Future of Predictive Analytic Hold? #

In conjunction with being a commanding subject for study and research at this time, predictive analytic has already made a position in terms of security in each large and small company.

Virtual Reality: The New Physical Therapist

Vin Patel — Sat, 22 Jan 2022 21:01:00 +0000

Key takeaways

According to Mordor Intelligence, the Virtual Reality industry valued at around $17.25 billion in 2020.
VETERAN-virtual environments in the diagnosis, prevention, and intervention of age-related illnesses is a multidisciplinary project led by a consortium of virtual reality and healthcare researchers from across the world.
Virtual reality appears to be here to stay, and it will continue to play an important role in marketing for years to come.

Introduction #

According to Mordor Intelligence, the Virtual Reality industry valued at around $17.25 billion in 2020. Experts estimate that it will be worth about $184.66 billion by 2026, indicating a CAGR of 48.7%. The days of bulky, cumbersome virtual reality headsets are long gone. Today’s VR apparatus is sleeker and easier to use. Virtual reality prospects are now larger and more interesting than they’ve ever been.

Have you ever used VR headsets to watch movies or play games?

I’m sure we all have used it at least once in our lives. But, it is no longer just a sci-fi concept used for gaming. It has a broader variety of applications in today’s modern world. VR has impacted nearly every aspect of human life, from education to architecture. However, healthcare is one area where it has shown to be of great importance.

In this article, we are going to see how VR has played an important role in healthcare and has become our new physical therapist. Apart from this, we will be covering some topics like applications of VR in healthcare and how it has helped many people cure their physical disabilities.

What is Virtual Reality? #

Virtual reality (VR) is a computer-generated virtual world in which a person may interact with an artificial three-dimensional world via the use of electronic equipment such as special eyewear with a screen or sensors-equipped gloves. While monitors and TV display only allow for a restricted 3D experience, virtual reality may provide a 360-degree immersive experience in which computer-generated visuals aid in the creation of things that are as near to reality as possible.

VR glasses use a technology called Head-tracking. A wide range of views is provided when the head movements. However, if the head moves too quickly, latencies may occur. To generate a 3D perspective, the video or picture displayed on the VR displays is split in half, with an independent view for each eye. Lenses will be used between the screen and your eyes on all VR displays. This aids in distorting the image on the screen into something more lifelike for our eyes.

The Importance of Virtual Reality in Healthcare #

VR technology can be of great benefit to both the patients and the practitioners in the healthcare industry. Virtual reality has the ability to provide individualized therapy that isn’t reliant on a clinician’s own expertise or intuition alone. Modern medicine relies heavily on this type of human-computer interaction (HCI).

VR for Practitioners- Healthcare workers will utilize virtual reality medical equipment to better serve their patients and assist doctors in a more personalized manner. Clinicians will be able to provide more efficient treatment due to the simplicity of use and high processing capability. This will save money for the healthcare business, enhance patient care, and increase profits.

VR for Patients- Virtual reality has the potential to improve health care dramatically. Unlike movies or other non-interactive 2D media, VR may replicate and communicate a sensation of presence for a patient in a relaxing, “video-game-like” environment. In fact, a person may walk into an unrealized world and feel as though they are literally there.

Applications of VR in Healthcare #

VR offers a wide range of applications in health and healthcare, from clinical to consumer, ranging from creating novel life-saving treatments to teaching future physicians. We’ll go through how Virtual Reality is being utilized to teach and support healthcare workers, improve lives, and heal patients in the sections below.

Medical Training #

Doctors must not just know a variety of techniques that they may only utilize sometimes, but they must also be able to do them correctly and swiftly when the need comes. Medical students can practice these operations in a completely realistic situational experience using virtual reality. Students can employ medical virtual reality training for more common operations in addition to more complex medical procedures.

Disease Analysis #

VR technologies are greatly used for the analysis of any disease. VETERAN-virtual environments in the diagnosis, prevention, and intervention of age-related illnesses is a multidisciplinary project led by a consortium of virtual reality and healthcare researchers from across the world. The VETERAN project’s major objective is to fine-tune and test various virtual environments in order to address the cognitive and functional deficits that veterans face.

Medical Treatment #

Robotic surgery is a relatively new invention in which a human surgeon controls robotic equipment, such as a robotic arm, to perform surgery. As a result, there are fewer chances of problems during surgery and the process is completed faster. The robotic equipment is precise, resulting in smaller incisions, less blood loss, and a quicker recovery time.

Physical Therapy through VR #

VR is now been used for treating the physical ailments of people. Physical therapy through VR helps in curing a wide variety of physical health issues. Let’s take them one by one.

Neurological Conditions #

Arm deficits in people with neurological disorders can make reaching difficult, while lower extremity impairments can make balance and walk problematic. During physical treatment, virtual reality might be a fun and effective approach to enhance upper and lower limb coordination and balance.

Vestibular Rehab #

Your vestibular system synchronizes your eye movements with your head motions and positions. Vertigo and difficulties keeping an upright position might be caused by a vestibular system dysfunction. Gaze stability exercises are frequently used to assist your body in relearning the appropriate head and eye motions required to maintain upright positions.

Pediatric Conditions #

Physical therapy is difficult labor, but it is typically done via play for children. Finding new ways to include play activities in rehab might be crucial to achieving correct functional mobility. Using virtual reality technology to keep a youngster interested in therapy while improving mobility deficits might be the answer.

Orthopedic Conditions #

Virtual reality may be beneficial during therapy for any orthopedic condition that causes an impairment that restricts functional movement. If you’re suffering from shoulder discomfort and finding it tough to perform daily activities, you could benefit from a virtual reality-based physical therapy session. Video may be presented while wearing the VR headset that needs you to reach overhead in various directions.

How VR helped many cure their physical disabilities #

To date, VR has helped a good number of people get rid of their disabilities. One such case is of Michael Heinrich, who lost the movement of his lower body while riding a motorcycle when a rotten tree fell on him. His life completely changed when his doctor thought of using VR therapy for his treatment. His lower body got fully functional again and he was able to do things we more ease.

Conclusion #

In the last five years, virtual reality has been an inventive and developing technology. Technology is beginning to be used in a variety of products, services, and games. Companies are catching on to the rapidly expanding trend of virtual reality, and it is becoming more of a real-life reality every day.

Virtual reality has the highest emotional engagement of any type of material. Furthermore, it is transforming content marketing as we know it.

Instead of blog articles, virtual experiences with high degrees of engagement and involvement will become more common. Virtual reality appears to be here to stay, and it will continue to play an important role in marketing for years to come.

Related reading

Questions and answers

What is Virtual Reality? #

How VR helped many cure their physical disabilities? #

How is MHealth Transforming Medical Care?

Vin Patel — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 20:30:00 +0000

Key takeaways

Referred to the practice of using mobile devices in the medical field, mHealth has lately emerged as a major sub-segment of eHealth.
UCLA, Apple, and Biogen have recently joined hands for a program, which tracks data from mHealth devices such as smartphones and smartwatches so as to identify early signs of cognitive decline.
Not just patients, but even doctors can get in touch with their colleagues simultaneously while at the same time while discussing the case with patients.

The terminology ‘mHealth? has been a buzzword for some time now. Referred to the practice of using mobile devices in the medical field, mHealth has lately emerged as a major sub-segment of eHealth. It is a broad term and is inclusive of tools such as FitBit trackers, telemedicine applications, and remote patient monitoring sensors. mHealth has proved to be exceptionally helpful for physicians, given that it reduced patient trips to the ER by allowing healthcare providers to monitor patients through these latest advancements.

Why is mHealth bringing about a revolution in medical care? #

mHealth offers a multitude of benefits that is rapidly changing the perception of medical care. There has already been a considerable spate of advancements in healthcare, paving the path for the use of smart phones and similar technological tools. Amid a rapidly aging population and the demand for sophisticated health tools, mHealth is gaining prominence as a groundbreaking technology.

Mobile health offers innumerable capabilities with varied apes, sensors, devices, and software programs that help to maintain electronic records, ensure patient data capture, target chronic conditions, telemedicine and remote monitoring, as well as e-prescriptions. Digital monitoring via mobile applications makes it easier for patients and physicians to engage with each other. MHealth devices help doctors monitor patients without the necessity for them to come in for visits. Wearable and similar devices allow patients to monitor their own health as well.

Some of the generic advantages of mHealth devices are summarized below:

Improves doctor efficiency #

Mobile devices help physicians record patient data very easily, with minimal errors. This means they will have consistent access to patient information that’ll make it easier to diagnose new/existing conditions, prescribe medication, and treat them accordingly.

Enables convenient data flow #

Data misplacement will be a long-forgotten problem with health as healthcare service providers will have complete control over patient data. mHealth replaces traditional modes of data storage such as files and folders. Although cyberattacks remain a concern, with proper security protocols in place, mHealth interoperability can commendably improve healthcare service as well as patient satisfaction.

Increases Diagnostic Accuracy #

With smart devices and software, doctors and nurses can be harness accurate information without errors. Automation helps health devices run periodic checks on prescriptions and decisions without manual interference. This has consequently reduced prescription-based errors in healthcare. Mobile devices have also been able to recognize the causes and symptoms of infectious diseases faster than earlier.

Can be customized #

Mobile devices have majorly eliminated geographical boundaries. If one cannot find a suitable doctor within their area, they can enlist the help of mHealth apes and simplify the communication processes between patients and physicians. MHealth is also enabling better patient-doctor relationships and sharing consulting services. Doctors from various corners of the world can now communicate seamlessly with patients, and give them solutions to their problems without travelling hassles.

Important statistics proving the massive adoption of mHealth: #

? According to HIMSS, over 50% of smartphone users use these devices to gather information pertaining to health, online.

? An article by Mobihealthnews says that 71% of patients feel it would be helpful if their physician had access to their health data — Fortune Business Insights claims that in 2018, the global mHealth market size was valued at USD 34.28 billion. The revenue may cross USD 293.29 billion by 2026, at an anticipated CAGR of 29.1% over the projected duration.

? According to Pew Research, 68% of Americans owned a tablet and nine out of 10 people owned a smartphone in 2015. That number has considerably increased as on today.

? GWI states that almost 48% of digital consumers prefer having the latest technological products in hand.

? Health IT Outcomes states that the global mHealth revenue will hit USD 49.12 billion by 2020.

? It also claims that in a survey, around 40% of physicians believe that mHealth applications could significantly cut down physical visits to the clinic.

? As per Skycure, 80% of surveyed physicians deploy their mobile phones to help in their day-to-day practice.

Latest advancements in the mHealth industry: #

Teams from the University of North Carolina and the Stanford University have recently developed a mHealth wearable? a 3D-printed vaccine patch that will mitigate the requirement for needles. However, it works 10 to 50 times better than the existing delivery method.

UCLA, Apple, and Biogen have recently joined hands for a program, which tracks data from mHealth devices such as smartphones and smartwatches so as to identify early signs of cognitive decline.

The Mount Sinai Health System has recently introduced a new mHealth app with an aim to better patient-provider communication, create a centralized platform for patient requirements, and improve patient data access. Mount Sinai’s existing portal will transfer to the new app, thereby enabling patients to book appointments, pay bills, request for prescription refills, have consistent access to health records and lab results, and attend video visits with their healthcare providers.

In April 2021, the University of Washington and Microsoft developed a mHealth platform that can record vital signs using the smartphone or laptop camera. The technology used here analyzes the video of a user’s face and deploys AI to translate the light reflected off the skin into pulse and respiration rate. Something of this caliber could help medical providers during a remote patient monitoring program or similar situation.

Commonly-used mHealth apes: #

Medscape #

Medscape is an online app filled with numerous medical articles, snippets from medical journals, latest healthcare news, MEDLINE database, and information on drugs. It is targeted to help physicians and professionals in the medical field. This mHealth app also helps patients to be well-prepared for any unexpected situation.

DrawMD #

DrawMD is more of an initiative to enhance medical education and awareness among patients using visuals, application-oriented samples, typing, etc. It focuses on explaining medical conditions, procedures, and the human body to the layman. It is also inclusive of treatment plans and medicines that helps patients understand the medical world with illustrated visuals.

Doctor on Demand #

The Doctor on Demand mHealth app has simplified the communication lines between doctors and patients. One has to get an appointment and meet the doctor to explain their medical condition. The doctors present on the app are qualified enough to prescribe medications. The app basically aims to offer an array of medical services to patients. It also includes urgent care issues, prompt medical advice, screening, lab tests, preventive medicine, and prescriptions.

Medici #

Medici enables convenient communication among doctors and patients. It offers text and video chats when patients want a consultation with the doctor. It also helps patients liaison with their preferred doctors instead of online hospitals? this makes it a trusted app as patients can interact with a medical practioner that they know and trust.

MeMD #

MeMD is one of the best platforms that enable you to get in touch with physicians, physician assistants, nurses, and other medical personnel. It offers medical consultations and prescriptions for patients. It also offers help to locate pharmacies nearby, 24/7 access, and video consultations.

PingMD #

It is one of the most well-known mHealth apes that make it easy for patients to get in touch with their physicians. It does not include a video consultation, but a platform that where patients can explain their problems to doctors. The platform offers complete privacy. The medical information provided is 100% secure and there are no chances of data breach. Not just patients, but even doctors can get in touch with their colleagues simultaneously while at the same time while discussing the case with patients.

A quick summary of the advantages delivered by mHeath adoption: #

? Simple, intuitive experience — Easy way to communicate with service providers — Flexibility in working hours (for healthcare professionals)

? Flexible scheduling — Convenience to stay connected with other medical personnel — Ability to have instant access to patient information — Easy way to coordinate with patients for follow-ups — Enabling remote patient monitoring — Deploying voice-enabled technology for communication

In a nutshell, it would be fair to conclude that mHealth has a major role in transforming the future of healthcare. As more and more doctors and patients begin to use mHealth apes and companies and major establishments come up with sophisticated mHealth devices and research programs, mobile health technologies will bring about a revolution in the field of medicine in the years ahead.

Related reading

Questions and answers

Why is mHealth bringing about a revolution in medical care? #

Can be customized? #

Ensuring Data Security of Healthcare Information

Vin Patel — Wed, 15 Dec 2021 14:21:00 +0000

Key takeaways

A strong healthcare data security protocol runs beyond subordination - the following are a few cues for conserving healthcare information from present hazards.
Healthcare facilities can utilize information regulators to obstruct particular activities comprising sensitive information, like web uploads, illegal mails, a copy of data in external storage, or printing.
Third-party apes and providers, for instance, Google Apes have contemplated business affiliates while those services are utilized to conserve PHI.

A strong healthcare data security protocol runs beyond subordination - the following are a few cues for conserving healthcare information from present hazards.

Safeguarding information data in the healthcare enterprise isn’t a simple task. Healthcare facilities along with their business affiliates should equalize conserving patient secrecy while providing excellent patient care, also fulfilling the rigorous regulatory laws put forward by HIPAA and several different legislation, like the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation.

As protected health information exists in a person’s extremely sensitive personal data, the regulations for healthcare facilities and different associations that regulate, utilize, or deliver patient data that encompass strict data insurance prerequisites that have substantial sanctions and charges in case they’re not confirmed.

Instead of commanding the usage of specific technologies, HIPAA needs coated elements to confirm that patient data stays safe, available just to the rightful individuals, and utilized just for legal objectives, however, it depends on every concealed entity to deduce what safety regulations to utilize to attain these goals.

Hence, improving regulatory laws for facility’s data insurance, healthcare companies that adopt an assertive strategy to enforce promising exercises for healthcare protection are best prepared for constant subordination and at a lesser chance of undergoing expensive data violations. Let’s see a few effective methods for healthcare facilities to adopt:

Providing proper training to all the staff members.
Very few people should have access to data.
Enforcing data usage regulations.
Controlling the usage.
The date should be end-to-end encrypted.
Protection in android devices.
Performing frequent hazard assessments.
Cautiously analyzing the subordination of business affiliates.

To satisfactorily safeguard data from caber crimes, healthcare facilities and business affiliates should enforce powerful protection methods to conserve patient information from a rising amount and variation of dangers. Exposures in wireless systems, for example, give simple access to cyberpunks, yet these systems are of crucial significance to healthcare facilities, making it simple and efficient to open patient data and improve the facility of supervision.

HOW TO PROTECT HEALTHCARE DATA? #

These promising exercises for healthcare data protection are to maintain the rate with the thriving hazard, deal with dangers to secrecy and information insurance on terminals as well as in the cloud, and protect information when it is transmitted, stationary, or in usage. This compels a mufti-faceted, intricate strategy for protection.

1. PROPER TRAINING TO HEALTHCARE STAFF #

The human aspect stays among the greatest hazards to safety throughout all enterprises, but especially in the healthcare region. Simple human mistakes or delinquency can cause fatal and costly outcomes for healthcare facilities. Protection knowledge education equips healthcare staff with the essential information crucial for giving reasonable judgments and utilizing proper vigilance while dealing with patient information.

2. LIMITED ACCESS #

Enforcing access restraints supports healthcare information security by constraining admission to patient data and specific applications to just those consumers who need access to conduct their duties. Access constraints compel consumer authentication, assuring that just allowed staff has entry to conserved information. Mufti-factor authentication is a proposed strategy, compelling consumers to substantiate that they are entitled to access specific information and apes utilizing two or more verification techniques encompassing:

? Data is understood just by the consumer, like a passcode or security PIN.

? Something that just the legal consumers would have, just like a card or key.

? Something different to the legal consumers, such as biometrics of that person.

3. ENFORCE DATA USAGE REGULATIONS #

Protecting information regulations runs beyond the advantages of access restraints and assessing to confirm that hazardous or vicious data action can be languished or obstructed instantly. Healthcare facilities can utilize information regulators to obstruct particular activities comprising sensitive information, like web uploads, illegal mails, a copy of data in external storage, or printing. Finding the Information and category has a crucial supporting part in this procedure by assuring that sensitive information can be recognized and labeled to obtain an adequate degree of safety.

4. REGULATE USAGE #

Recording each and every access and use of information is furthermore significant, facilitating the healthcare organizations and company correlates to oversee which consumers are accessing what data, apes, and different reserves, time, and through which devices and their respective locations. These lists are important for auditing objectives, enabling facilities to recognize regions of interest and enhance defensive methods whenever vital. As soon as an occurrence happens, an investigation trail may facilitate the healthcare facility to identify detailed entry points, deduce the reason, and assess the destruction.

5. ENCRYPTION OF DATA #

Encryption is among the most helpful information preservation techniques for healthcare groups. By end-to-end encryption of information when it is transmitted and when stationary, healthcare organizations and industry affiliates make it further hard for assailants to interpret patient data even in case they have access to all the information. HIPAA provided suggestions, however, it doesn’t precisely compel healthcare facilities to enforce data encryption methods; rather, the law leaves it up to healthcare facilities and industry affiliates to infer what encryption techniques and additional regulations are crucial or applicable provided the association’s workflow and additional necessities.

Healthcare IT protection summarizes a couple of main issues that healthcare facilities should inquire of in assuming a proper level of encryption and when encryption is required, as proposed in the HHS HIPAA.

To avoid illegal access to ePHI (by anyone), what information must be encrypted and what data must be deciphered?

What techniques of decryption and encryption are crucial, adequate, and suitable in the context of curbing illegal individuals and apes from obtaining admission to sensitive healthcare data?

6. PROTECTED ANDROID PHONES #

Healthcare organizations and private firms employ android equipment while doing business, even if it’s a doctor utilizing an Android phone to access data to assist them in dealing with a patient or an executive employee processing insurance assertions. Android phones safety independently involves a bunch of protective methods, encompassing:

? Governing all equipment, settings, and compositions.

? Implementing the usage of powerful passwords — Facilitating the capacity to remotely erase and latch misplaced or snatched phones.

? Encryption of the ape’s information.

? Regulating Mail and accessories to curb malware infections or illegal data extraction.

? Teaching consumers on Android phones best protective activities.

? Enforcing policies to make sure that just apes complying with preset standards are allowed.

? Compelling consumers to have their phones revised with the recent OS and apes updates.

7. PERFORM FREQUENT HAZARD ASSESSMENTS #

When you have an audit trail that assists to recognize the reason and further important elements of an occurrence after it happens, foresighted deterrence is equally significant. Performing periodic hazard reviews can recognize susceptibility or soft points in a healthcare facility’s protection, drawbacks in workers’ training, deficiencies in the security stance of dealers and business subordinates, and other regions of interest. By assessing hazards throughout the healthcare facility occasionally to proactively recognize and mitigate probable dangers, healthcare facilities and their business affiliates can properly avert expensive information violations and the several other destructive consequences of a data violation, from stature damage to fine from regulatory authorities.

8. MAKE A COPY OF ALL DATA TO A SAFE EXTERNAL STORAGE #

Cyberattacks can uncover sensitive patient data however, they can furthermore jeopardize data quality or accessibility, ransomware is a perfect illustration of the consequence these occurrences can create. A natural catastrophe affecting a healthcare facility’s information camp can create terrible outcomes in case the data isn’t appropriately copied to safe external storage. And hence periodic information backups are highly suggested, with stringent controls for that information end-to-end encryption, access, and many different promising exercises to make sure that information backups are conserved. Data backups are a crucial element of catastrophe recovery.

9. ASSESSING THE PROTECTION AND SUBORDINATION STANCE OF ASSOCIATES #

As healthcare data is greatly disseminated among facilities and between private entities for the basis of stimulating payments and providing care, a thorough test of each and every potential business associate is among the highest critical security protocols healthcare facilities should take. The HIPAA Rule enhanced the prior approaches and explained descriptions of business affiliates, offering better recommendations on the connections in which agreements are needed. The HIPAA outlines these explanations and modifications encompassing:

? The conduit anomaly applies to facilities that disseminate PHI yet don’t conserve and stock it.

? Facilities that just disseminate information are not assumed to be business affiliates, but those that maintain and store PHI are considered business associates.

Third-party apes and providers, for instance, Google Apes have contemplated business affiliates while those services are utilized to conserve PHI.

Healthcare organizations that take efforts to keep the data protected must understand that these regulations and guidelines are useful for building a good base for data conservation and preventing expensive fines, organizations must take extra efforts to make sure that their patients’ information is safeguarded against these caber threats.

Related reading

SaaS State-Based Marketplace Solutions For Healthcare

Vin Patel — Sat, 27 Nov 2021 17:38:00 +0000

Key takeaways

As states begin to gain cost savings or gain more local policy control, they are moving to establish their exchanges (SBMs) with the FFM and SBM-FP models.
This type works well for operating systems and is widely used in the components of the developer community support.
Marketplace solutions will have access to acceptable technology.

Since the introduction of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), states have had the facility to operate their health insurance marketplace in a Federally Facilitated Marketplace (FFM or health.gov), establishing a State-Based Marketplace (SBM), or a composite model called the State-Based Marketplace- Federal Platform (SBM-FP). As states begin to gain cost savings or gain more local policy control, they are moving to establish their exchanges (SBMs) with the FFM and SBM-FP models.

These committees come with a different set of technology challenges. The state’s choice of a technology platform in building a state-based marketplace affects the overall success of policy ideas, budgets, timeline, and exchanges.

State-Based Growth and Statistics #

Gartner forecasts end-user spending on public cloud services to reach $396 billion in 2021 and grow 21.7% to reach $428 billion in 2022.
25% of B2B SaaS Sales are headed to cloud Marketplaces.
Salesforce alone grew from $161 billion in January 2020 to $251 billion in September 2021.

Below we take a look at customer exchange builds that affect speed to reduce risk and development time, technology transfer from another state, and systems that are software-a-service (SaaS) are provided by:

Custom Build #

In the early days of the state-based market, custom-built solutions were the only way to provide viable solutions. However, these solutions face challenges when responding to ever-changing needs and regulations. Ongoing improvements, security updates, and additional features to enhance operational efficiency, all of which require continued investment beyond initial implementation.

Long-term growth times can also be a challenge when customers develop solutions. Depending on the resources and skills available, users with 100% IT resources have time to design and develop state-of-the-art solutions. During this time of development, the needs and policies of the states may change, and possibly change, making this solution potentially obsolete.

Accelerated #

System integrators, which offer custom-built results, constantly address the use of accelerators to jeopardize solution implementation. However, these high-speed pre-built tools or widgets can be used as a building, some of which are functionally developed that are needed to deploy new exchanges, often as a box functionality. These speeds can certainly reduce the development time required for the initial development of the exchange, but they do not meet the ongoing maintenance requirements of the exchanges and the ongoing cost of enhancing the customer solution to ensure that the needs of the state are being met.

Open Source-Based Custom Build #

Open-source software is usually circulated in the public domain by one developer and made accessible to others as they see fit. This type works well for operating systems and is widely used in the components of the developer community support.

Purchased state-of-the-art healthcare IT solutions, such as Exchange, do not have the extensive developer support needed to maintain and enhance the platform. Such solutions require that client states continue to invest in improving or expanding the platform as there is no financial incentive for independent developers or other entities to invest in the platform.

Original diagram for Techfastly by Vin Patel.

Software as a Service (SaaS) #

SaaS is a way of delivering software as a service that has grown rapidly in the private sector. SaaS vendors provide “on-tap” functionality by deploying their software in the cloud and taking advantage of a shared codebase between users. This method is very useful because it enables budgeting for development, infrastructure, and other costs, and does not force users to have large technical teams to maintain and support the platform.

Some of the best examples of SaaS we use every day include SalesForce CRM, Microsoft Office 365, and Google Docs, platforms that offer new features as part of a platform enhancement that is available to all users

Why Is State-Based Marketplace More User Friendly For Everyone? #

We give you better control of your health insurance market through our exchange technology. The state-based marketplace can be more user-friendly for everyone. It can be:

Eliminate the risk of auto-renewal with Healthcare.gov.
Purchase and enrollment support for medical purchases, state subsidies, or tax credits.
Support the unique diversion requirements between Medicaid, Medicaid Purchase, and QHPs.
Provide administrators with the data they need to target access efforts in specific countries, cities, and towns.
Provide multilingual language support where appropriate
Support workflow that allows consumers to use their insurance cards (an issue that many states have seen in the past)
Enable advocacy with maximum use of health plan wellness services.

Conclusion #

As we move toward the open enrollment period of 2022, states will move forward with innovation to reduce operating costs, increase policy flexibility and autonomy, and drive health insurance enrollment, leading to a SaaS-based state. Marketplace solutions will have access to acceptable technology.

Related reading

How Is The Payment Model Changing In Healthcare

Vin Patel — Thu, 25 Nov 2021 17:33:00 +0000

Key takeaways

Many things have been transformed with modern technologies and have been digitized.
They have been working on making the process of payment easier for the patients in the healthcare facilities.
This is indeed a great report, digital payment has now become a trend in every part of India, and it should be, as it is such a safe mode of transfer, where you need not worry about anything and it will even save you a lot of time.

Many things have been transformed with modern technologies and have been digitized. Digitalization played a crucial role in modernizing the world. Digital technology has made everything very efficient and easy. In the present world, even payment can be made through digital platforms. It has reduced the need for fiat currency. Even though everyone has not completely adopted it, it has still seen a good response worldwide. This pandemic has nearly affected all the industries, and we all know that, right! But what became more important was to arrange all the necessary medical kits, such as the PPE kit and all the required amount of ventilators. Alongside these problems, another one is the pressure created by all the patients in the healthcare facility. Several surveys conducted by these healthcare facilities say that more than 80% of the patients prefer paying through a digital platform, as it is a secure mode of payment. Even after a huge market demand for digital payment, many healthcare facilities have still not modernized their payment methods. Such facilities amount to around 85%, which are yet to update their payment modes. Healthcare facilities with thousands of payment transfers every day need to adopt these payment modes soon. These healthcare facilities still transfer the payment bill through email and anticipate their patient providing cheques or, even worse, sharing their card details over telephonic communications. We all know, this process can jeopardize your transaction details. Many patients prefer those healthcare facilities that accept digital payment, which is a good move by them, as you wouldn’t want your credit details to be used by some stranger in the wrong way. According to a survey conducted, more than 65% of patients will change the healthcare service if the healthcare facility doesn’t offer digital means of the payment transfer system. These patients don’t want to go through rough experiences because of the problems with transferring payment. It all comes down to convenience; digital technology is way more convenient than the old conventional paperwork. Who would’ve thought that the payment means in the healthcare facility would be a crucial factor that patients consider before consulting them for the treatment? All healthcare companies should adopt this new technology as soon as possible. Eventually, they will have no other option than to go with it, so why delay. Moreover, it does offer several benefits over the regular paperwork payments.

Fintech for Healthcare Facility #

The never-ending pandemic that we are going through has triggered many changes across various industries throughout the world. Now, the way of doing business has changed entirely, and everyone is now used to this new pattern. However, among all these industries that went through several changes, one specific industry was the most focused one that has not changed its way of providing facilities and other services, i.e., the healthcare facilities across the globe. During this pandemic, keeping a safe distance and avoiding physical contact with others has played an important role. The healthcare facilities worldwide used to give out physical paperwork regarding the bills or any other information that involved physical connections. And now, the modern ideas which involve digital health information and the means of providing contactless and a very safe environment during this pandemic. As we know, we are still fighting this pandemic and are not yet past it. Moreover, this has forced everyone to have a remote meeting with the healthcare facilities. However, there is a significant change on its way in the way we pay our bills in healthcare facilities. Fintech propels this change for health teach. They have been working on making the process of payment easier for the patients in the healthcare facilities. The annual expenditure that the Indian healthcare facilities received was around $115 billion in the current year. Out of this total, approximately $72 billion was spent by the individual’s savings or through some borrowings; note that this payment didn’t involve the money paid through the insurance. Due to which people around the globe are incurring a lot of expenditure in healthcare facilities and are indebted to someone. These are inferred as Catastrophic Health Spending. The money that the people in India disburse on the healthcare facility is approximate twice the Cellphone industry in India itself. Imagine how simple it is to acquire a smartphone in India while comparing it to the healthcare facility’s expenditure. It is enormous, isn’t it? Everyone knows that whenever a person makes a payment. The person who is initiating the payment has the power in that particular transaction. However, this isn’t the case in the healthcare industry. This healthcare facility is considered to be the place of upheaval in such cases. In case you eliminate the friction in such facilities, you have returned the power to the payer. In the healthcare case, the payer is the patient of the healthcare facility or the relative. These payments at healthcare facilities can be classified into two further factors: the payment system or the network, which is the base of the technology that enables the consumer to have a seamless experience while processing their payment. Today, it has become effortless; you just have to use your debit card or credit card, and within seconds the payment has been processed through the powerful network that lies under the system that helps run the process smoothly. Another factor is the accessibility of low-cost capital to subsidize the payment process. There are more than 748 million android phone users, along with more than 5 million POS terminals in the Indian region, the initial factor being looked after. Presently, the assortment of the physical as well as a digital payment network, the system that runs the process, is well built and has been substantiated. However, the main problem lies around the second factor: the accessibility of low-cost capital to disburse for all healthcare bills of any sort. And to make this happen, the ’embedded finance’ will disrupt the money transfer equation in this industry. You just have to embed when you incorporate loaning and the payment option and many others in the digital payment wallet. This will make the transaction more smooth and efficient as much as feasible for the patients. Several others achieve the same purpose, such as the Israel origin PayZen to name one. It utilizes the information to generate an individual patient transaction alternative that incorporates a healthcare facilities revenue cycle network, making it more efficient and smooth for all the patients through their treatment. Moreover, this technology has been introduced in many healthcare facilities in India. It has become a hot factor now as it is finding its root in the country. Some healthcare facilities are coming in front to ease and further simplify the payment process throughout the journey. In India, the record of people dropping under the poverty line as a result of healthcare expenses is approximately more than five crores, and all this before we came across the unfortunate pandemic. And now, it has become serious. This has the potential to positively affect more than millions of people in India, for those who do not have facilities such as insurance.

Conclusion #

Other than the healthcare industry, retail and many enterprises recognized a chance in the fintech technology that eases the process of the transactions and enhances consumer experience throughout the process. It is about time that the healthcare facilities also adapt the same and make it simpler. In this particular case, the Indians can be on the front with the enormous amount of smartphone penetration as well as a huge number of healthcare facilities. As per the reports, processing the payment will become extremely smooth without any resistance within a time span of five years. This is indeed a great report, digital payment has now become a trend in every part of India, and it should be, as it is such a safe mode of transfer, where you need not worry about anything and it will even save you a lot of time.

Related reading

What is Caber Security? How to Identify And Prevent Caber

Vin Patel — Wed, 17 Nov 2021 13:34:00 +0000

Key takeaways

The practice of protecting networks, devices, programs, and sensitive data from unauthorized access and caber-attacks is known as caber security.
Use caber threat intelligence**:** study and understand sorts of attacks being launched and possible threats targeting the organization.
Organizations could face severe problems by just a single security breach.

What is caber security? #

The practice of protecting networks, devices, programs, and sensitive data from unauthorized access and caber-attacks is known as caber security. Caber security is also referred to as information technology security. Various premeditated security measures are taken to combat possible caber-attacks, internal or external, against network systems and applications.

Importance of caber security #

In the digital age that we live in, caber security is of paramount importance to individuals as well as organizations and establishments because all information and records are digitally stored.

Data is collected, processed, and stored on various computers and devices by governments, industries, corporate, the healthcare industry, financial sectors, and military establishments. As large volumes of data are transmitted across various networks and devices during the course of the business transactions, unauthorized access to these data could have a severe negative impact on data that could be sensitive data like; personal information, financial data, or intellectual property. Thus, it is important to implement dedicated and disciplined caber security measures to protect data and the systems used to collect, process, and store the information.

What are the types of caber-attack threats? #

Some of the common types of caber-attacks are:

Malware? Use of malicious software such as spyware, ransomware, viruses, and worms to breach a network. Users are lured to click dangerous links or email attachments to install risky software.

Phishing - Tricking victims into sharing personal information or take an action online with the intent to obtain the user’s system credentials, financial information, or other sensitive information to be used for their benefit.

Man-in-the-middle (MitM) attack? Also known as eavesdropping attack, here the perpetrator inserts themselves between the transactions between two parties to either eavesdrop or impersonate one of the parties. The entry point could be unsecured Wi-Fi networks and by installing software on devices using malware.

Denial-of-service (DoS) attack? Here the attacker disrupts the normal functioning of user devices by flooding systems, servers, or networks with traffic resulting in denial-of-service to additional users. this can also be done using multiple compromised devices. This is also called (DDoS) disrupted-denial-of-service attack.

Advanced persistent threats (APTs)? unauthorized attackers infiltrate a system network and remain in the system collecting data without being noticed.

Backdoor Trojan? attackers use Trojan to create vulnerability to the victim’s system to gain remote and almost total control.

Zero-day attack? hackers detect an existing security flaw in a network and exploit it before the developer is aware of the vulnerability. Once the developer detects the attack, he has ‘zero? days to mitigate the problem as the hackers have begun the exploitation.

SQL injection? (Structured Query Language) attack? attackers insert malicious codes into servers using SQL forcing the server to reveal sensitive data.

DNS tunneling? attackers use malicious domains and DNS servers to exploit the Domain Name System protocol by sneaking malicious traffic bypassing the organization’s defense system.

Some interesting caber security statistics for 2021 are as below: #

? In 2020, the average cost to business due to caber-attack was $3.86 million, and the average time to identify and contain the breach was 280 days with the highest industry cost in the Healthcare sector. (IBM)

? Cybersecurity Ventures predictions for 2021? caber-attacks to cost the world $6 trillion annually; damages caused by ransomware the fastest-growing caber-attack to reach $20 billion, and every 40 seconds a business fall victim to a ransomware attack.

? 2021 to see 3.5 million caber security jobs waiting to be fulfilled, of which the United States alone to have over 500,000 open positions.

? About 86% of the caber-attacks are motivated by financial gains and espionage is the second motivating factor.

? Globally, 75% of healthcare organizations have experienced a data breach in some or the other forms. Caber security spending in the Healthcare sector is expected to reach around $65 billion between 2017 and 2021. (TechJury)

? It takes an average of 7 months to detect a breach in information security.

? Every 24 hours, there were 23,000 Denial of Service (DoS or DDoS) attacks, disrupting business.

Measures to identify and prevent caber security threats #

Monitor unusual password activity: Any unusual locked-out password or an email stating that the password has been changed is a potential sign of a compromised password. Strong passwords for emails and networks must be created and updated every six months to prevent intrusion.

Monitor internal network: The first step would be to identify threats and vulnerabilities within the organization network. This involves checking and understanding your defense system for vulnerabilities and loopholes as a hacker would do and identifying the most likely threats to the organization.

Use caber threat intelligence**:** study and understand sorts of attacks being launched and possible threats targeting the organization. Understanding the possible threats can help prepare, prevent, identify, and protect the organization before they occur.

Perform penetration testing: Perform routine penetration or pen testing to find and exploit weak spots in the company’s security infrastructure which attackers could take advantage of and make necessary patches to fix them.

Access management control: It is important to segment and manage access control to employees at various levels in the organization to based on the role they play. Authorization and authentication are a critical part of identity and access management control as they help protect your network against malicious insiders and data breaches.

Use firewall: The use of a firewall is a must both internally and externally as it blocks unauthorized users from getting access to your system network. They monitor and filter incoming and outgoing traffic and keep dangerous traffic out.

Constantly monitor and update network: It is not enough to set up security tools and forget it. To be effective, security has to be constantly monitored to check for any unusual activities. It is also important to keep software and devices up-to-date to avoid falling prey to malicious actors and protect against bugs and any new vulnerabilities or threats that may potentially target your network.

Employee awareness and training: Finally, employees are responsible for keeping the business secure; however, they are easy targets for hackers. It is important to ensure that all employees understand security policies and procedures and their role in security. Therefore, regular caber security awareness programs and training should be provided to stay abreast in the fight against caber threats.

Conclusion: #

The fight to thwart caber security threats is a continuous and ever-evolving process. Organizations could face severe problems by just a single security breach. While understanding how to detect and combat these threats is only a part of the puzzle, it is important to educate and train employees, implement sound security measures and follow caber security best practices to keep your data safe and secure from malicious actors.

Sources:

Related reading

How Health-care Technologies Can Reduce Clinical Burden

Vin Patel — Thu, 28 Oct 2021 00:27:00 +0000

Key takeaways

In simple words, technology is the implementation of scientific knowledge to yield practical outcomes.
Not only is a professional supposed to order the new supplies but also is supposed to keep track of the existing supplies.
Organizations that are looking for a thriving workforce at a minimized healthcare cost should consider digitized therapeutics as a major part of the solution.

In simple words, technology is the implementation of scientific knowledge to yield practical outcomes. Often it is used to alter, control, or manipulate the human environment. The chief intent of technology is to enhance the quality of living. Despite the step by step authorization of technology in the healthcare sector, not all of it is yet used to reduce healthcare costs and reach good margins as technology is not enforced to its maximum potential.

Even though our expectation of life has improved over the last centuries, our comparatively inactive lifestyle has led to the rise of chronic diseases like arthritis, asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, COPD, mental health disorders and many more. These diseases, being long-term and degenerative, add budgetary difficulties on both the patient and the healthcare system.

‘In the United States alone, $3.8 trillion or $11,582 per person is spent on the healthcare departments each year. The accepted technologies that are already used by the healthcare system have uplifted the operational efficiency of the hospitals. With more smart technologies, the healthcare sector can cut expenses to a greater extent. With the increase in workforce fees, demographic transition, undetermined regulatory climate, it is time for the healthcare sector to bring forth the application of smart technology to decrease healthcare costs without compromising the quality of care.

‘Here are six reasons why technology should be used to bring down clinical burdens:

Lessened Staffing Cost #

In any firm, be it healthcare, the workforce accounts for a huge section of the operating expenses. Staffing issues have always been expensive and necessary. Staff are either expected to work overtime or new employees are hired to resist the unanticipated patient magnitude to fill the gaps of shift coverage. A hospital cannot run without its staff, but with smart and efficient staffing strategies, the cost of employing staff members can be reduced.

Smart scheduling applications can be used to schedule new meetings and appointments of the patients. The work shift of the staff members can also be scheduled by merging the past shifts, current patient volumes, the expertise of the existing staff and workforce requirements. These smart applications can carry out analysis to predict the number of incoming patients that might arrive shortly, and give out solutions based on the number of beds, rooms and equipment status. In addition to that, this one option is significantly less costly than hiring employees to carry out the same operations in a more time consuming and prone to errors method.

Technology can not only restrain healthcare expenses but also leave positive impacts on the patients as well.

Lessened Administrative Expenditure #

Doctors spend a large amount of time, up to one-third of their time, in administrative work instead of treating their patients. This administrative work includes inputting a patient’s notes into the Electronic Health Records (EHRs). The patient’s clinical history, tests, medications and more are all typed manually by the doctors themselves. There are no separate employees to carry out this process. This leads to physician burnout.

But with the help of Artificial Intelligence and smart software, technology can take care of administrative responsibilities. For example, instead of manually entering the test results of a patient, the software can automatically import and save the results. This also saves a lot of time that is consumed by the process of filling out forms every time a patient visits the hospital. Once the information of any patient is entered into the software, it will save to be used and renewed for the next time. Simple administrative tasks like appointment booking, meeting scheduling and setting reminders can be digitized with the help of technology.

Automating the administrative responsibilities can lessen the burden carried by the physicians and staff, demolish physician burnout, save a lot of paperwork and allow doctors to spend more time towards the treatment of their patients.

Optimized Supply Chain #

Placing orders for new supplies can be a hectic job. Not only is a professional supposed to order the new supplies but also is supposed to keep track of the existing supplies. Tracking the inventory, checking for expired products, changing brands etc are all the responsibilities o a single employee. And with so many responsibilities to carry out, the cost of employing the professional is also high.

Data analytic and Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be used to reduce stress. Automated ordering software can be used to place orders at the right time, i.e. only when the product is required. Not placing orders only when needed or ordering too many products can lead to huge losses. Radiofrequency tags can be used by healthcare professionals to track expensive types of equipment throughout their entire lifetime and also point out befitting to order replacements. Modern technological solutions like smart cabinets and barcode scans can be used to reduce the wastage of expired or recalled products.

Targeted Digital Marketing #

Healthcare providers need to meet new patients in the easiest way possible. People these days spend a lot of time being online. Digital marketing can enable targeted ads to be shown to the people searching for a particular disease, problem, condition or within a particular specialty. Since it has become easier to reach people online, targeted digital marketing can cost less per new patient compared to the traditional method of marketing.

Targeted digital marketing is a must marketing strategy, as it will help the organization to invest in their marketing budget as effectively as possible.

Any patient with more than one disease will need to visit more than one doctor. All doctors must be able to share their patient’s data in a simplified manner. With smart software, a physician can share all the tests results and conditions of a patient with the other doctors. It can also give access to the tracks of a patient’s health records and archive a patient’s history. This will make the collaboration between the doctors of the same patients much easier.

Reduced Need For Specialists #

It has become to keep track of one’s health by themselves with the help of healthcare wearable and their connected apes. One can easily see their pulse rate, sugar level, blood pressure and much more without having to visit a physician now and then.

Also with the help of telemedicine, not every patient is required to be admitted to the hospital. Doctor and patient interaction can be held out easily with the video calling applications. This does not only help the patient to save money but also eliminate hospital room expenses.

Conclusion #

This epidemic of diseases requires stopping and regular evaluation that will bring changes on a huge scale. Research-based technological solutions are needed to treat these diseases efficiently and at a low cost. Organizations that are looking for a thriving workforce at a minimized healthcare cost should consider digitized therapeutics as a major part of the solution.

Related reading

Does Effective Forms Management Improves Healthcare Data

Vin Patel — Sun, 24 Oct 2021 00:04:00 +0000

Key takeaways

Quality supervision is crucial for governing the generation and dispersion of safe, productive, beneficial commodities that fulfill consumers’ expectations.
Several healthcare facilities depend upon the EHR platform to perform their work as a form engine, thinking that the facility doesn’t have any alternative.
These companies accomplish another level of standard process and outstanding efficiency and thus let the healthcare facility concentrate on the main objective.

What Does Quality Data Management Mean? #

Quality supervision is crucial for governing the generation and dispersion of safe, productive, beneficial commodities that fulfill consumers’ expectations. Data integrity management differs from it slightly, even though it is an identical theory. Healthcare corporations have admission to a vast quantity of patient information and data presented; however, this received data is beneficial for the health care facility.

Data quality management includes utilizing protocols, modern efficient technology, and equipment to regulate the integrity of data as well as other information to make sure that references are ascertained.

Productive data quality management encompasses incorporating credible data references, assessing data and information, working with and transmitting susceptible data, and enforcing modern and secured networks, which safeguard customers’ data. What can old quality data management do? Well, the old systems are outdated, as modern technology has prevailed.

The old system lacks efficiency, takes more time, and consumers might get frustrated with the poor network. Poor quality management will lead to low morale in the employees as they may receive poor quality data and information.

The data are valuable, but it can become complicated and lead to adverse effects if it is irrelevant. This curtailed inefficiency will lead to several mistakes in the system, resulting in improper treatment in patients and reduced job satisfaction.

Have you ever thought of forms strategy for your industry, which could help you improve the data quality? Making such strategies will help in growing the healthcare model. You can find several strategies that will help achieve the purpose, but the forms management strategy is underrated yet most important. Most of us don’t give enough credit to this strategy as much it deserves.

However, you must know that this form management strategy oversees several initiatives involving your client’s fulfillment, patient’s scores, and care co-operation analytic.

Nowadays, care co-operation analytic has become a trend for all the clinical databases as well as all the other tasks conducted by the healthcare data has been increasing significantly.

When you put so much effort into accumulating the data, data exchange plays a crucial role in exponential growth. This forms management strategy has stood up to its mark to aid in accumulating all the organized data in healthcare.

These are the forms that are needed to be filled out through a patient’s cell phone by the patient itself. They must do so before their arrival at the healthcare facility or after leaving the facilities.

Moreover, more details through the patient in the remote areas and in the office have been increasing substantially. Besides, the IT network needs extremely particular details of the patient, which cannot be received otherwise.

This way of collecting the data from the patient is quite smooth and simple. Well, it’s because the transfer of data happens between several systems without any interruption and remotely.

The healthcare industry has to accumulate all the organized information through organizational, institutional, and clinical forms filled on various devices and areas. The collection of these forms is worthless if the organization isn’t leveraging these data. The healthcare facility has to observe the forms along with the business.

The organization must acknowledge that these forms of management strategy can bring a lot of positive changes in their business model and will also result in increased output. The organization must think that forms that might seem worthless are a true asset that can improve the data quality.

Governing such a huge data of various categories of forms may feel demanding for a particular organization if they don’t have a proper forms management strategy and all the required mechanisms in position. Several healthcare facilities depend upon the EHR platform to perform their work as a form engine, thinking that the facility doesn’t have any alternative.

However, the engine within the EHR platform is excellent for the short-term purpose, but this implementation is a long-term liability. These forms are essential for many more purposes that include the workflow of the healthcare organization than what this EHR work engine can provide.

Moreover, these forms that are EHR based are not cellphone friendly and simple to transmit to all the areas. Many healthcare organizations are dissociating forms that are EHR based; these organizations are working on emptying these forms programming as well as supervision to the external affiliate that can offer exceptional abilities.

Several third-party forms management solutions offer a smooth experience with EHR forms and enable the automation of several workflows.

These forms that are EHR based are extremely costly to enforce as their implementation needs specialists, and hence, these third-party solutions are making the job easier for the organization.

Another advantage is that these forms can only be used at those places which are not being apprehended manually. Nowadays, this form of management strategy has become a crucial part of the healthcare facility, and hence, it is exponentially thriving and has become more important.

Nowadays, we see several healthcare companies are creating beneficial associations with the strategic tools that incorporate the EHRs. At one side of the spectrum, we could observe the internal institutional committees developed to offer every re-presents of the healthcare facility via forms mechanisms.

While on the other side, these healthcare facilities outsource the individual strategy as well as teach. Similarly, there happens to be several in the center through a blend of in-house form development and the governing jointly from the form creation that was outsourced.

The main part of the form management strategy is to evaluate your form needs, and more importantly, to see it as a good longtime IT investment, simplify the method and be flexible; that is the patient can access the forms at his desired place and time as per their convenience, moreover, to create a more beneficial technique that will do the work for the entire organization.

All that the patients expect from the healthcare facility is just a smooth workflow throughout the facility for all the cell phones. These forms must be ily accessible on mobile phones as many patients will try to provide the data through the same, hence it must work properly on the mobile phone.

These patients anticipate these forms to be digitalized and available on all the cell phones the patient chooses. Moreover, these forms should be smart enough and attached to their EHR because the information needs to be simply accessible to their provider throughout each and every system.

What Can You Do To Implement This To Your Current Teach? #

Nowadays, as technology is growing day-by-day, there is an increasing requirement for fine information that is just coming to be extremely essential. In case your organization is yet depending on severed, printed forms or defaulting to the forms, the organizations should take all the time they need to create a more efficient strategy.

The organization has come a long way with the old technology and now, it’s time to adopt modern technology and design a new system to collect and connect the forms and this cannot be offered by EHRs. If you yet don’t adopt this modern teach it will need more time to transfer from the old to the new one.

There are many sponsors of healthcare IT that have several years of experience. These are exclusive to help all the healthcare facilities and they have more than a thousand clients. They offer a smooth workflow and an efficient system for the facility.

These third-party companies design a software platform that is incorporated with the EHRs system and many more networks to eliminate the manual work for the needed documents. It must record the patient’s information as well as their provided data and speed the workflow for the same.

These companies accomplish another level of standard process and outstanding efficiency and thus let the healthcare facility concentrate on the main objective.

Related reading

Questions and answers

What Does Quality Data Management Mean? #

What Can You Do To Implement This To Your Current Teach? #

Nowadays, as technology is growing day-by-day, there is an increasing requirement for fine information that is just coming to be extremely essential.

Remote Patient Monitoring - An Insightful Overview

Vin Patel — Fri, 22 Oct 2021 17:43:00 +0000

Key takeaways

Be it a hands-on healthcare provider or an IT whiz, Remote Patient Monitoring devices (RPM) are there to ease the jobs.
The ability to monitor patients avoiding close contact is more imperative than before.
RPM devices enable patients to receive frequent information, support, and help whenever needed from the medical provider.

Be it a hands-on healthcare provider or an IT whiz, Remote Patient Monitoring devices (RPM) are there to ease the jobs. It can entitle the patients to be more informed and engaged about their well-being and treatment procedures. A statistical survey reveals that around 88% of medical practitioners have adopted the RPM technology and evaluating the advantages. It is like how we keep in touch with our friends and family miles away, with smartphones and other devices. Yes, the RPM technologies aids in exchanging medical data between the healthcare provider and patient. This article guides you through an overview of what these devices are and how beneficial they are.

Remote Patient Monitoring Devices #

A remote patient monitoring system is often referred to as RPM (also as remote patient management). It is a way of collecting patient data beyond the traditional healthcare environment using information technology.

It is about liberating healthcare from established settings and bringing it to the place where people live. The goal is to bridge the gap and provide more authentic and holistic care to the patients with constant connectivity.

While saying that, let not the emphasis on technology deceive you. Modern management tools are not the alienating, cold, wire-laden medical devices of the old but are simple, intuitive personal teach devices.

Similar to the smartphones and tablets so popular today with people of all ages, including seniors. RPM employs technology to let patients feel at ease with managing their health.

Remote patient monitoring can be more efficient and effective by increasing engagement; this increases the quality of care while reducing costs. With quality RPM models, not only are patients more engaged with their health, but clinicians are armored to recognize and handle it early. Patients can receive a more constant and better overall view of their well-being.

RPM allows clinicians to see what is happening, to their patients, on the front line of their health daily as it occurs.

How Does It Work? #

A remote health monitoring system requires a variety of technologies for data collection, storage, and accessibility, as well as medical data interpretation and visualization. An accurate diagnosis of a patient’s medical status shows an analysis of medical documents that contain various physiological features over a long period. Although data mining and visualization were in use, they have become increasingly popular for remote monitoring devices in recent years.

The emergence of digital remote health monitoring systems offers a challenge to traditional healthcare practices. Incorporating the IoT model into RPM can improve intelligence, agility, and interoperability even further.

Through the internet, a device using the IoT system is individually recognized and detectable from any location. Remote health monitoring systems based on IoT devices can share the data along with performing traditional sensing functions. It can also share data. It can instantly link to and exchange data with medical institutions over the Online, and so on.

Hence, significantly reducing the time it takes to set up and administer the system. Such solutions can provide functions like an automatic alarm to the closest medical providers in the occurrence of a critical accident for a monitored patient.

The System Architecture of RPM #

Data Acquisition #

Multiple wearable sensors that assess physiological indicators such as ECG, body temperature, respiration rate, EMG muscle movement, and gait can collect data (posture). The sensors communicate with the internet via an intermediate data aggregator or collector, which is usually a mobile device in the patient’s immediate vicinity.

Data Transmission #

The program’s Data Transmission elements are in charge of transporting patient records securely and privately from the patient’s home (any remote location) to the data warehouse of the Healthcare Organization (HCO), typically in near real-time. A short-range radio, like Bluetooth, is usually included with the sensory acquisition system.

Cloudlet

The cloudlet can be a local processor (such as a desktop computer) that the concentrator can contact directly over the Wireless connection. The cloudlet can help for performing time-critical actions on the patient’s data sets. In addition, it offers a nonvolatile memory before the data connection to the cloud. Furthermore, in the event of constraints on the smartphone, such as sudden loss of network or power, the cloudlet can send the consolidated information to the cloud.

Cloud Processing #

In this phase, the data processing takes place under three different elements.

Storage - The patient’s health records are stored to serve a long-term purpose.
Analytic - Analytic to churn the e-health records in real-time to bring out the diagnosis relevancy for various diseases.
Visualization - Equips the medical providers with digestible and accessible data to use.

The Importance of Remote Patient Monitoring #

Interaction between the patient and the healthcare professional is crucial in the treatment and recovery process. Remote patient monitoring equipment develops trust and openness to both patients and providers. They give users a better understanding of diagnoses and conditions, allowing them to take more responsibility for their treatment regimens. When both the patient and the physician have more awareness, better results become more prevalent.

RPM can lower readmission in ERs, healthcare facilities, and hospitals.
The reduced stress level for patients and accompanies.
Connected and careful well-being at any point.
Giving focussed care to the admitted patients as rest assured with patients at home via RPM.

Throughout the pandemic, there was a critical need for more beds. The ability to monitor patients avoiding close contact is more imperative than before. Communication and sharing of information have undoubtedly enhanced the quality of the healthcare system. RPM also added value to the life of patients. Monitoring technologies and AI are excellent companions for the entire healthcare ecosystem.

Various Types of RPM Devices #

Diabetes, Heart disease, and Alzheimer’s are among the top ten diseases in the world. But remote patient monitoring devices can help to follow the evolution of these disorders. Therefore, making it easier for the healthcare staff to manage the treatment protocols.

The following are the most innovative ideas that saved a trip to the Emergency Room for many patients.

Blood Pressure Monitor #

This simple inflatable cuff fills the air, squeezes the arm, and then calculates the patient’s blood pressure flow and heart rate by sensing variations in artery motion as the air deflates. Few blood pressure devices gather numerous readings to calculate daily averages. Home-based monitoring devices can aid in the early detection of illnesses that contribute to hypertension, like chronic diabetes or renal dysfunction. It can also make the provision of healthcare less burdensome.

Glucose Monitor #

Frequent blood sugar supervision is essential for efficient diabetes management. A simple home glucose monitor device can

Monitor the side effects of medication.
Notes how diet and activity are affecting blood glucose levels.
Show how stress or disease can impact blood sugar levels.
Keep track of your progress towards treatment objectives.
When the time for a follow-up appointment, alerts both the patient and the provider.

Anticoagulation testing device #

Many patients are at risk of developing thromboembolism when suffering from prosthetic valves, atrial fibrillation, and DVT. There is a negligible therapeutic window with Anticoagulants. And may cause disruptions in readings when interacting with Vitamin-K-rich foods and other related drugs. Bleeding implies in higher doses. So, these patients need constant blood work. Anticoagulation monitoring devices need one minute to derive results with one drop of blood. Thereby saving all the hassle a patient goes through.

Electrocardiography devices #

You can get them in wearable, handheld, or patch form. Endangering conditions, such as ST depression, myocardial ischemia, or arrhythmia, are detected by the ECG devices. ECG gadgets record electrical impulses regularly, and inappropriate readings can alert clinicians. Therefore, taking necessary actions to save a life in time.

Heart rate monitors #

By using the wearable, you can gauge patients’ heart rates. The device helps patients, whether it is time to exercise more vigorously - or take their medications more often. The devices detect both symptomatic as well as asymptomatic arrhythmia. Identifies cardiac ablation implying atrial fibrillation while they are running errands, exercising, or experiencing stressful situations. Heart rate monitors assist in the diagnosis and treatment of syncope and presyncope.

Maternity care monitors #

It shows that low-risk pregnant women prefer to keep their doctor visits to a minimum. Patients can achieve a greater level of control over their pregnancies through remote monitoring. Also, pregnant women can learn to use all the gadgets like doppler monitors, blood-pressure cuffs, etc., through virtual training programs. Healthcare providers can provide relevant journals on pregnancy and suggest to prenatal communities online. Maternity monitoring devices can report any abnormalities and alert clinicians for a timely act.

Pulse oximeter #

Light wavelengths are measured with non-invasive clips by putting them on the fingers or earlobes. Oxygen-saturated hemoglobin is measured in the blood by light. Pulse oximeters also record the pulse. People with chronic heart or lung problems have been using these devices for decades, and so have people supplementing their oxygen supply. They are significant in detecting deteriorating lung function (currently may prompt a COVID-19 test). They are also used to monitor fitness in athletes.

Currently used technologies for remote health monitoring and the direction they may take in the future promise miracles. Wearable sensors, especially those embedded with IoT intelligence, provide attractive options for monitoring and recording data at home and work. Therefore, saving a lot of time and effort for the patients. When examined and presented to clinicians in easy-to-understand visuals, this vast collection of data has the power to boost healthcare while also lowering costs. Overcoming issues to detect, process, and visualize before integrating systems into clinical practice can help a long way.

Finally, managing a growing number of patients with innumerable diseases could be overwhelming to the frontline saviours. With the help of Remote Patient Monitoring Devices, they might get some window to breathe. Especially in these testing times of covid-19, monitoring non-covid patients with RPM devices is a blessing. It saved a lot of effort and time for both patients and providers. Each of these devices can best serve the purpose. But it is suggested to take doctors / medical practitioners’ advice before using them. Also, taking virtual training on using them effectively will help in the process of treatment and medication. RPM devices enable patients to receive frequent information, support, and help whenever needed from the medical provider. How beautiful is it to have controlled and connected healthcare?

Related reading

Benefits and Application in the Healthcare Industry

Vin Patel — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 01:10:00 +0000

Key takeaways

3D printing is employed in both additive manufacturing and rapid prototyping.
Unlike traditional manufacturing where customized prosthetics would take weeks to manufacture, with additive manufacturing it can be done in a few days and would cost very minimal compared to the traditional method.
Bioprinting, tissue engineering, and organ printing technologies can lend a new lease of life to millions of people.

3D printing is employed in both additive manufacturing and rapid prototyping. Objects of various shapes or geometry and can be produced using digital model data from an electronic data source or a 3D model. The availability of a wide spectrum of 3D applications has led to the increasing adaption of 3D printing in the healthcare sector and has paved the way for market growth at a high rate.

A 3D printer in medicine can be seen as a part of an innovative technique called additive manufacturing, which enables the production of solid objects in three dimensions from digital files.

With the pandemic in 2020, 3D printing was extensively used to develop various parts of ventilators, expanding the healthcare 3D printing market.

Key factors that have supported the expansion of 3D printing within the healthcare market are as below:

? Easy development of personalized and customized products — Availability of advanced 3D printing materials for dental and medical applications — Increased demand for 3D printed products within the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry — Increasing public-private funding for 3D printing undertakings

Medical 3D printing devices have shown promise in the fields of tissue engineering, bioprinting, and burn surgery. Such technology has enabled the creation of layers of human skin that have saved the lives of people who have suffered critical injuries.

Many companies in the healthcare industry have developed innovations in 3D printing to make scanning via smartphones easier. As a result of its ease and convenience, this technology seems to have tremendous potential to transform human health and growth in the healthcare industry.

Further, it is expected that, as healthcare institutions begin to provide non-essential surgeries and implants, safety protocols surrounding the production method (of implants) can be put in place, which will have a positive impact on the market both in the short-term and long-term forecast period.

Some major players in the global 3D printing in the Medical Devices market are: #

? Stratasys Ltd. (US & Israel)

? 3D Systems Corporation (US)

? GE Additive (US)

? Materialize NV (Belgium)

? Renishaw plc (UK)

? SLM Solutions Group AG (Germany), and many more

Benefits of 3D Printing in Healthcare #

High Customization? 3D printing technology is perfect for the healthcare industry due to its high complexity and personalized requirements. 3D printed parts cater to individual patient’s anatomy and reduce discomfort and increase the healing time.

Reduce Lead Time and Cost? Tools used in the healthcare industry are not only sophisticated but expensive and time-consuming to manufacture. With 3D printers, it is easier to design, change, and modify tools as per the doctor’s feedback within a few hours. The complexity and the risks of human errors in traditional manufacturing make it costly. Also, costly tools, machining processes, and material wastage are eliminated, thus lowering costs.

Sterilization? With traditional manufacturing, it is necessary to sterilize every tool due to the high risk of infection; however, with 3D printers tools can be easily sterilized with materials like Ultem and PEEK.

Complexity? Sophisticated organ shapes and designs are hard to produce with traditional manufacturing. With the availability of new 3D printable raw materials and advancement in technology, 3D printers make it possible to construct robust and lightweight body parts and designs with accuracy and that allow limitless creativity.

Application of 3D Printing in Healthcare #

1. On-demand Medical Devices #

3D printing is widely used in the healthcare industry for manufacturing cost-effective and accurate medical devices on demand. The technology is versatile and cost-effective to manufacture highly customized medical devices and can be used as a quick replacement.

2. Affordable Prosthetics #

Creating affordable prosthetics is another usage of 3D printing. Unlike traditional manufacturing where customized prosthetics would take weeks to manufacture, with additive manufacturing it can be done in a few days and would cost very minimal compared to the traditional method. The technology allows complex design detailing giving great functionality and a full range of motion, which can be achieved with additive manufacturing.

3. Patient-specific Surgical Models #

Globally, 3D printed anatomical models are used as reference tools by various healthcare professionals, hospitals, and research organizations. Some of the uses are for preoperative planning, pre-fitting medical equipment, and intraoperative visualization, and highly complex procedures.

To further enhance the clinical experience, new surgical gears and tools have been developed using new biocompatible medical 3D printing substances, which helps surgeons to achieve improved efficiency and accuracy and reducing the time taken for complex operative procedures.

4. Dental 3D Printing #

The dental industry requires a high level of customization due to the pattern, development, and arrangement of an individual’s teeth. Additive manufacturing helps achieve these highly complex and customized dental products to be printed with accuracy and high quality, thus eliminating the traditional molding process, saving time, and reducing costs. 3D printers in dentistry are used to produce crown and bridge models, orthodontic models, clear aligners, surgical guides, and retainers.

5. Corrective Insoles and Orthoses #

Orthotic devices are wearable generally used for aligning, supporting, preventing, correcting, or improving the overall function of the foot or ankle. Shoe insoles are one of the most common non-surgical orthotic products used to correct foot and ankle problems. Manufacturing custom orthoses takes weeks to months and is very expensive.

Today, 3D printing is used globally by professionals to print customized orthoses and insoles with better fit, comfort, and therapeutic outcome within a short period of time and at a lesser cost? benefitting both the patient and the therapist.

6. Bioprinting, Tissue engineering, 3D printed organs #

The use of additive manufacturing to print living structures that mimic the behavior of natural living systems using cells and bioinks is called 3D bioprinting.

The 2020 national data on Organ Donation and Transplantation Statistics in the USA alone shows 183,690 registrations are on the waiting list for organs, 37,484 patients received a transplant, and there were only 18,316 living and deceased donors. The greatest need is for kidney transplants? for which 92,036 patients were on the waiting list in this period.

Due to the huge gap in the availability of organs through donors living or dead and the number of patients waiting for an organ, 3D bioprinting could be the solution to bridge this gap.

Tissue engineering is a complicated process that involves forming 3D functional tissues. Tissue engineering is used to help repair, replace, and regenerate tissue or organ in the body using scaffolds combined with cells and biomolecules. A good example is skin grafting? especially for patients who suffered burn injuries or for patients suffering from skin issues.

Conclusion:

As with other industries, 3D printing technology has paved its way into the healthcare sector. Due to the immense benefits it offers and the advancement in technology and 3D printing biomaterials, in the future, we could see most of the medical devices created with 3D printers. Bioprinting, tissue engineering, and organ printing technologies can lend a new lease of life to millions of people.

Sources:

Related reading

How To Secure IoMT Devices?

Vin Patel — Tue, 14 Sep 2021 20:16:00 +0000

Key takeaways

There was a time when healthcare was all about manual recordings and heavily reliant on the doctor’s opinion.
Most organizations tend to be lax in their attitude towards IoMT device security, which is evident from the fact that only 51% of device manufacturers in the U.
It’s high time that they implement IoMT device security as a prime strategy in their development process because a life-saving device is only as good as its ability to save a life.

There was a time when healthcare was all about manual recordings and heavily reliant on the doctor’s opinion. Come 2021, and instead, the tables have turned. There hasn’t been another time in history where doctors and other healthcare practitioners are more reliant on technology to improve the lives of their patients. The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) industry has connected healthcare with technology in one of the most ingenious manner. As per the Frost and Sullivan IoMT forecast to 2021 report, it’s expected that almost 40 to 50 billion IoMT devices will be part of the network by the end of the year. Right now, 48% of IoMT devices use mobility to connect to the cloud, and that number is expected to rise to 68%, with most of them using artificial intelligence and machine learning to spear ahead.

Given that the industry will only see a considerable boom year after year, many concerns are surrounding the IoMT technology in itself. With device security incidents involving data breaches and device misuse increasing with time, it’s high time we understand the risks associated with IoMT devices and what we can do to mitigate them.

What are IoMT Devices? #

Simply put, IoMT devices are those that improve the entire healthcare network and infrastructure. It’s very common to see that when these devices are spoken of, only those that help the patient are accounted for. But that’s far from reality. IoMT devices include both?those that help patients and those that help healthcare providers. Examples include health monitors, lab devices, nurse calling monitors, sensors, controllers, and the like. The current forecast of the market for 2022 is $52.2 billion and is expected to rise as the years pass by. With its increasing impact on people’s lives, it won’t be surprising if it surpasses its forecasted valuation as well.

Under IoMT again, there are multiple classes? Class I, Class II, and Class III. Class I includes non-invasive devices that post low to moderate risk to the patient, such as manual stethoscopes, enema devices, etc. Under Class II, we can include those that are invasive in nature and do post a moderate to high risk to the patient. Examples of those include air purifiers, infusion pumps, etc. Class III, better known as?active devices,? literally helps the patient live. These could be your heart monitors, pacemakers, pulse generators, etc. With our increasing reliance on such devices, the concern of device security seems more real with time.

Risks of IoMT Device Security #

The main concern with IoMT devices is that a huge amount of personal data is being generated daily. With such intimate data being recorded and saved in cloud servers, device security is expected to be top-notch. Yet, that isn’t always the case. For example, the Wannacry ransomware attack in 2019 was deployed in over 150 countries affecting 300,000+ devices. Even a year after the cyberattack took place, Microsoft’s serves still continue to find vulnerabilities in such systems.

If that isn’t horrifying enough, another attack, Bluekeep took place in 2020 in the US, where a vulnerability in the Microsoft Remote Desktop Protocol service was exploited to steal medical records. Since these are deployed as worms that take over the system in the sneakiest of manners, it’s very hard to identify and fight them. The most concerning part is that patient medical records are valued at millions to the right stakeholder, and it’s just being sold like hotcakes. In most cases, hospitals have had to turn away patients because of such cybersecurity attacks.

Here, we have nobody else to blame apart from ourselves. Most of these device security issues can be mitigated by employing simple defenses. In 56% of most healthcare security breaches, it has been found that simple things such as using different passwords would’ve mitigated the whole issue altogether. That being said, deniability is the main source of these issues. Most organizations tend to be lax in their attitude towards IoMT device security, which is evident from the fact that only 51% of device manufacturers in the U. S. use Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations to protect their gadgets. The sheer lack of ignorance and accountability is costing people their lives.

How Can We Secure IoMT Devices? #

Given all the risks and concerns that were put forward above, it’s reasonable to wonder whether or not we can completely protect ourselves from such cybersecurity attacks. It is a possibility with the right defense, such as those listed below:

i. Comprehensive IoMT management: It’s very easy to forget about the basics because it seems so obvious. But most organizations are unaware of the complex network that they make use of. The first thing they must do is create a live inventory for all their assets. It can include information about what devices are present, where they are present, what security gaps exist, etc.

ii. High-end encryption: It goes without saying that encryption is key. Any data that is created, stored or even passed through the network must be encrypted. It reduces the likelihood of breaches, although that is highly dependent on how strong the encryption is, so make sure that it’s fool-proof.

iii. Network segmentation: Segmentation is the simple process of dividing the IoMT network with encryption at each level of the network. This ensures that even though vulnerabilities might be present in one part of the network, the others aren’t affected. Only authorized users can access these networks and even their authorization levels can vary between different parts of the network.

iv. Regular software updates: No network can be protected forever, no matter how much you encrypt and segment them. Eventually, the vulnerabilities will show, and they will need to fix. This is why it’s important to carry out regular penetration testing to see how vulnerable the current system is and fix any bugs or introduce new security features. Data integrity is key and an integral part of secure IoMT devices.

v. Accountability: It’s always best to just admit it if there are any bugs or gaps in the network and fix them as soon as possible. No system is completely fool-proof but it can be managed well. For example, there are many vulnerabilities present in the Microsoft systems, but they continually identify and fix any gaps that they discover in their accountability testing.

Secure IoMT Devices — A Possibility? #

In short, it’s a yes and no. IoMT is the future of healthcare, and companies all across the world are jumping on the bandwagon. This also means that every single day, tons of data is being generated but not necessarily protected. Most cyberattacks also use existing vulnerabilities in such devices, making it virtually impossible to keep up with them. With more people becoming aware of the device’s security concerns, the general public could soon become risk-averse, drastically reducing its valuation over time. Securing IoMT devices can be a simple process yet, many organizations fail to implement the necessary precautions. It could be because they either don’t consider it an issue, don’t have the budget for it, or don’t have a strategy in place. It’s high time that they implement IoMT device security as a prime strategy in their development process because a life-saving device is only as good as its ability to save a life.

Related reading

Questions and answers

How Can We Secure IoMT Devices? #

Secure IoMT Devices — A Possibility? #

IoMT is the future of healthcare, and companies all across the world are jumping on the bandwagon. This also means that every single day, tons of data is being generated but not necessarily protected.

The Evolving Role of Data Analytic in the Healthcare

Vin Patel — Mon, 30 Aug 2021 22:13:14 +0000

Key takeaways

Healthcare data analytic has become a vital part of healthcare, and in 2021, the projected revenue for this industry is close to $9 billion.
Logistic Regression: Used to determine potentially risky events through a series of analysis.
All in all, the future of healthcare data analytic is on an upward trend and will only impact more lives soon.

Healthcare data analytic has become a vital part of healthcare, and in 2021, the projected revenue for this industry is close to $9 billion. Yes, you read that right. $9 billion. It’s only projected to increase from here on forth and could potentially rake in $20 billion by the year 2027. If this isn’t proof that it’s one of the most trending topics in healthcare, we don’t know what is!

Data analytic in healthcare is not a new phenomenon but rather years of research that has culminated in intelligent systems being used across the globe. Without healthcare data analytic, we wouldn’t be able to retrieve our records at our whims and fancies. We won’t be able to diagnose complex diseases like pancreatic cancer in its early stages, and we definitely will not be able to get personalized plans for our treatment.

I mean, let’s think about the time when the COVID-19 pandemic hit us. We wouldn’t identify and isolate people (contact tracing) unless we had data about who was infected. How do you think we identified hotspots? What do you think your e-vaccination certificate is all about? They’re all examples of the use of data analytic in healthcare! In 2020, 59% of people were happy to use AI-based devices to diagnose their health issues, and with time, it’s increased.

But how has healthcare data analytic evolved over time? Let’s break it down for you.

What is Healthcare Data Analytic? #

So, what is healthcare data analytic? Simply put, it’s a field that involves using data to make informed decisions or how we popularly know it now as data-driven decisions. Big data refers to the sheer volume of the data generated and our inability to store them physically. Data can be in any form’text, audio, video, log files, or even annotated records. If the data contributes to the decision-making process, it is considered relevant. It’s what we know as an Electronic Health Record or EHR.

Original diagram for Techfastly by Vin Patel.

It’s has a significant impact on the healthcare industry. For example, it benefits doctors by allowing them to look at a problem from various perspectives and make better decisions for their patients. From the patient’s perspective, they receive incredibly personalized plans with reduced costs rendered impossible before big data analytic. From the administrative perspective, it has simplified the entire process. Instead of wasting time making manual written entries, they can focus on actually running the healthcare center.

Use of Predictive Modeling in Healthcare #

If you go to see, medicine is either about preventing health issues or treating health issues based on scientifically backed data. So, it’s not surprising that the next step in healthcare data analytic was predictive modeling. Doctors are humans, and there are only so many avenues they can think of at the end of the day. Predictive data analytic takes that burden off their shoulders and helps them make data-based decisions. It’s widespread to see the use of AI algorithms and the Internet of Things (IoT) to combine data from the past and present to find the best fitting solution.

A few examples of such algorithms include:

Artificial Neural Networks: Models the connections within our brain and is used for diagnostic purposes to identify patterns and develop patient-specific solutions.

Logistic Regression: Used to determine potentially risky events through a series of analysis.

Random Forest:Used to draw multiple trees or, in this case, possibilities of development of disease based on their medical history.

It has completely revolutionized the healthcare space, and now that we see it, there’s no going back.

How Has Data Analytic in Healthcare Evolved Over Time? #

It was not uncommon to see that every little medical record would be handwritten and stored decades ago. Even now, doctors are required to put in their ’notes? which are filed in the patient’s folder. But that was a dangerous way to store data. Why, you ask? Simply because it could get stolen or destroyed easily. Just imagine that there’s a fire in the hospital, and suddenly, years of data are lost in seconds. This is precisely what healthcare data analytic aims to solve.

The complete digitization of the medical workflow has allowed doctors and the administration alike to focus on much more important things. While initially, many companies were focused on creating the best technologies that can detect the most intriguing details within the shortest amount of time, something was amiss. Soon, in the 2010s, it was figured that while most of the big data in healthcare data analytic was solving a particular problem, the end user? the patient was not necessarily reaping the intended benefits.

Value-based healthcare has become a buzzword now, with many healthcare management systems focusing on the patient’s perspective. For example, there are many applications to book an appointment instead of waiting for hours on end to get one; you can voice your concerns about the treatment and service that you receive; hospitals can follow up using automated systems which saves hours on their part and the best of all, online customer relationship management (CRM) powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) allows us to map a patient’s journey within the system,

A refreshing change, we must say! #

Another critical aspect that worries most about healthcare data analytic is cybersecurity. Initially, when scientists built these systems, security measures were sub-par at best. In 2021, the going rate for one EHR is $250. That’s a massive amount to pay for one record, but it also goes to show why healthcare data is so prone to be attacked. It’s one of the reasons why most hospital systems prevent the use of third-party apes and have increased network visibility. The increasing focus on security has only helped the overall image of healthcare data analytic improve over time.

The COVID-19 Push to Big Data Analytic in Healthcare #

Like every other technology, big data analytic also got the much-needed push during the pandemic. The true power of data analytic in healthcare was shown when umpteen papers were published describing the various ways in which the pandemic was being fought.

From the diagnostic perspective, it was used for pre-symptomatic detection of the infection, tracking the disease in real-time also monitoring discharged patients in real-time. Epidemiologists also used it to identify hotspots and the spread of variants through the use of genetic repositories. Scientists eventually used this information to identify risks scores and conduct contact tracing activities all across the globe. It helped epidemiologists and helped hospital administrators make data-driven decisions on how and when to quarantine, what their current capacity is, what their resource capacity was like, and which patients they need to prioritize. It most definitely saved millions of lives globally by using automated software powered by big data and AI.

What Does The Future Hold? #

We must work on improving the current systems to ensure better output shortly. Some initiatives include providing more data to algorithms for precision analysis; developing error-free and flawless algorithms that prevent bias; creating tighter security networks to protect data; and focusing on using comics data to provide personalized medical recommendations.

All in all, the future of healthcare data analytic is on an upward trend and will only impact more lives soon. The implementation of big data analytic in healthcare has really given a new meaning to the phrase?Prevention is better than cure.?

Related reading

How Has Data Analytic in Healthcare Evolved Over Time? #

It was not uncommon to see that every little medical record would be handwritten and stored decades ago.

So, what is healthcare data analytic? #

Simply put, it’s a field that involves using data to make informed decisions or how we popularly know it now as data-driven decisions. Big data refers to the sheer volume of the data generated and our inability to store them physically.

But that was a dangerous way to store data. Why, you ask? #

Simply because it could get stolen or destroyed easily. Just imagine that there’s a fire in the hospital, and suddenly, years of data are lost in seconds.

The Impact of Digitalized Healthcare on Patient Privacy

Vin Patel — Fri, 25 Jun 2021 00:30:00 +0000

Key takeaways

Breach of Privacy! It is a phrase that strikes dread into the hearts of the victims, for it signifies that someone has accessed confidential data without permission.
Every medical establishment must bring together, scientific knowledge, technology, rules and regulations, and bureaucracy, for it to function with reasonable success.
Therefore, the manufacturers of healthcare management systems and medical establishments must work in harmony to prevent leakage of sensitive patient information.

Breach of Privacy!

It is a phrase that strikes dread into the hearts of the victims, for it signifies that someone has accessed confidential data without permission. It also means that unscrupulous hackers have managed to enter highly secretive and supposedly safe places, despite the strictest security measures in place. They have managed to make a mockery of the latest ethical technological advancements in the world, via their own highly unethical ones.

Concerns about the breach of privacy are nothing new. They have been in place for years, with both, the ethical and non-ethical sides doing their best to outwit each other. Industries and the IT arena have specifically suffered. However, the most disastrous events in modern times seem to have made the healthcare industry a favorite target. The healthcare industry is keen to adopt digitalization in all ways possible, believing that it will be able to provide improved care for all. Healthcare technologies would be able to reach the remotest corners of the earth, and help the patients. However, this kind of progress also brings a new evil in its wake? breaching of patient privacy.

The following news items evince this. According to an article published by the University of Illinois, Chicago, over 750 incidents of breaches of data breaches took place in 2015 alone, wherein over 193 million records belonging to diverse patients, became victims of identity theft and fraud. Another shocking incident involved Anthem, a health insurance company. Over 78.8 million members and employees found their names, social security numbers, residential addresses, etc., becoming public knowledge.[1] Other institutions that came under attack, included Ponemon, Premera Blue Cross, etc. Bear in mind that all these establishments are in the U. S. Just one nation confronted so much of suffering! However, if it were possible to take every such incident across the globe into consideration, the resulting statistics would be overwhelming indeed! Furthermore, it is obvious that these are not mere rumors. The very fact that millions of people have encountered fraud, suffices to indicate that everything is true!

At the same time, it does sound odd, doesn’t it? What would ’thieves? want with the details of other people’s illnesses? Surprisingly, they prove of great monetary value to them. Otherwise, they would not be indulging in such a seemingly ‘silly? task. To illustrate, one advantage of having intimate knowledge about terminal illnesses or sexually transmitted diseases at their fingertips, would be the ease of practicing blackmail. In other words, it would be simple to coerce the victims into parting with huge sums amounts of money for not making such details public. Extortion is a very real crime, which has been in existence for ages.

Another advantage for the fraudsters, is the ‘borrowing? of medical identities. Hitherto, we have only heard of people stealing bank details or social security numbers. However, in this scenario, they take over the identities of genuine patients for themselves. This enables them to indulge in tax frauds, initiate frauds involving home loans, etc. Naturally, the real owners of these identities have no option but to pay for all the mistakes being committed in their names. It also becomes possible for these thieves to undertake complicated medical treatments under assumed names, or even encouraging their illegitimate clients to do the same after handing over fat commissions. As a result, the insurance companies find themselves confronting huge bills. Thus, the theft of medical data can have long-term effects, ultimately impacting the entire healthcare industry as a whole.

Healthcare Information Systems #

There is no denying that theft of patient data is a matter of serious concern. However, healthcare information systems are here to help, and not hinder, the disbursement of medical aid to a world with a growing population. The medical fraternity cannot just discard these systems. An insight into some of the systems that are in vogue, should help.

EHR

It stands for electronic healthcare records. Earlier, hospital staff had to expend spend a lot of time and energy into maintaining patient records, albeit manually. Today, it is easy to record the same details into on a computer. This saves on time, effort, and paperwork. It eliminates human errors to a great extent. Above all, it helps medical professionals to transfer data across diverse departments, thereby providing holistic and collaborative care to each patient.

RPM

This refers to remote patient monitoring. Here, medical sensors are in place. They observe the concerned patient’s bodily operations, and record the outcomes. A study of such details enables the medical fraternity to predict medical complications that may follow regarding the concerned patient. In turn, it becomes possible to prevent them from occurring, by taking relevant actions beforehand. RPM aids in reducing readmission to the hospital too.

MPI

Large-sized medical institutions find the idea of having a primary patient index system in place, highly useful. Each admitted patient’s details goes into storage within a master database. Therefore, healthcare professionals may access them whenever and wherever necessary. Furthermore, it prevents duplication of patients? records.

This refers to the patient portal, which is extremely useful for patients. With the aid of their Smartphones, desktop computers, laptops, or tablets, patients may access information about themselves and their respective medical conditions. They may also request appointments, pay bills, etc., by using this portal.

E-Prescribing Software #

Medical professionals may prescribe medications for their patients, and forward them directly to the concerned pharmacists. This helps immensely, for handwritten notes are often extremely hard to decipher, and can lead to serious errors in handing out relevant medications. Thus, administrators ensure the maintenance of patient safety. Additionally, there is an automatic recording of the concerned patient’s medication history from the beginning to the time of discharge.

Medical Practice Management System #

It helps to streamline the multiple and diverse activities taking place in the day-to-day running of a medical institution. Even administrative tasks become easier to handle. In other words, the amount of paperwork and manual labor becomes lesser.

Medical Billing Software #

Medical billing is a critical task, yet extremely time-consuming in nature. With health insurance companies demanding accuracy in everything, the department, often overloaded with multiple tasks, struggles with both, managerial, as well as billing duties. Therefore, medical billing software proves to be a real boon, ensuring that there is automatic recording of everything in a timely and accurate manner.

Urgent Care Applications #

In action 24 x 7, such applications keep track of patients requiring need for emergency services. Patients can also access informative articles related to medicine and treatment, keep an eye on their own treatments, etc.

Suffice to say that healthcare information systems store extremely sensitive data, and need all the protection that medical establishments can provide them. To their credit, the users are striving to do everything they can, to prevent breach of patient privacy. Regardless, the thefts continue unabated.

Does this mean that healthcare authorities do not take adequate care via rules and regulations?

This is not true, for nations across the world outline what they expect medical institutions utilizing healthcare technologies to do. In fact, the consequences of not adhering to the policies, can result in stringent legal action against the perpetrators of crimes. Nonetheless, criminal mindsets manage to discover the loopholes, or even use various software to advantage, for accessing medical data. Therefore, it is a constant battle of wits between the initiators and the presenters of criminal activities involving the medical arena.

Reasons for Breach of Privacy #

The biggest and most common cause is human errors. Every medical establishment must bring together, scientific knowledge, technology, rules and regulations, and bureaucracy, for it to function with reasonable success. In the eagerness to comply with everything, humans are bound to make mistakes. For instance, the wrong information may reach the wrong patient, or go to the wrong doctor. In case, the information is extremely sensitive in nature,, terrible consequences are bound to follow. Then again, certain important data may fail to find its way to the computer. Such omissions may prove costly for patients coming in with acute/chronic ailments. Sometimes, there is no appropriate disposal of unwanted documents. Sometimes, they are left lying around unnecessarily. There could be technical glitches at times. In short, human hands and careless mindsets can become responsible for awarding easy access to confidential patient data.

Another reason is allowing multiple users to have the same log-in details. There is no guarantee that the users are going to log in and log off carefully, after accessing requisite information. The commonest excuse is? no time to take care of it now. This results in leaving everything open to public display. Sometimes, people, who do not really need to go through patient data often, misuse the privilege that the authorities have awarded them. Like all other human beings, medical staff tends to gossip too. It is akin to word-of-mouth advertising about things that should remain hidden within computer systems, and not find their way outside them. Insiders, keen to make a fast buck, may have no compunction about sharing information with outsiders.

Often, patients may require transferring from one medical facility to another. This necessitates the transfer of healthcare data too. There could be leakage of data during this process of transfer. The information may find its way to the wrong healthcare facility, or even to the wrong healthcare professional. Such errors work to the advantage of hackers.

Finally, the hospital authorities may not be aware of it, but malware/spyware may have found its way to the computer network governing the storage of patient data.

Strategies for Protecting Patient Data #

It is obvious that mere encryptions in place will not serve the purpose. Medical establishments need to have an experienced technical team in place. These teams should check and test security measures regularly, as well as, keep all security software updated. In fact, the updating should take place regularly. Another precaution that the administrators can take is to request the technical team to replace existing software with new entrants on a regular basis. After all, IT companies strive to add improved features to existing software all that time. Regular replacements will make it difficult for hackers to become acquainted with them. It would be good to change existing software regularly, such that hackers find it difficult to cope with diverse kinds of technologies.

If possible, it would be good to limit the number of users accessing patient accounts. Similarly, administrators must take care to inform the staff about the importance of logging off websites. Regardless of the constraints placed on their time, the staff must display responsible behavior always. Then again, it is not necessary to grant hospital administrators easy access to patient databases. After all, they rarely have anything to do with patient care. In fact, they become soft targets for unscrupulous hackers. Similarly, not everyone involved with patients? needs to go back to peruse patient data regularly. Such people should have restricted access, thereby preventing the public from gaining access to private information.

Most breaches of privacy occur when the clerical/registration staff is collecting the personal details, medical history, etc., of each patient. Sometimes, there is a steady flow of patients, causing the staff to feel overwhelmed. These individuals are only human, and prone to becoming confused at times. For instance, two patients may have similar first names and last names. Then again, there could be patients presenting themselves with similar illnesses. Some patients tend to feel impatient and harassed, thereby adding to the existing confusion. Whatever be the reason, individuals handling the entries of patient details onto computer systems, may well find themselves placing the wrong details into the wrong categories. They find themselves wasting a lot of time on rectifying these errors. Sometimes, no rectifications can take place, since the errors themselves go unnoticed. Thus, patient data is on public display at collection time, permitting alert hackers to create mischief.

Patient data may also undergo theft at the endpoint, that is, after all the information has undergone collections and categorization. Every member involved in this tedious job has access to the same log in details. As a result, the database tends to remain open to public eyes for quite some time.

Therefore, it is vital to have protective measures in place at the collection point and the endpoints. Extreme care should come into play during the transfer of patient data from one establishment to another.

Above all, it is vital that medical personnel and non-medical staff remain vigilant always. Should they notice anything unusual, they should report it immediately to the concerned authorities.

Patients come for treatment with open hearts and open minds. They place immense faith in the people looking after them, to keep their ‘secrets? safe. It proves traumatic when they discover a ‘betrayal of faith?, whether it occurs knowingly or unknowingly. As a result, they may not be so willing to part with vital information the next time they visit a medical practitioner. This can prove detrimental to their health, and even cause life-threatening issues at times. Therefore, the manufacturers of healthcare management systems and medical establishments must work in harmony to prevent leakage of sensitive patient information.

Related reading

Questions and answers

Otherwise, they would not be indulging in such a seemingly ‘silly? #

To illustrate, one advantage of having intimate knowledge about terminal illnesses or sexually transmitted diseases at their fingertips, would be the ease of practicing blackmail. In other words, it would be simple to coerce the victims into parting with huge sums amounts of money for not making such details public.

Another advantage for the fraudsters, is the ‘borrowing? #

Hitherto, we have only heard of people stealing bank details or social security numbers. However, in this scenario, they take over the identities of genuine patients for themselves.

The commonest excuse is? #

This results in leaving everything open to public display. Sometimes, people, who do not really need to go through patient data often, misuse the privilege that the authorities have awarded them.

Similarly, not everyone involved with patients? #

needs to go back to peruse patient data regularly. Such people should have restricted access, thereby preventing the public from gaining access to private information.

Qualcomm's Latest IoT Chipsets Will Boost The Performance

Vin Patel — Fri, 18 Jun 2021 23:40:02 +0000

Key takeaways

Qualcomm Technologies have added seven new solutions to the IoT ecosystem to aid next-generation IoT devices.
Qualcomm’s new solutions have led to its growth at an astonishing rate.
But, the Qualcomm QCS6490/ QCM6490 solutions are expected to be available in the second half of 2021.

Introduction #

Qualcomm Technologies have added seven new solutions to the IoT ecosystem to aid next-generation IoT devices. There are various chipsets, from the entry-level to the premium tier. A wide range of industrial and commercial applications can make use of them.

Mr. Nagaraju Nail, Qualcomm’s senior director of product development said, ‘We have two product variants. One belongs to the QCS family and is a Wi-Fi application processor. The other belongs to the QCM family and is a cellular application processor.?

This article will give you all of the necessary information regarding the new solutions.

The New Chipsets By Qualcomm #

Qualcomm QCS8250 | Target: connected healthcare, digital signage, retail, and video collaboration

With support for Qualcomm Wi-Fi 6 technologies and 5G connection, the Qualcomm QCS8250 is the premium tier product, aimed to ensure maximum efficiency at the most significant power consumption feasible. This chipset supports seven concurrent cameras with encoding at up to 4K definition at 120 frames per second, courtesy of the Qualcomm Kayo 585 CPU architecture, Qualcomm Artificial Intelligence (AI) Engine, and strong image signal processor (ISP).

Apart from this, it offers a new Neural Processing Unit (NPU) besides machine learning for IoT applications to enable smart cameras, video collaboration, connected healthcare, and intelligent retail. This platform is designed specifically for corporate and business applications and it provides clients with a variety of configurable alternatives.

2. Qualcomm QCS6490 / QCM6490 | Target: connected healthcare, logistics management, retail, transportation, and warehousing

The upgraded Qualcomm QCS6490 and Qualcomm QCM490 solutions provide premium quality features such as worldwide 5G connection and blistering-fast Wi-Fi 6E for slightly elevated IoT devices. These chipsets are designed for industrial and commercial IoT applications such as transportation, linked healthcare, warehousing, logistics management, and retail point of sale (POS) kiosks, and are powered by Qualcomm’s Kayo 670 CPU architecture. These chipsets allow the next generation of highly portable handheld and tablets, industrial scanners, and human-machine interface devices by supporting 5G wireless communication and Wi-Fi 6E.

This solution provides astounding performance at reduced power with dynamic triple ISPs and advanced Edge-AI. It computes based on the 6th generation Qualcomm AI Engine compared to the previous generation solutions.

3. Qualcomm QCS4290 / QCM4290 | Target: cameras, industrial handheld, and security panels

Qualcomm QCS4290 and Qualcomm QCM4290 aim at providing mid-tier benefits with even more outstanding performance. This solution offers robust performance, dynamic camera capabilities, and extensive connection choices (LTE Cat13, Wi-Fi 6-Ready), making it perfect for industrial and commercial IoT applications such as industrial handheld in logistics and warehousing, security panels, and cameras. For the increased intuitive on-device intelligence, devices based on this new solution will help enable productive and efficient work environments. For providing a high speed and robust on-device performance, it is based on the Kayo 260 CPU architecture.

4. Qualcomm QCS2290 / QCM2290 | Target: camera applications, industrial handheld, retail and tracking

The Qualcomm QCS2290 and Qualcomm QCM2290 are robust entry-level offerings, enabling reliable performance and power conservation for low power consumption, with LTE connectivity, improved functionality, and memory support. Being equipped with the Cortex A53 CPU architecture, these solutions are cost-effective, delivering outstanding performance, better image quality, higher graphics capabilities, and improved power performance. This platform is very well-suited for retail point-of-sale (POS), industrial handheld, tracking, and camera applications.

Also, The QCS2290/QCM2290 baseband chip is also pin-to-pin compatible with the QCS4290/QCM4290, giving more flexibility to users for reusing software and hardware over many IoT devices, consequently reducing costs.

Facilitating the IoT Ecosystem #

Qualcomm’s new solutions have led to its growth at an astonishing rate. Analysts expect that Qualcomm earnings per share will rise to 86% altogether of fiscal 2021 and a further 10% in 2022, according to Backs Investment Research. The company returned to growth in 2020 after several years of decline. Sales are seen escalating 37% in 2021 and a further 10% in 2022. With all this, it’s pretty easy to imagine that how useful these solutions might have proved for many corporations. With its newest family of IoT chipsets, Qualcomm aspires to empower its more than 13,000 IoT customers to accelerate their development of relevant products.

‘We are ideally positioned to push the IoT ecosystem forward with our systems-level approach,? said Mr. Jeff Lorbeck, general manager of linked innovative systems at Qualcomm.? These new IoT solutions, together with the recently announced Qualcomm 315 5G IoT modem, to make our way to drive growing network change and delivering a spectrum of solutions to reconfigure manufacturing and commercial IoT applications for advanced performance and flawless connection,? he added.

The new chipsets have helped many applications to provide better performance. These are some of the applications whose performance got enhanced with the help of the new chipsets.

Amtrak- Amtrak can provide fine-tuned audio and video processing products because of the Qualcomm QCS8250’s advancement.
Arrow- Arrow now offers a full spectrum of IoT solutions, from entry-level to premium-tier, by adding the Qualcomm QCS8250 to its expanding product range with Qualcomm Technologies.
AVer- Qualcomm QCS8250 will allow AVer to not only remain competitive but also to provide superior UC&C solutions to the video conferencing industry.
eInfochips- The Qualcomm QCS8250 solution will be used by eInfochips to allow collaboration devices, smart robotics, augmented reality/virtual reality devices, home/industrial automation, intelligent cameras, and other intelligent products.
Fibocom- These innovative technologies, when used in conjunction with Fibocom’s end-to-end IoT modules and wireless communications solutions, will allow powerful, smart, and innovative IoT solutions across a wide range of industries and vertical applications.
Honeywell- Qualcomm’s solutions will provide Honeywell clients with strong processing capabilities that will help them speed up and improve their employee and customer experiences, resulting in significant productivity gains.
Quectel- Qualcomm’s latest chipsets are fully compatible with Quectel’s existing 5G and LTE modules, allowing clients to speed up their time-to-market.

Summing-up #

The new solutions by Qualcomm have proved to be of more significant benefit to many industrial and commercial applications whose performance has improved with the help of these new chipsets. The solutions Qualcomm QCS8250, Qualcomm QCS4290/ QCM4290, and Qualcomm QCS2290/ QCM2290 are accessible now. But, the Qualcomm QCS6490/ QCM6490 solutions are expected to be available in the second half of 2021.

Related reading

Future of Healthcare System: Health Teach Innovations

Vin Patel — Wed, 16 Jun 2021 23:44:42 +0000

Key takeaways

The Healthcare system has evolved by incorporating technology.
It helps the doctors to provide the right treatment using the right approach.
Though, today its use may be limited but will surely gain more importance and progress towards continuous advancement to deliver the highest and improvised value-added treatment to the patients.

Aren’t we thankful for the wonders of science and technology? The healthcare system is no alien to the advances of technology. The Healthcare system has evolved by incorporating technology. It has shown wonders with innovations that have led to continuous improvement and helping the healthcare workers deliver their patients a valued treatment.

This unprecedented health teach innovation has made it possible for the healthcare system to go digital, thereby providing its patients with a better experience, better medical attention and administration, and also evolution in healthcare operations. This may not be the end; the healthcare system focuses on continuous advancement to deliver the highest and improvised value-added treatment to the patients.

Technology in Healthcare System #

Well, surely we cannot deny that we have evolved in the healthcare sector. Technology in the healthcare system has shown numerous innovations. These innovations have made the job of practising doctors and nurses a lot easier. Innovations like MRI machines (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), Sonography Machine, heart valves, and dialysis machines are among the few health teach innovations that made diagnosis and treatment a lot easier and better. Yes, no innovation can replace doctors, though!

Original diagram for Techfastly by Vin Patel.

Technology has made it possible to understand the advancement in medical sciences, making it easier to the psychology of the patients as well as helping to deliver them with required medical support. The recent health teach innovations like the use of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) in medical science, the use of 3D technology, telehealth, an online portal for patients has not only allowed the practitioners to reach out to their patients and interact with them but also has improved the diagnosis and treatment planning. Overall, it has managed to improve the access and the quality of treatment.

Emerging Health Teach Innovations #

The emerging health teach innovations that have managed to improve the access and overall quality of treatment are:

1. Virtual Reality #

Virtual Reality uses technology to create an artificial environment with the help of computer-based software programs. Virtual Reality has managed to amaze the healthcare system. Apart from the gaming industry, it can help the health sector to improve its facilities and process. Virtual Reality can be used for the following medical purposes.?

Providing medical training and education to budding doctors and surgeons.
Effective pain management by using cognitive behavioral therapy. It can provide a means for distraction with virtual games thereby proving as a drug-free pain reliever.
Psychosocial or mental illness can also be treated using Virtual Reality Technology. It helps in providing exposure therapy to such patients helping them calm their minds and reduce panic and anxiety attacks.
Diagnosis has become easier with virtual reality. It is used in conjugation with other diagnostic tests like MRI or CT scan, which helps eliminate diagnostic errors and provides the physicians with accurate diagnosis for the patients.
Apart from the uses mentioned above, virtual reality can also be used in the healthcare sector for providing fitness therapy pre and post-surgery, dentistry, and treatment of autistic and disabled patients.

2. Augmented Reality- Augmented Reality enhances the physical world using digital technology. It is helpful to both the patients as well as the physicians. Physicians use Augmented Reality Technology to visualize veins and draw blood from them for routine blood examination. It is also being used in surgeries proving as a visualizing aid. Various medical institutions have incorporated augmented reality technology into their curriculum that helps the budding doctors in their training.

Original diagram for Techfastly by Vin Patel.

3. Internet of Medical Things (IoMT)

This technological advancement uses medical devices and applications on synergism, making it possible for the information technology department of the healthcare system to remain connected with their patients through online networks. Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) uses the cloud to store patient data and information for future reference and evaluation. Physicians can easily remote monitor their patients, track their online medication orders and patient’s location in case of emergency. It is used in medical devices that monitor the vitals of the patients.

4. Artificial Iintelligence (AI) in the healthcare system

The future of the healthcare system with Artificial Intelligence has a great potential to improve it. Artificial intelligence can be incorporated into the healthcare industry to improve the diagnostic efficiency of doctors. It helps the doctors to provide the right treatment using the right approach. The AI in healthcare uses algorithms that are designed to perform automated tasks. Doctors or physicians feed the patients’ data to the AI algorithm, which automatically interprets solutions to their problems.

Original diagram for Techfastly by Vin Patel.

5. 3-D Technology It has proved as a boon to the healthcare system. 3-D Technology is used in the healthcare system to customize implants and prosthetics. 3-D printing nowadays is used for fabricating medical models or dental casts. It has a wide application in dentistry as well. The Technology is used in the fabrication of dental aligners as well as in CBCT scan used for determining the bone density and dimensions of the implant to be placed. The models created using 3-D printing are patient-specific for personalized treatments.

6. Telehealth and remote monitoring of patients Telehealth refers to methods and techniques that help doctors and physicians to interact with their patients at home or anywhere else. Remote patient monitoring uses Telehealth Technology to deliver health services to their patients without having them visit hospitals or clinics personally. This may be in the form of telephonic conversations, video conferencing, or other recent technological advances in the communication sector. Apart from this patients can be remotely monitored through their smartphones and apes that are specially designed to monitor their activities and guide them remotely for their treatment.

7. Data Management, sharing, and interoperability

Digitalization is a blessing to technology. It has made it possible to store patient data at a centralized level. Technology has made it possible to gather and collect data and store them securely on the cloud. Firms like Microsoft and Google have their health clouds that allow health care sectors to store data. Data sharing and interoperability are extremely important in the healthcare sector especially during the pandemic of COVID-19. All these three services: data management, sharing, and interoperability are integrated into one another and are among the latest technological advancement in the healthcare industry. It is a secured platform that allows data storage, sharing, and interoperability.

8. Online portal for patients’ –> Websites and mobile applications

These are online tools. These tools are designed to provide a personal health care portal for the patients. The tools are either in the form of websites or mobile applications that can be easily accessed by the patients anywhere anytime. The features of the online portal for the patients are

Make Appointments
Check doctors visit
Medications or prescriptions
Maintain immunization or any allergy records of the patients
Lab reports
Request prescription refill
Online payment
Request urgent Appointments

Conclusion #

Health Teach Innovations are surely the future of the healthcare system. And this advancement will continue to make wonders for the healthcare industry. Soon, we will see the healthcare sector adopt these trends in their day-to-day medical interventions which will be dependent on the health teach innovations like AR, VR, 3-D printing, and remote patient monitoring. Though, today its use may be limited but will surely gain more importance and progress towards continuous advancement to deliver the highest and improvised value-added treatment to the patients.

Related reading

Investing in Technology

Vin Patel — Mon, 28 Sep 2020 20:45:00 +0000

Key takeaways

With constant changes in the user trend and global market, the stock market has faced constant fluctuation in the last few years.
However, organizing this data in a meaningful way is another story.
Hopefully, the data above may have provided you with the knowledge you need for this part.

With constant changes in the user trend and global market, the stock market has faced constant fluctuation in the last few years. The industries are rising and falling in a way that makes it almost impossible to anticipate their future.

However, there is one industry that has shown excellent future potential- the teach industry. It has shown significant progress in terms of both its position in the market and its profit values. The following articles will share the data that will prove its potential and why it’s the best industry to invest right now.

Progress In Teach Companies Value #

The technology sector has undoubtedly shown great strides in the last decade. With modern technologies like the IoT, AI, RPA, and more, it has opened the door to a much better world, with many more opportunities. The stats by financesonline.com states that the sector now accounts for more than over $3,360 billion. 4 out of every 10 United States has reported demand for professionals in this sector.

The world has seen technologies that were unimaginable before this decade. There are AI-based machines, self-driving cars (conceptual), and many more fascinating technologies. The era also marked the discovery of ultrafast processors and graphic cards. This decade marks a new milestone for a new, better, and faster world.

The best part is that these technologies aren’t just benefiting the industrial sector but also offer excellent investment opportunities for investors. You can use this rising market to your benefit by understanding and investing in it. The next section will tell you more about this art and share some teach sectors you should consider.

Top 5 Teach Sectors To Invest In #

The teach sector is growing at an excellent rate, but some sections have better growth than the rest. These extra quick-growing sections can present you with a great market to invest and earn profits. Here’s a list of 5 of these sections.

Artificial Intelligence #

AI being at the top of this list is no big surprise, especially when you consider the progress rate it has presented. The technology finds its application in almost every modern firm right from manufacturing to healthcare. Even the advertisement industry and fintech are starting to use it.

The technology is booming at an unimaginable rate, opening room for lots of jobs as well as investment opportunities. According to the studies by Statista, the sector has exhibited a growth rate of 154% in 2019 and is still increasing. The website also establishes that the AI now covers a market revenue of over 10.1 Billion USD. Another graph by the same site predicts that this revenue may rise to 125 billion by 2025.

The technology is attracting investors and teach enthusiasts from almost every sector of the industry. It has also become a base of many startups lately. Not to mention the huge investment companies like IBM, FB, and Google are making for it.

All these factors make it clear that AI technology is here to stay and would present an attractive market in the coming times. So, without any doubt, this sector is worth your time and money.

Data Science #

Artificial Intelligence uses processes like machine learning and predictive analysis to understand the market better. It means that any industry using AI will have to deal with a large amount of data. Collecting this data is not a big task, especially with smart devices like the wearable, Alex, and other such devices. However, organizing this data in a meaningful way is another story. You need to store the unstructured data, refine it to find the required part, and then store it in.

You also have to ensure that the bulk data doesn’t affect the processing speed. Therefore, you will need multiple tools and professionals. The list includes analysts, data virtualizers, clutters, and applications like Hadoop.

These requirements turn this industry into a sector that can help you to earn excellent profits. Companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google in this sector further add to its value.

App Development #

Since the development of Apple and Google stores, the demand for applications has always been high. Today, every business, enterprise, and cooperative needs dedicated applications for their services. Even the government sector has a massive demand for them. They generate more than 50% of the world’s internet traffic. The demand is further increasing with new technologies like VR and AR into play. Even the teach sectors like AI and data science depend on applications.

This sector has also exhibited a growth rate that is much more than almost any other teach sector. The website alliedmarketresearch predicts that the industry will have a revenue of 407.31 billion dollars by 2026. It’s a growth of over 301.04 billion dollars within eight years (2018-2026). So, if you are interested in investing in the teach sector, this one is a perfect option.

Cloud Computing #

In this age of information, hard drives and other mass media devices are not enough. The users need tools that can offer much larger storage capacity without compromising speed or rising prices. The only answer to this requirement is cloud computing platforms. They are fast, reliable, and can be accessed from any part of the world without any issues.

These platforms are also becoming the base of centralized industry and remote working. Its growth is why even the top-notch companies like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft have started the programs for cloud computing. About one-third of the IT sector’s budget now goes to this single sector. They use the online storage to backup data, host websites/software, create recovery images, and several other processes. Stats show that by the end of 2020, the spending on this sector will be approximately 952 Billion USD.

Caber Security #

With the whole world turning digital, cybersecurity is a must every company needs to prevent unauthorized use of data. The companies need professionals, tools, and every other thing that can assure the best cybersecurity for them. Hence, they are ready to spend a higher amount in this sector than any other.

The sector has reserved a market investment value of over 37 billion dollars by the end of 2018. A study by Statistaa predicts that by the end of this year, the investment in this sector will further rise to 42 billion. The number is enough to establish its market value in the upcoming years. It’s the sector that you must surely consider.

Wrapping Up

The teach sector is rising, and you can use it to your advantage. All you need is to find the perfect investment opportunity for you. Hopefully, the data above may have provided you with the knowledge you need for this part.

Related reading

All You Need to Know About 5G

Vin Patel — Tue, 04 Aug 2020 01:11:16 +0000

Key takeaways

5G or the 5th Generation is the next-gen of the global network.
“There are a lot of potential points of stress.” World leaders in technology like Japan, Germany, China, South Korea, the USA, England, Spain, followed by France, are theoretically ready for 5G.
As more and more devices connect to the Internet, 5G is the need of the hour, and is here to change people’s lives.

The Next Generation of High-Speed Wireless Communication #

What is 5G?

The super-fast Internet is just around the corner. 5G or the 5th Generation is the next-gen of the global network. 5G is here not only to give you improved and uninterrupted Internet and cell-phone connections, but this will also enable better performance for various innovative activities like driverless cars, delivery drones, improved A. I., and whatnot. Everything in our lives has become Smart? smartphones, smart homes, smart kitchens, smart cars, and all of them need even quicker connectivity for smooth functioning with no room for error. The Internet has reshaped our world in ways that we could never have imagined. Everything is just a snap of your fingers!

Original diagram for Techfastly by Vin Patel.

Source- haji.net

History of 1G to 5G #

1G? In the year 1979, the first Generation or 1G was launched by Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) in Tokyo, many other countries followed suit. However, 1G suffered from some initial drawbacks like calls not being encrypted, poor network, awful sound quality, and no roaming support.

2G? 2G was launched under the GSM Standard in Finland in 1991, and it promised better structures than 1G. Calls could be better encrypted, and digital voice calls were clearer with less background noise. With some arithmetic here and there, 2G was here to revolutionize the telecoms sector.

3G? NTT DoCoMo launched 3G in the year 2001. 3G brought in increased data transfer capabilities and gave rise to more video conferencing, and video streaming became easier. Even the iPhone was launched in 2007 in the era of 3G.

4G? 4G took this game of streaming high-quality videos to another level. With multiple deployments in some countries as the Long Term Evolution (LTE), 4G offered unparalleled streaming of gaming services, H. D. videos, and H. Q. video conferencing like never before.

5G - 5G has brought the evolution of The Internet of Things (IoT) into our pockets and purses in the form of mobile phones. 5G is here to transform everything - our homes, our banks, our education, our healthcare, everything!

On June 13, 2018, the Santiago 3GPP Conference laid the foundation of the first international 5G standard. No company or person owns 5G, and it’ll be wise to call 5G the brainchild of some of the leading mobile giants.

5G was first launched in a few American and South Korean cities in April 2019.

How is it different from 4G? #

The 4G cellular system is nearly 5000 times faster than the current 3G structure, and it gives a download speed that reaches 100 Maps. 5G has a download speed of almost 10,000 Maps, and it can also connect 100 times more devices and gives 100 percent more coverage.

4G gives a download speed of an average of 20Maps to download an H. D. movie that would generally take around 10 to 20 minutes to download, whereas 5G will download that same movie in an unbelievable 25 seconds with a stunning speed of 500Maps to 1500Maps. Not only is this a much better and faster upload and download of any video, but it is 3D/ultra-high definition videos, A. R., V. R.

2020 has promised not only twenty billion plus connection devices such as phones and computers but also captors, cars, drones, medical equipment, smart home devices, and so much more! And this is why we need 5G.

What are its advantages? #

With the arrival of 5G, smart devices will become adept with improved and prompt connectivity.

For instance, your smart kitchen can connect with your smart oven through 5G to inform you about the exact cooking time needed.

Education will become more accessible. Students and teachers sitting in any part of the world can team up anytime.

Places in the most remote location will have access to better health and medical assistance. The functioning of multiple parallel services will become smoother.

5G can give you better coverage, can handle large bandwidth, Dalian connection, and low latency.

Thanks to a faster and more reliable network, any video will be downloaded and uploaded in a whiplash. Sending data to a large number of users will become easier. Monitoring a plethora of machines and equipment connected through 5G will guarantee more efficiency without disruption or delay.

There’s also a possibility that natural disasters like tsunami or an earthquake can be detected faster and earlier.

The coronavirus outbreak has pushed everyone indoors, making “social distancing” the new norm. Students, businesses, healthcare, even the number of home deliveries have been affected in some way. All of these need more robust 5G technologies in the U. S*.*

Jessica Rosenworcel, an FCC member, said the influx of people working from home is a test for the current networks. “We’re going to have a big stress test on our networks,” she said. “There are a lot of potential points of stress.”

Countries that are spearheading 5G #

World leaders in technology like Japan, Germany, China, South Korea, the USA, England, Spain, followed by France, are theoretically ready for 5G.

“According to estimates published in an Inform Teach research paper, 5G technology could be responsible for 22.3 million jobs and $13.2 trillion of global economic output by 2035.”

South Korea, China, and the United States are already leading the world in building and deploying 5G technology in various cities.

Sweden, Turkey, and Estonia are some names in the league of smaller countries with superior technology that have taken significant steps to make 5G networks commercially accessible to their citizens.

South Korea is way ahead of its counterparts and is expanding its 5G spectrum. It has already set up 5G to 85 of its cities as of January 2020. According to government officials, by 2026, around 90% of Korea’s mobile users will be on a 5G.

China holds the second position after South Korea, with the deployment of 5G in 57 of its cities as of January 2020.

AT&T Inc., KT Corp, and China Mobile are some of the telecommunication giants working relentlessly to build the fifth-generation (5G) of wireless technology.

Controversies regarding 5G #

Since its conception, planning, and execution, 5G has been the favorite child of controversies, be it the stories about its radiation transmission leading to various health hazards, or alleged espionage. Among these, the most dangerous aspect of 5G that the world is worried about and is discussing at almost every Global dais is the enormous radiation it emits.

According to some reports, 5G network frequency is extremely dangerous as it is way above the current standard and could be exponentially risky for humans. However, according to another study that counters this view,

humans emit a high amount of radiation during their lifetime. The frequency of this radiation is at least 5000 times higher than 5G. Let that sink in! Does that mean that humans are more dangerous?

Researchers opine that technology like 5G is not ’the problem.’ The problem lies in the spectrum and the power it brings along. To understand this better, the closer you are to the antenna and transmitter, the higher is the power and the better connectivity you get.

Most devices transmit a very low power to have any effect on the human body. For instance, the Wi-Fi uses a spectrum band of 2.4 GHz, even the microwave at your house uses the same band. The spectrum band is the same here, but the level of power both of these uses is different. The microwave uses more power, whereas the Wi-Fi uses lesser power.

5G is promising unlimited coverage, which means developing mega infrastructures like putting more number of radio heads closer to people for better connectivity; this will send up the cost for laying such structures.

5G also adheres to the risk of security breach and threat of espionage. The U. S. has banned the use of Chinese components in its 5g network, citing a probable chance of espionage.

Amidst the Covid-19 stress, the ever-existing race for dominance between the USA and China has also amplified. Supremacy in the 5G revolution has become the absolute goal of the two superpowers, to the extent that the U. S. has banned the use of Chinese components in its 5g network, citing a probable chance of espionage.

Recently, the U. S. even blocked Huawei Technologies, which is a leading 5G gear supplier.

What is beyond 5G? #

What lies beyond 5G is up for debate, discussion, more and more analysis, experiments, speculation, and the colossal funding that it needs. 6G is still theoretical, and we may also have 7G or 8G as the future looks quite promising.

5G is the next frontier that combines evolution with innovation for the entire telecommunication industry.

The top four carriers in the U. S., Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, and At&T are now offering 5G. However, coverage is still limited around the U. S.

Verizon spearheaded the 5G revolution in the U. S. and, as of 2020, is offering 5G in Chicago, Los Angels, New York City, Atlanta, Dallas, and in smaller cities like Memphis, Columbus, and Grand Rapids.

The Verizon subscribers in Chicago, US have managed to get speeds of up to 1.4Gaps. This is way faster than 4G’s theoretical top speed of 300Maps.

As more and more devices connect to the Internet, 5G is the need of the hour, and is here to change people’s lives.

Related reading

Questions and answers

How is it different from 4G? #

What are its advantages? #

With the arrival of 5G, smart devices will become adept with improved and prompt connectivity. For instance, your smart kitchen can connect with your smart oven through 5G to inform you about the exact cooking time needed.

What is beyond 5G? #

Can Artificial Intelligence Predict Future Pandemics?

Vin Patel — Fri, 31 Jul 2020 17:39:02 +0000

Key takeaways

However, we have not seen that much about preventing future pandemics.
With the information generated, unique genetic sequencing algorithms can be created for each person in the world, being able to personalize treatments and overcome conventional medicine.
It is not possible to say with a hundred percent certainty that this idea is perfect, and in fact, it probably is not.

Do you know what telemedicine is and how it can help at predicting future pandemics like COVID-19? Since we got into the severe coronavirus outbreak, people have been talking about the development of technologies that can prevent it. However, we have not seen that much about preventing future pandemics.

In December of 2019, an alert was fired by health teach Blue Dot, warning about the risk of a pandemic in China, which we now know as the coronavirus.

The company explains that the alert could only be fired due to an algorithm that collects various information from different sources, and crosses it with its database, thus being able to report possible disease outbreaks, whether existing or not.

The Blue Dot algorithm uses techniques of natural language processing and machine learning to identify the symptoms present and the number of people who present it.

“We can pick up news of possible outbreaks, small murmurs, forums, or blogs with indications of some kind of unusual event happening.” according to the CEO of Blue Dot.

In fact, this is how the algorithm indicated the risk of contamination in Bangkok, Seoul, Taipei, and Tokyo - all confirmed and were some of the first places affected by the virus outside China.

A major factor responsible for the fast spread and slow prevention of the pandemic was the nine-day delay by the World Health Organization to put the problem in evidence and take the necessary measures. Sometimes, algorithms aren’t enough. You need health and medical professionals to take action as well.

According to Kai-Fu-Lee, ex-president of Google China and the current president of Sinovation Ventures (Chinese venture capital investment company), we can use these algorithms and improve them to help discover new pandemics in the future.

Lee talked a lot about the topic of his participation in Brazil at Silicon Valley and said that using telemedicine to create a large database of the health of the population and that it is possible to use artificial intelligence to predict and prevent pandemics.

“I think that in the long term, pandemic prevention will be possible with artificial intelligence,” said Lee. “We will use smart clothes, known as wearable, that will produce data and send it to the cloud where it will be possible to notice anomalies early. So I hope that the next pandemic can be predicted and prevented.”

The idea proposed by Lee and several experts on the subject, that through telemedicine - the use of technology to monitor the health of patients from different places - whether through applications or watches with health monitoring, we can generate enough data to create a large cloud with all the information needed to predict a new pandemic. But predicting a pandemic goes beyond AI. It would be best if you had health and medical professionals take action quickly and actively work against it early on. The nine-day delay by the WHO was catastrophic and led to a much faster spread of the coronavirus.

Original diagram for Techfastly by Vin Patel.

The importance of predicting the pandemic is directly linked to its prevention. The faster the diagnosis, the faster the treatment or isolation will be. Several researchers claim that this will be the last major global pandemic if we direct technology to this research.

With the information generated, unique genetic sequencing algorithms can be created for each person in the world, being able to personalize treatments and overcome conventional medicine.

“Doctors cannot digest complete genetic sequencing, but artificial intelligence can.” say the experts.

If you really can’t imagine this ideal world of algorithms, try to imagine the following:

You acquire a watch that monitors your heartbeat and body temperature. Every time it peaks or goes down drastically, the watch triggers an alert and redirects you to a diagnostic application.

Within the application, you should answer a simple questionnaire about your symptoms. If the algorithm diagnoses some risk, it asks you to redirect to a health center. Otherwise, the application understands that it may have been a common change due to some other factor. This is already somewhat a reality, think about the new Apple Watch. It can monitor heart rate fairly well in older people. However, further research and development needs to be done to perfect this.

The system would have two main benefits:

Diagnose possible health problems, and redirect you to service as soon as possible.
Create a database with the symptoms and health monitoring of the world population, so that it identifies patterns and indicates epicenters of diseases.

As we can see, Artificial Intelligence plays a vital role in our daily lives, and even more so in matters of public health. We can and must use it for our well-being.

The current pandemic of COVID-19 has led us to global economic catastrophes, and the deaths of thousands of people in all countries. It is difficult to say whether our planet Earth could withstand yet another great outbreak like this.

Several researchers have developed studies of algorithms in disease forecast and prevention, so this can be the last pandemic experienced by us. In addition to it, companies around the world have invested high capital to finance this idea.

It is not possible to say with a hundred percent certainty that this idea is perfect, and in fact, it probably is not. However, the big question raised in this article is: how we must use technology and improve it to our advantage? As much as it does not work exactly as we expect, we will undoubtedly have a better scenario than the previous one.

If Artificial Intelligence can save us from losing 400,000 lives, do you think it’s worth a try?

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Cure.fit and Hevodata partnership

CEO's Guide to Data Integration

Vin Patel — Sat, 20 Jun 2020 17:05:22 +0000

Key takeaways

Major strategies are devised, and resources are invested based on the result received after a regressive assessment of the data collected.
- Supports on the fly data cleansing and transformation procedures.
And no matter how big your business is, resources must be invested in the correct tools for the smarter use of data for the better performance of your organization.

All businesses run on data. Major strategies are devised, and resources are invested based on the result received after a regressive assessment of the data collected. Businesses are more complex than ever, which requires essential decisions taken quickly and more accurately than ever before. Decision-makers like CEOs often seek the help of Business Intelligence teams to uncover the best strategies for the business. And what constitutes this business intelligence is the transformation of data into actionable insights through the use of software and other services.

In any organization, data is existing at each level, from ground zero to the top. In such cases, it is very challenging to gather all the information and distill it into actionable intelligence.

Original diagram for Techfastly by Vin Patel.

Data Everywhere #

Data is a significant asset for any organization, be it a financial enterprise or a technology firm. It is forever growing in size and value. Data is everywhere, whether a bank is holding its customers? data or a hospital containing its patients? data. Data is essential for any business or company to grow, and how companies deal with the enormous amounts of data will decide who can get an edge in any industry, be it IT, banking, consumer, tourism, medical, etc. Data helps in making better decisions, solving problems, setting up future strategies, improving processes, understanding consumers, and understanding your performance.

Original diagram for Techfastly by Vin Patel.

How is Data collected? #

Valuable data is scattered everywhere. In such a case, it’s essential to collect information-rich and reliable data, measure, and analyze them for better data-driven decisions. This process is called Data Collection. Companies have various ways of collecting customer data. Few commonly used are:

Asking for it: Like if you want to open a bank account, it asks you to fill forms providing many of the details, including personal information. Another way of collecting data is by conducting customer surveys where direct questions are asked to consumers. It’s more or less like interviews, which helps in getting more accurate data.

Websites and cookies: Companies websites make use of cookies and web beacons to track visitors browsing history and their activities on the internet. Facebook and Google are the best examples of these websites which keep collecting all types of data like location, demographic, search history, and accesses as well. Company records, mail, phone, and online surveys are other methods of collecting accurate data.

All of the above are examples of First-Party data where a company is collecting data from the customer directly. There are other ways a company can collect data using second-party and third-party.

Second-Party Data: A company collects data from its audience and then sells it to another company. It is First-party internal data, collected by the company (first) and considered as Second-Party data for the company who buys and uses this data. The selling and buying of the data happen directly between the companies, and there is no involvement of the middle-man. It offers the benefits of First-Party data such as data quality, and precision and buyer has more control over the data than the Third-Party data sources.

Third-Party Data: There are companies whose sole purpose is to collect data from various sources and aggregate in an extensive data set and sell it as a package. When a company buys this kind of data, it is referred to as Third-Party data. Many data companies collect and sell this kind of data, such as Axiom, Experian, and signpost, etc.

Second-Party data and Third-Party data are used for improved Ad and marketing campaigns, target new audiences and observe and predict customer’s behaviors. There are many Data Market Platforms and Data Exchange Platforms from where these data can be sold and bought based on one’s needs.

Data Storage #

Companies collect data from multiple sources, including their websites, customer surveys, social media, and so on. Then there are internal data and external data. We can classify Data in

Structured data stored in relational databases.
Unstructured data like videos, photos, audios, extensive documentation, etc., also commonly known as Big Data.

Organizations need devices to store this massive amount of information, which is called storage devices. At the lowest level, we term them as databases. These storage devices are hosted on servers on multiple geographical locations, and they are backed up to recover in case of any disaster to continue with normal business operations. These servers are secured and stored in multiple data centers all over the world as per company needs.

These data centers are mostly on-premises means the company itself owns the hardware and infrastructure. Large organizations like Banks and financial institutions prefer to keep their data on-premise.

In the last few years, storing data on Cloud has also become very popular among small to medium-sized companies. For them, investing massive money in procuring hardware and managing does not make sense. Thus they opt for cloud storage solutions provided by many big players like Amazon AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, and others.

Data Stitching #

Just having data is not good enough for the organizations. They must also know how to make use of it for their future strategy, like coming up with a new product, or enabling intelligent services for their consumers, or solve the current challenges with which they have to deal. Data is the information, but to transform data into usable information is a complex process. Data needs to be evaluated, utilized, and modified, and then only useful information can be extracted from them. As we know that the different types of data are coming from various sources. In general, these different sets of data hold information in isolation and of not much use from the business point of view. That’s where Data Stitching comes in the picture.

Data Stitching is the process of combining and relating the multiple data sets to bring a clear picture. It helps in gaining deep insights and analyzing the trends like knowing your customer expectations and behavior, and how you are performing when compared to your competitors. All this helps in taking data-driven specific and corrective actions for your organization.

Original diagram for Techfastly by Vin Patel.

Common Data Integration Platforms:

Data Integration is no longer Extract, Transform, and Load (ETL). It has encompassed migration, Batch and Real-Time integration, validation, data quality, and impact analysis. The requirement is now to connect any source to any target. Data integration is of the utmost importance when an organization or a company wants to have a unified view of its data assets. Different institutions may have different methodologies for data integration based on their requirements, but they all need a platform where this integration can take place. Some of the most popular data integration platforms:

Hero Data - Hero is relatively a novice in the field of data management and gaining full recognition for its automated no-code data pipeline to load data into the warehouse.

It is trendy among data-driven companies and small & medium businesses.
It provides pre-built integration to 100+ data sources.
Supports both- Extract, Transform, and Load (ETL) and Extract, Load, and Transform (ELT).
Easy to set up in a few minutes.
Fully automated, and requires zero maintenance.

Informatics - has hybrid data integration products that integrate data from mufti-cloud, on-premise, and hybrid sources.

It supports data and application integrations on the Cloud.
It uses PowerCenter for mission-critical enterprise deployments.
Quick and easy integration.
Automated processes and intelligent integration.
High performance with reliability.

Talent - has a single, unified suite for all data integration needs.

It supports almost all cloud service providers.
Data governance capabilities and data quality are automated.
Interactive Talent studio is popular among developers.
Model-driven native code generators make it faster to perform operations.
It provides flexible plans.

Diyotta- It provides smart AI-enabled data integration pipelines regardless of the source data warehouse or format and can migrate data to any cloud-based repository for analysis and processing.

Supports on the fly data cleansing and transformation procedures.
It provides the ability for business analysts to query the information without knowing SQL.
Has a bulk data migration tool where no manual transformation is required.
Interactive drag and drop User and SQL Editor interface.
Easy deployment and configuration with the help of Diyotta Manager.

Microsoft, Oracle, and IBM are other big names that provide data integration platforms and capabilities.

Successful Implementations of Data Integration #

Data integration is the first step in converting the data into something meaningful and insightful. Many companies have used and are using data integration to provide their business with new aspects.

AstraZeneca and Talent partnership

AstraZeneca is a global biopharmaceutical company. It concentrates on the discovery, development, and commercialization of drugs for diseases in four areas Oncology, Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism, and Respiratory. It has its presence in more than 100 countries.

Challenge: The challenge with AstraZeneca had dispersed data throughout the organization in various sources. They were spending more time discussing the data quality than planning business strategies. The requirement was to get a single source of truth that can be used for monitoring across all divisions and markets and provide all required metrics.

Solution: AstraZeneca built a data lake on Amazon Web Services (AWS), and they selected Talent for AWS connectivity, flexibility, and its licensing model. The other value associated was the ability to scale rapidly without incurring extra costs from AWS or Talent. AstraZeneca utilized the entire Talent cloud suite, which enabled 90 percent of the data to be ready for analysis within three months.

Benefits: Results were shortened planning cycles from 15 days to 3 hours. Saving just one month off of each clinical trial helped save AstraZeneca $1 billion a year.

RaboBank and Informatics partnership

Rabobank is a Dutch multinational banking and financial institution. It is a global leader in food and agricultural financing and sustainability-oriented banking. It has achieved significant progress by applying enterprise-wide digital transformation strategy which has helped the bank to come closer to its customers.

Challenge: Rabobank had an ambitious business goal to deliver 80 percent of all business-to-consumer banking services using unattended, self-service channels within four years.

The problem was in the data quality. The growing number of digitized services was putting pressure on data quality within Rabobank’s Siebel customer relationship management (CRM) platform. Poor data quality was leading to certain online customer activities to be defaulted to physical intervention causing frustrated customers and cost the bank more money and resources to solve the issue. Also, the data quality previously being addressed was expensive and based on slow manual processes.

Solution: Rabobank has been a long-term Informatics customer, using the data management technology across multiple operating subsidiaries, including a data warehousing project that is estimated to have reduced annual development costs by up to $2.5 million. For this data quality solution, Rabobank compared Informatics with other vendors and found that Informatics had better technology, innovative ideas to address the business need, and proven experience in data management.

Informatics PowerCenter Real-Time increased the business agility and performance with right-time data integration, and Informatics Data Quality helped in cleansing the customer data and ensured that data is trustworthy.

Benefits: It helped banks move closer to the goal of 80% self-service delivery as well as enhanced customer experience by ensuring customers terminate fewer online applications. Also, it increased business agility by validating customer data daily compared with weekly previously. It also helped banks in adhering to Dutch and European Union governance, risk, and compliance goals surrounding data privacy and retention due to the high quality of data.

Cure.fit is one of India’s most significant players in the Health, Fitness, and Wellness sector. It offers digital and offline activities across nutrition, fitness, and mental well-being.

Challenge: The company collects loads of data generated by its app and offline centers. The databases like MongoDB, MySQL, and systems like Google Analytic, CleverTap, Freshdesk, Mixpanel, are also used. But only a few team members were able to access the data, and the rest had to wait to get their questions answered. This problem had put the Data Platform team under the limelight. The majority of the time, the IT team was going in gathering data from multiple sources, transforming data, building data pipelines and moving data to their warehouse, Redshift, and then generating scripts and then emailing this to business teams. This gave very little room for the IT team to do more with Analytic.

Solution: Cure.fit needed a modern tool that was easy to set up and would simplify their data integration problem. Since the majority of data being stored on MongoDB, they were particularly interested in a tool that would simplify the integration with MongoDB. Most of the other products evaluated show glitches, along with data issues. With Hero onboarded, it took them only about two weeks to set the entire system up. The team developed custom Data Models on Hero that reflected on Redshift, ensuring that all business users are reaching the single source. Thus, it stopped the reliance between the Data team and the business teams.

Benefits: They can now generate over 100 reports daily, and the IT team performance improved. Today, Data provided by Hero is helping about 150 business users to track their core metrics. It can then use the freed-up bandwidth to focus on more significant analytic projects, warehouse optimization, and more.

Diyotta and Clearsense partnership

Clearsense provides a scalable data platform as a service for healthcare, which empowers digital transformation and real-time insights into operational, clinical, and financial criteria and measures.

Challenge:

Clearsense is a private cloud data environment (data platform as a service) for healthcare to assist health care organizations in a wide variety of data problems that are persisting. In a healthcare environment, there may be as many as 200 plus applications that are producing data artifacts. Just having them in one place in an aggregated form was their primary goal. The major data challenge was the datatype as they are not only dealing with structured data but with unstructured data and the real-time data, which has its nuances.

Solution:

Diyotta did not just provide ETL capabilities to Clearsense but also an automated data pipeline tool to manage both real-time and batch data with a unified approach. It not only offers the tool but also helps them to utilize its capabilities to the fullest potential. It helped Clearsense to bring new features and functionalities at a rapid pace.

Benefits:

Diyotta’s Interactive, easy-to-use, extensible, scalable, and futureproof technology-enabled Clearsense to do much more and much quicker. It helped Clearsense to promote and accelerate their data platform as a service for healthcare organizations. With Diyotta’s help, the data pipeline and data processing activities are automated. They used to take hours before and now are getting done in minutes.

Original diagram for Techfastly by Vin Patel.

Intelligent use of data is the need of the hour. Everyone is quite familiar with this new oil and its importance in the development of the business. The correct compilation and assessment of data help you to improve your business decisions, and increase your ROI (Return of Investment). It also enables you to develop more accurate strategies and improve customer satisfaction. Data integration is a must for you and your business. And no matter how big your business is, resources must be invested in the correct tools for the smarter use of data for the better performance of your organization.

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Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence coming

Vin Patel — Sun, 31 May 2020 17:10:00 +0000

Key takeaways

The United States of America allocates a large part of its Federal budget to its healthcare system.
Studies have shown that SVM can help in distinguishing early morphological changes in the mind and can deduce significant initial findings for dementia with the help of MRI and other AI tools.
By far, it’s clear that AI and ML are not going to replace medical professionals but instead will enhance their efforts in patients’ care.

Revolutionizing Modern Healthcare #

The United States of America allocates a large part of its Federal budget to its healthcare system. Mandatory spending in 2019 included $1.2 trillion on primary health care programs. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) health care and expenditure report 2019, the US had spent 16.9% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on the national healthcare system, highest among OECD’s 36 members. In the same year, an estimated 30 million Americans were uninsured. Expensive healthcare services make healthcare inaccessible to many Americans.

What can be changed? #

Healthcare now needs smarter investment, where research on how existing human knowledge of medicine can be combined with technology, requires more resources. Artificial intelligence (AI) can be the answer. The targeted use of AI and Machine Learning (ML) can cut down the expenditure by a significant amount by reducing human efforts and bringing automation. Cutting the cost is the top priority of the US healthcare system. The United States is well aware of it, and hence the President’s Financial Year 2021 budget includes a significant increase in non-defense AI Research and Development (R&D). It also states there that the National Institutes for Health will invest $50 million for new research on chronic diseases using AI and ML.

What roles can AI play here? #

AI can play an essential role in the healthcare offerings of the future. Many features of patient care, fields of pharmaceutical organizations, administration of healthcare service providers, etc., can successfully use AI.

Genetic algorithms are capable of carrying out actions performed by humans, primarily when repetitive and trained movements are involved. Researches have shown that AI can diagnose diseases better, if not as accurately as humans. Algorithms, by far, have been able to diagnose malignant cancer more successfully than radiologists. Machine learning is already being used by healthcare, like predicting what treatment protocols will work best for the patient based on various patient’s attributes and treatment context. It has also helped in predicting a particular disease that a patient might acquire.

Original diagram for Techfastly by Vin Patel.

Healthcare is quite susceptible to human errors, and AI tools have helped in preventing many by now. More focused development of ML in fields like keeping and maintaining all past histories of patients will help avoid the occurrence of such errors. Surgical robots, for example, have provided superpower to surgeons in head and neck surgeries, gynecologic surgeries, prostate surgeries, etc. These robots have improved the surgeon’s ability to see, create precise and minimally invasive incisions, and stitch wounds. Many researchers have sought solutions to automate daily actions within medicine, like diagnosing patients and prescribing medications.

But AI and ML have their limitations: #

High potential legal costs related to any errors in medicine have slowed the adoption of innovation in many cases. What is needed is more accurate, controlled, and calculated research and development.

Research done by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) shows that the application of machine learning in medicine is a premise with a promising future. The numbers point to a 95% improvement in the area if all studies are successful and implemented. Also, several studies performed at universities such as MIT, suggest the creation of algorithms aimed mainly at the detection of diseases. Such algorithms may remain active along with enormous improvement capacity. The demand for machine learning algorithms has been increasingly high, which is why different forms and different algorithms have emerged.

SVM- The most popular algorithm in medicine: #

Support Vector Machine (SVM) has been one of the most widely used algorithms in medicine for a long time to solve data issues with classification and regression, using repetition as input data. Studies have shown that SVM can help in distinguishing early morphological changes in the mind and can deduce significant initial findings for dementia with the help of MRI and other AI tools. Similarly, a research journal has also published that SVM can also classify the right clustered occurrence of the early phase of Diabetes.

The Support Vector Machine works as follows:

Each data is plotted as an n point in n-dimensional, n being a coordinate in dimensional space.

So, the classification is done by finding the hyperplane that differentiates the two classes very well. With the execution of the algorithm and study of the data generated on the hyperplane, SVM can detect the diseases themselves. This algorithm has been very successful in creating medicines and catching diseases.

Original diagram for Techfastly by Vin Patel.

Zilic- the promising 2020 algorithm: #

Zilic helps in the early detection of diseases in a single test through medical images. Zilic uses Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) and autoencoder. These tools, for example, are trained only with healthy images of lungs. When the systems get an unhealthy lung’s picture, the autoencoder reconstructs the image, where the diseased part looks different from the original one. GAN, using discriminator, gives slightly higher scores to the image of the lungs with diseases. And Zilic can highlight the affected area of the lungs and hence can detect the rarest disease of lungs in X-ray images.

Zilic has inspiration in GAN using two neural networks that are trained against each other. The first network is the Generator, which works as an algorithm trainer, that is, sending false images that are exactly like the original. The second neural network is the one who identifies whether the images generated by the first are real, identifying patterns.

Experts use this algorithm to identify rare diseases.

Original diagram for Techfastly by Vin Patel.

Artificial Intelligence’s future in healthcare: #

In Atrial Septal Defect (ASD), the algorithm has been very successful. With testing on 1000 children, it has 95% effectiveness. Many scientists see the potential for adaptation and development for this algorithm since it has had a high success rate.

But in cases of algorithms for Alzheimer’s, the rate of effectiveness has been 50%, which is quite low. It is not very easy to say that it is an excellent tool, as it is in a tie. However, this does not prevent the development of the algorithm. There are still many improvements to be made in the algorithms. However, there is much space for its development. We can and should invest in algorithmic-based healthcare businesses, as this is a branch that has brought many results to the population.

Conclusion:

There is no doubt that AI and ML perform better than humans in processing the vast amount of data of drugs, patients, diseases, historical data, and predicting the results. DNA and RNA analysis, for example, of various types of microbes, viruses, and bacteria, are helping researchers in gaining valuable insights into their biological behaviors. Biologists and pharmacologists in big companies often use AI and ML in their routine drug research and testing activities.

The use of AI and ML has helped in reducing the time and effort taken in bringing new medicines and vaccines for some of the epidemics like Ebola. Researchers are making use of available AI and ML techniques for finding the vaccine for the current Covid19 pandemic as well.

We have relied on computer scientists and health experts to develop these points further. And we firmly believe that entrepreneurs who invest in this field will lead to innovation and gain great popularity and financial return. By far, it’s clear that AI and ML are not going to replace medical professionals but instead will enhance their efforts in patients’ care.

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Questions and answers

What can be changed? #

What roles can AI play here? #

Understanding the PDPM- Patient-Driven Payment Model

Vin Patel — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 08:28:36 +0000

Key takeaways

This new model offers a brand-new method for evaluating reimbursement.
The cutback in therapy minutes will result in a smaller demand for therapists, which could lessen the burden linked with recruitment and permitting their clients to retain their therapy resources.
This system or systems like it can support your business by predicting future needs, help manage costs, and assist in customizing treatment protocols.

Introduction:

There are several companies in the United States that ‘provide cloud-based clinical, operational and billing solutions for contract therapy companies, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, outpatient therapy practices, and hospice organizations.? The US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have switched their Medicare payment rule for Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF) from the Resource Utilization Groups Version IV (RUG-IV) to the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM). This new model offers a brand-new method for evaluating reimbursement.

The PDPM is designed to address the issues of inappropriate financial incentives in the earlier method model that used the volume of services as a basis. The revised model is driven by the patient’s clinical characteristics instead of the number of therapy minutes provided.

How does it work?

The PDPM system aims to focus on individual patient’s clinical characteristics, needs, and goals to reduce the chances of a treatment plan that might compromise a patient’s care. This new model of payment will eliminate the connection between the volume of services provided (Number of therapy minutes and visits) and the reimbursement.

Payments will be based on the resident’s classification among five components: Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology, Nursing, and Non-therapy Ancillary (NTA) services, a category related to medical supplies and drugs. The residents are classified into a separate group for each case-mix adjusted components, and each component will have its own case-mix indexes. To account for changes in resource use during the patient’s stay, the variable per-diem payment will be adjusted based on three components (Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and NTA). The full-diem rate for a resident will be calculated by adding together the adjusted variable per-diem payment and the unadjusted Speech-language Pathology and Nursing component rates.

The PDPM will also restrict the use of group and concurrent therapy by limiting these services to 25% of the resident’s total therapy minutes. The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) has strict guidelines on when to mandate 25% group therapy in SNF’s.

Original diagram for Techfastly by Vin Patel.

How will it affect the therapy business?

The new PDPM system will change their client’s therapy business in three significant ways.

The first is care management; this change will now incentivize incredibly high volumes of therapy ’to capture the maximized payment.? In order to do that, the client company must carefully monitor the services they render because the over-delivery of services will not result in payment. Under delivery will be just as hazardous, potentially resulting in unhappy patients and possible Medicare audits or take-backs.

The second area is staffing. The cutback in therapy minutes will result in a smaller demand for therapists, which could lessen the burden linked with recruitment and permitting their clients to retain their therapy resources.

The last change is financial, PDPM is intended to be budget neutral since some therapy dollars can now be allocated to nursing, their clients can offset the loss in therapy reimbursement with higher reimbursement for the nursing care that’s already underway. The contact therapy clinics will surely see a reduction in the overall revenue.

Tips to succeed under PDPM:

These changes implemented in October 2019, and there will need to be some preparation to succeed under this new model. The first is that their clients must lower costs, generally through enabling the therapists to provide more treatment to more patients, which can be achieved through group or concurrent modes of treatment. The second is to improve patient outcomes. The patient outcome can be achieved by instituting data-driven protocols based on clinical evidence to offer then a care plan that considers the appropriate reimbursement level on a per-patient basis. The third is to change revenue sources. Their clients should scour their facilities and find residents who are not covered by Medicare Part A but would benefit from therapy services. Lastly, their clients must optimize past-due reimbursement. This step comes down to ensuring that their patients are correctly classified and that their facility and therapy provider are correctly reimbursed for each resident.

The PDPM system contains an electronic medical records software with advanced business intelligence and data analysis tools. This system or systems like it can support your business by predicting future needs, help manage costs, and assist in customizing treatment protocols.

Resources:

**?

?https://www.apt.org/uploadedFiles/APTAorg/Payment/Medicare/Coding_and_Billing/SNF/APTAHandout_PDPM.pdf

? https://www.optimahcs.com/resources/understanding-patient-driven-payment-model-ppm/

**?

? https://www.apt.org/PDPM/SNF/

? https://www.apt.org/PDPM/

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