During the last year, technology has been shown to be a very effective tool and has an important role in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of many pathologies, as well as a key element for the efficient management of medical spaces and processes.
The pandemic has accelerated research and has highlighted the fundamental role that technology plays for the health of the population, for the functioning of the medical system and for society in general. And it is that the sector of health technology is already a fundamental engine for the economywith an annual turnover of 7,960 million euros, according to data from Fenin (Spanish Federation of Health Technology Companies).
«Technology allows infinite healthcare applications with a high impact on the lives of patients and on the capabilities of medical personnel»
As pointed out Eduardo JaureguiCEO of , a pioneering Spanish technology company in support technologies, «it’s not science fiction. The technology allows infinite high-impact healthcare applications in the lives of patients and in the capacities of medical personnel. However, it is essential that researchers have access to these technologies in order to investigate and develop their full potential applied to healthcare. Tech companies should put their devices and developments at the service of health personnel and institutions for free to allow substantial progress. At Irisbond we are promoting various initiatives in this regard and we have already transferred our technology and devices for research in pilot projects of different kinds to different centers».
From this company 5 technological applications that are revolutionizing medicine stand out:
1. Early diagnosis of diseases such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s
It is tremendously effective in diagnosing diseases neurological, degenerative or vision; as well as the treatment of many conditions for both the elderly and children. The use of eye-tracking technology has been found to can advance the diagnosis by even 10 years diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s or dementia, considerably improving recovery and treatment, as well as a change in the patient’s quality of life. This application is especially important considering the progressive aging of today’s society, which represents a challenge for medicine worldwide.
Eyetracking offers enormous potential for neurology, with this technology vital neurophysiological data can be obtained from the elderly population on a daily basis, in order to facilitate diagnosis, prognosis and follow-up. The same happens with diseases such as dyslexia, where technology provides support for assessment of cognitive impairment.
2. remote operations
In the operating room, time and precision are paramount, which is why they are already being used touchless technologies such as gesture recognition or eye-tracking to consult information on a computer in any non-invasive intervention. This is the case, for example, of operations with orthopedic implants or cardiovascular devices. You can make a information management and analysis in real time about what is being seen during an operation. Thus, doctors could resort to a history of information to make decisions on the fly by resorting to references on previous similar operations.
Also, and what is even more spectacular, teams of medical specialists can guide others in hospitals thousands of miles away during operations, thanks to artificial intelligence solutions. As an example we can find the one carried out by Dr. Antonio de Lacy during the Mobile World Congress 2019 and which became the first remote surgical intervention thanks to 5G technology.
3. Assistive communication technology for patients with disabilities
One of the first developments of this technology has focused on improving the quality of life of people with different degrees of disability. known as assistive communication technology, allows the patient to communicate with their environment freely and autonomously, thus giving them freedom and independence. For example, patients with severe neuromotor disorders, with severe involvement of both upper limbs and impossibility of oral or written communication, mainly patients with ALS, basilar artery thrombosis, infantile cerebral palsy, head trauma and pontine myelinolysis.
In it of 2019the expansion of the portfolio of services of the National Health System was communicated, where the full grant from eye readers from January 2020. Specifically, the first to put it into operation was the Generalitat Valenciana, who awarded the first tender for the supply of eye devices to Irisbond, for being the pioneer company in support technologies with the first eye-tracking software manufacturing and development 100% Spanish. This system includes the eye reader, computer software, training and care for the patient and/or caregiver, as well as all installation and after-sales services.
The eye readers allow the patient to control any device with their eyes. Combined with accessible programs for communication, the patient can express himself autonomously with his environment since, among other functionalities, he can speak through virtual keyboards and synthesized voice, surf the Internet, use his social networks or even learn to read and write. As a result, the quality of life and self-esteem of the person improve significantly.
4. Improvement and efficiency of doctor-patient communication
The pandemic has highlighted the importance of technology for infection prevention and has accelerated its widespread application. In fact, a global survey by the WHO revealed that, during the first months of the pandemic –between March and June 2020–, 90% of countries suffered interruptions in their essential health services. Specifically, emergency services were interrupted in almost a quarter, the treatment of mental health disorders by 61%, and the diagnosis and treatment of cancer by 55%, with its devastating consequences. Touchless technologies allow, among other aspects, that users health workers work remotely, thus establishing the relevant distancing measures and also avoiding unnecessary travel.
The use of videoconferences for medical consultations has become more and more extensive, which, among other things, has relieved the first instance health system. Pilot programs are also being launched to develop solutions for communication between doctor and patient in situations where verbal communication is not possiblesuch as in ICUs and with intubated patients.
5. Avoid touching surfaces to minimize contagion
Without a doubt, the hospitals are critical areas of contagion of any disease. And it is that, given the widespread use of technology in hospitals, interaction in these spaces through contactless technology can be useful to reduce opportunities for contamination.
In the United States, healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) cause 99,000 attributable deaths and cost $6.5 trillion per year. In Europe, they represent 16 million extra days of hospitalization, 37,000 attributable deaths and 7 billion euros of cost per year (5).
Nowadays the technology of ‘zero contact’ already allows avoid unnecessary interaction with many surfaces, thanks to eye tracking, commands by voice or movement. Specifically, it is already possible to interact with the screens, facilitate access to information, call the elevators with your eyes or activate the opening or closing of accesses.