Engineering for Health

Arjita Bhasin

Overview Medicine today depends heavily on engineering to:

● provide improved prevention, diagnosis, & treatment of illness

● contribute to R&D

New technologies:

● vital for effective & efficient healthcare systems

● include mobile health, through wearable devices and sensors

Introduction to Mobile health or mHealth

● describes the practice of medicine and public health supported by mobile devices

● relies on applications or apps that can be accessed from a laptop, phone or tablet

Introduction Cont’d

Lower costs, immediacy, & widespread availability of mobile

health technologies are changing the way patients receive their care,

making healthcare faster, better, & cheaper.

Methods of mHealth● enabled by invention of Internet and

related technology● introduces new frontier in promotion of

health and disease management ● Smartphones can

○ connect to Internet & telecommunications network

○ combine features with a variety of other portable devices

Methods Cont’dmHealth explores

● electrical engineering● computer engineering● computer science● information technologies● healthcare & medical applications● fundamentals of wearable sensors,

mobile health informatics, big data analysis, telehealthcare security & privacy, & human computer interaction considerations

Methods Cont’d

Mobile technology design includes:

● computer programming● mobile computing and

application development using Android/JAVA

● Bluetooth● User Interface & Data Collection

Results

● People with diseases, like high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, obesity, heart disease, and more require medical attention.

● Patients using mHealth apps are more actively engaged in wellness & treatment.

ResultsmHealth apps can help to:

● record daily measurements● set daily reminders● help patients monitor disease● manage diets● book appointments, ● detect stress● track sleep patterns

● record peak flow measurements

● assist with fitness● track movement & activity● monitor fertility & progress of

pregnancy● view disease tips & treatment

plans for routine care on mobile devices

Disadvantages

● risks associated with privacy and security of personal health data

● inaccurate results of mobile diagnostics

Advantages

● improves health outcomes ● reduces healthcare costs● improves quality of life● provides ability to manage own health ● connect with right information, services, & institutions at right time● enhanced monitoring improves information & timeliness of response, raising

the quality of care. ● unnecessary use of health care resources may be avoided by preventing

hospital and physician visits

Discussion● potential to make a huge impact on the delivery of healthcare services● mobile devices act as a platform for monitoring & delivering services to

patients in their homes● promise to revolutionise patient care● technology requires engineers & medical practitioners to work together to

develop systems in supporting the health & wellbeing

Questions?

References[1] “Engineering for Health.” Royal Academy of Engineering, Panel for Biomedical Engineering, September 2012, https://www.raeng.org.uk/publications/reports/engineering-for-health. Accessed 22 September 2018.

[2] “How Technology is Helping Health and Wellness Providers Promote Healthy Lifestyle Choices.” ASU Online, Arizona State University, https://asuonline.asu.edu/newsroom/online-learning-tips/how-technologyhelping-health-and-wellness-providers-promote-healthy-lifestyle-choices. Accessed 22 September 2018.

[3] Huang, Ming-Chun. “Fall 2018: Outline of CSE Standard Course Syllabi.” EECS 410, Case Western Reserve University. Accessed 22 September 2018. Course Syllabus. <http://engineering.case.edu/groups/sail/sites/engineering.case.edu.groups .sail/files/images/syllabus-mobile_health_technology_fall2018-new.pdf >

[4] Learntelehealth. South Central Telehealth Resource Center. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Center for Distance Health. “mHealth Explainer.” Youtube. 22 July 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsccL8WQ_zU. Accessed 23 September 2018.

[5] Paris, Valérie, et. al. New Health Technologies: Managing Access, Value and Sustainability. OECD, 2017. <http://g8fip1kplyr33r3krz5b97d1.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wpcontent/uploads/2017/01/OECD-on-new-drugs-and-pricing.pdf>

[6] PwC. “Why mobile technology may well define the future of healthcare... for everyone.” Youtube. 19 October 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkm_7XUDqIY. Accessed 23 September 2018.

[7] Vazquez-Briseno, Mabel, et al. "Evaluation of Java-Based Platforms for mHealth Solutions." International Journal of Computer Science and Mobile Applications 2 (2014): 20-35. <http://ijcsma.com/publications/may2014/V2I518.pdf>