December 19, 2013

Black Innovators

Ory Okolloh, Steve Stoute, and Navarrow Wright, what do these names mean to you?  Probably nothing for the moment, but below shows what they’ve done and hopefully you’ll be able to see how bright their futures still are. When we speak about African Americans in technology it shouldn’t sound like a black history month elementary project. Have we as African American not been paving the way for our own people to succeed? Looking through some recent technology advancements there aren’t many of “us” in those magazines. Let’s change that; Progression.

Ory Okolloh, Policy Manager, Africa for Google and co-founder of Mzalendo.com and Ushahidi.com  

With an increasing number of top Fortune 500 companies originating from emerging markets, many analysts believe that the next tech leader will come from Africa. Harvard educated Ory Okolloh has created both the watchdog site Mzalendo and the crime reporting site Ushahidi, and now serves as Google’s Policy Manager in Africa. Recognized as one of Fast Company’s Most Influential Women in Technology , she is set to become the new face of entrepreneurship on the continent.

Steve Stoute, founder and CEO of Translation

After conquering music, and now advertising, could the tech sector be next for Steve Stoute? As an admirer of Steve Jobs, a person who isn’t shy about entering new and emerging markets, the seasoned entrepreneur and executive would be a natural fit to fill Jobs’ shoes.

Navarrow Wright, co-founder of Global Grind and CTO of Interactive One 
With Black buying power set to reach $1.1 trillion dollars by 2015, the African-American market remains a hot commodity. Navarrow Wright is making strides with this demographic as chief technology officer of Interactive One, the largest Black online community, as well as co-founder of Global Grind with Russell Simmons.

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October 21, 2013

Health Literacy?

Health Literacy is defined as the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. It requires a complex group of reading, listening, analytical, and decision-making skills, and the ability to apply these skills to health situations. For example, it includes the ability to understand instructions on prescription drug bottles, appointment slips, medical education brochures, doctor's directions and consent forms, and the ability to negotiate complex health care systems. When patients are faced with complex information and treatment decisions, there are specific tasks that should be carried out to ensure that one is getting the best treatment possible. Those tasks include:

• Evaluating information for credibility and quality
• Analyzing relative risks and benefits
• Calculating dosages
• Interpreting test results
• Locating health information.

In order to accomplish these tasks, individuals may need to be:

• Visually literate
• Computer literate
• Information literate
• Numerically or computationally literate
• Oral language skills are important as well.

In addition to that, it is important for patients to articulate their health concerns and describe their symptoms accurately. They need to ask pertinent questions, and they need to understand spoken medical advice or treatment directions. In an age of shared responsibility between physician and patient for health care, patients need strong decision-making skills.

Next time you visit your local physician, make sure you are practicing and carrying out these tasks. It is important for patients to receive the best care possible, as well as, know how to make accurate decisions when it comes to healthcare.

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October 21, 2013

Telehealth & the Regulation of Mobile Applications

Could you imagine coming into the doctor’s office and getting a routine checkup with your doctor in another state? How could that be? Well with the rise in popularity with Telehealth this may possibly be a more common practice. Telehealth is the delivery of health related services and information via telecommunication technology.  I’ve seen in one case a 5 foot or so mobile cart that could roll across offices with a screen on it. The Doctor was displayed on the screen and was able to communicate with the patient and other personnel in the room. It was amazing; the cart also contained an HD camera where the doctor cans accurately diagnosis the patient as if they were there. Not to mention all of this was in real time so the communication seems more natural.

This could also be applied to patients that are bedridden.  Being able to see, talk, and hear your doctors from the comforts of your home that would allow patients to know that they are accurately being diagnosed. This also isn’t limited to just communication. Medical equipment can also be configured to send patient information to hospitals servers where their other personal information is stored. So imagine getting an accurate checkup from your doctor from your mobile device; pretty cool huh.

The Regulation of Mobile Applications

As consumers of technology we are all familiar with mobile applications or apps. Apps can range from entertainment all the way to media production. One area that may need more attention in this day and age is mobile medical applications. These apps are designed to provide assistant or even results to certain medical problems. Now this raises a few questions: “Are these apps begin regulated? Are they safe to use? Are they even worth trying? “

The FDA stated on Sept. 23, 2013 that they will not actively regulate low risk medical apps. They stated that apps that aren’t heavily regulated through the FDA are considered “Low risk”. Essentially if an app “transforms a mobile device into a medical device already regulated by the FDA” or can be used “as an accessory to a medical device already regulated by the FDA,” the FDA says that app will be subject to regulation.

But how many medical apps are there? Well in 2010 MobiHealthNews reported an estimate of 5,800 medical apps was available through smartphones. By June 2012 that number has risen to 40,000. Almost at the end of 2013, there’s no telling how many medical specific apps are available to us to use. Regulation is inevitable and safety will always be considered, especially when it comes to patients attempting to treat themselves.

Then there’s the side of the consumer. I personally never used an app that treated a health problem nor have I attempted to look for an app to treat a health problem. We may have the technology, but at the same time we can’t rely too much on it. Medical apps are a great step for the future, but “with great power comes great responsibility.” With more guidance and regulations, medical apps may become a standard of living.

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Sources

Profitable-practice.softwareadvice.com. N.p., 8 June 2013. Web. 1 Oct. 2013.
     <http://profitable-practice.softwareadvice.com/
     medical-apps-to-regulate-or-not-to-regulate-0713/>.

"Global Life Sciences: US-FDA Update." Sidley.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Oct. 2013.
     <http://www.sidley.com/
     FDA-Says-it-will-not-Actively-Regulate-Low-Risk-Mobile-Medical-Apps-10-01-2013/>.

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April 02, 2013

App Development: My Development

For me, developing the MyHealthImpactNetwork (MyHIN) App has been more than a mere process of creating something to extend the MyHIN experience.  In fact, I can probably get away with saying that the MyHIN app and its creation process has been developing me more than I have been developing it.

Each aspect of the App which was made as an extension of the MyHIN website, and each portion developed specifically to augment a unique mobile experience required me to perform research which revealed different things about health, society, community, and personal growth.

By developing the Stats section, featuring data extracted directly from the MyHIN website, I learned of interesting statistics which gave surprising implications about the sexual practices of Americans.  Developing the Sites section, which possesses links to over a dozen different references to health empowerment websites and an imbedded Google Map which provides information about local health-related locations, I learned that there is a massive community making strides to ensure that people across America become more health conscious.  In the development of the Quiz, which prompts the user to answer information based on what can be found in the Facts section, I realized that there are a variety of unique methods of gauging a community’s perception of health in an entertaining manner.

 From all of these learnings comes the reality that, instead of working on this app, this app itself is really making me become more observant of health behaviors in the African American community.  It’s made me realize that groups, such as the MyHIN, really provide phenomenal opportunities for individuals in a local community to join a network centered on ensuring each member feels empowered.

And for that reason, we’ll strive to make sure that this app continues to be developed to the best of our abilities.

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December 17, 2012

Your Health: Mobile

Find me someone who is not carrying a smartphone and I’d give you a buck.  Find someone who is as attached to their health as they are to their phone, then I’d give you 100 bucks.  Through the use of a MyHealthImpactNetwork App, our team plans to convert the way we use our smartphones, and have the masses being as health-conscious as they are Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter-conscious.

I am working on developing the prototype version on the Android Platform.  With over 1.3 million Android devices activated daily, and over 480 million users, the MyHealthImpactNetwork has a large group to connect.  Additionally, the Google-based Android platform features a variety of native services which feature functionality similar to what is hosted on the MyHealthImpactNetwork website.  Features, such as Google Maps, can be used to locate health centers in a user’s local area, or other health-related locales while on the go. 

Thus far, the biggest challenge with developing the MyHealthImpactNetwork App has been in ensuring reusability.  To this effect, I am researching different manners which will optimize the App for a mobile experience, and offer particular incentives that will separate the App from an experience too similar to the MyHealthImpactNetwork website.  And while we’re starting with development for Android, we will eventually begin development of the app for other mobile platforms, such as iOS.

Working with Dr. Payton and the team has been a tremendously enlightening experience.  The project shoves a direct spotlight on maintaining health, which isn’t typically on the forefront of a college student’s mind.  Through this project, I’ve learned about preventative measures to maintain my health, and the common consequences associated with a less than responsible lifestyle.  Hopefully through the implementation of the MHIN Android App and forthcoming iOS App, we will be able to expand the influence of the MyHealthImpactNetwork, and ensure that more people will utilize their resources to stay on top of their health.

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