The effort is to make use of know-how to grasp the modifications occurring within the physique to take applicable motion

Hyderabad: In the current few days, we’ve got seen experiences of how alerts despatched by wearable gadgets have come in useful in saving the lives of individuals sporting them.

Among others, Apple has been utilizing know-how for proactive healthcare. It is specializing in ECG, coronary heart charge and different parameters to ship alerts if there are any uncommon spikes or falls within the ranges.

Dr Sumbul Desai, vice-president of Health, Apple (USA), who participated in a hearth chat on the ongoing trade occasion BioAsia, defined how the corporate makes use of know-how to avoid wasting lives. “Privacy is at the core of health applications. We maintain the same level of privacy doctors would maintain about their patients. Many think that Apple has access to the data. It is not true. We do not have any access to the data generated by individuals. It stays in the device,” she mentioned.

“When we create features such as heartbeat notifications and walking steadiness, we ensure that the user is in control of their data and Apple doesn’t have access to that data. We are innovating in proactive, preventative health where you are notified even before you may have symptoms. Also, we have really thought about where we can make an impact in proactive preventative health starting with the heart features,” she mentioned.

The effort is to make use of know-how to grasp the modifications occurring within the physique to take applicable motion. “In the US and Canada, we have a clinical health record, which people can access from their iPhone, in an aggregated manner. We want the user to securely and privately access their health record information. They are empowered to have that information to have better clinical interaction,” mentioned Desai.

“In our approach to women’s health, one of our fundamental beliefs is to partner with medical research and the scientific community to develop heart features. A few years ago, we introduced cycle tracking for women where they can log their symptoms. We also launched Apple’s women’s health study. Women’s health is an understudied area. Now, when you are wearing the watch, we have access to biometrics. So, how does it inform women about their health? We are refreshing the data and understanding the science of women’s health. Through the data, we are finding that a lot of women experience PCOS which is often underdiagnosed,” mentioned Desai.

“Over 2,00,000 samples of consenting participants’ data, we looked at changes in mobility patterns to classify movements. Essentially, we are focused on evidence-based ways to clinically validate. The way I would think about it is to view our work very early – there is a lot more science to discover,” she mentioned.

“Technology should not be used just for the sake of using it. It should solve a problem or create an impact,” mentioned Desai urging individuals to concentrate on sleep, mobility and being proactive to remain wholesome. She urged individuals to not use know-how always however solely deliberately.

Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals, mentioned cardiac illnesses are the most important killer. About 65% of the individuals who go to the hospital because of cardiac complaints have about three vessels blocked. In the case of most cancers, about 76% of sufferers have no idea they’re affected by most cancers. Many uncover when it’s in Stage III or IV, by then it’s late to reply.

“We are focused on mainstreaming cancer screening. The use of technology makes it easier to understand the risks. Empowering individuals is key to preserving the population’s health. There is data coming from many channels but it needs to be analysed for actionable insights,” mentioned Reddy.

Apollo has not too long ago launched a cardiac intelligence engine. Physicians can have entry to this. Robotics is being utilized in operation theatres. The use of synthetic intelligence will enhance within the days to return. Telemedicine will play a big function in creating a better-cared world.