My Techbox Online - Techs that Take Care of Your Health

Global tech players are introducing technologies that promise to handle day-to-day chores of the commoners. As health care is an important need for the mankind, an array of tech-based initiatives has come from leaders like IBM, Intel, and Microsoft. Here’s a synopsis of the major health tech forays as part of the My Techbox Online Market Intelligence Series.

My Techbox Online Market Intelligence Series

As My Techbox Online has been handling huge volume of tech market data that flows through its networks, it has decided to convert that raw data into useful information for all types of stakeholders – buyers, vendors, developers, business partners, general readers, and so on. To do this in an organized way, we’ve started a new service under the banner: My Techbox Online Market Intelligence Series. It will cover various products, services, technologies, and other trends in the global marketplace.

Late last year, the chipmaker Intel introduced its first home medical device. Its Health Guide is the first product in its range to provide personalized care to patients with chronic and age-related disease conditions. The company believes that with this introduction, it has entered a new category of personal health systems. The product has received 510(k) market clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Further, IBM has introduced a new tech-based memory aid for people. The new software technology is named “Pensieve”. Developed at IBM Research Labs, it uses the images, sounds, and text recorded on everyday mobile devices to help people recall names, faces, conversations, and other important information. The technology has the ability to understand the context in which data is captured. It connects the data, and then uses this knowledge to help bring the correct information to a person when it’s needed.

No denying, health is a major concern for people all over the world. Look at Americans, as most of them make a beeline for online health sites. This is evident from a comScore study, which said that the health information site category grew 21% – more than four times the growth rate of the total U.S. Internet population. While WebMD Health continues to lead the category, three other health networks contributed to the growth. These are: Everyday Health, Revolution Health Network, and AOL Health.

Apart from common health sites, specialized community-based networks are also being created. Microsoft and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) have started even a dedicated health care network. Microsoft Health Users Group (Microsoft HUG) covers Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). It’s an online forum to connect health care communities in the region. The aim is to provide health care organizations and partners with an online venue to facilitate the development of health care solutions and demonstrate how technology can help solve health care challenges.

Leading tech companies are offering their health care solutions even to bridge the digital divide. IBM, for example, extended a helping hand for the poor in Pakistan. The U.S. Department of State and IBM are leading a public-private partnership to implement a telemedicine system in Pakistan. The partnership includes Wateen Telecom, Motorola, Medweb, USAID, the U.S. Department of Defense Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center, and a couple of local hospitals.

No doubt, companies are developing new markets with these solutions. But with their right application, the people at large can also hope to benefit on the health side.