Duke University' 3rd Annual Medical Innovation and Strategies Conference

Running all day today at the Fuqua School of Business

A majority of the audience agrees that smart phones are enablers for paradygm shifts in health care. Critical issues include the payment system, if clinicians aren't re-embursed for a transactions, no matter how cool the technology. Also, sensors are just toys unless they are connected to backend systems to analyze and interpret the collected data.

David Watson, who is a Board Member for Sotera, talked about a wrist mounted wireless sensor that takes the place of multiple traditional monitoring systems. User oriented design is critical to success, not just connection to EMR.

The panel sessions made multiple references to speech recognition and natural language processing as critically needed technologies for EMR to meet its full potential.

Applications based on the iPhone were referenced multiple times. Notable points: the iPhone is a great example of the superiority of design for use, vs. simple technology. At the other end of the spectrum: an application for the iPhone that claims to cure acne by tuning the display to a curative color. Apparently this application was pulled through intervention of the FDA.