A New Meaning for Connected Health at 2016 Symposium (Part 4)

He has found that successful companies pursue gradual, incremental steps toward automated programs. It is important to start with a manual process that works (such as phoning or texting patients from the provider), then move to semi-automation and finally, if feasible, full automation. The product must also be field-tested; one cannot depend on a pilot. This advice matches what Glen Tullman, CEO of Livongo Health, said in his keynote: instead of doing a pilot, try something out in the field and change quickly if it doesn’t work.

Andy OramA dazzling keynote on videogames for health was delivered by Adam Gazzaley, who runs Neuroscience labs at the University of California at San Francisco. He pointed out that conventional treatments get feedback on patient reactions far too slowly–sometimes months after the reaction has occurred. In the field of mental health, His goal is to supplement (not replace) medications with videogames, and to provide instant feedback to game players and their treatment staff alike. Videogames not only provide a closed-loop system (meaning that feedback is instantaneous), but also engage patients by being fun and offering real-time rewards. Attention spans, anxiety, and memory are among the issues he expects games to improve. Education and wellness are also on his game plan. This is certainly one talk where I did not multitask (which is correlated with reduced performance)...