Health Care and Wellness

New Apps Drive Health Care Innovation, Access to Care

Author(s)3: Summer Allen
New Apps Drive Health Care Innovation, Access to Care 2448 1224 IEEE Pulse
With the ubiquitous nature of smartphones, apps are a regular part of our day-to-day lives. They are also becoming a larger presence in health care, where they have the ability to expand access to care, help people monitor health changes, provide support for people living with chronic conditions, and coordinate communication between patients and their doctors. From detecting skin cancer to helping people with diabetes, new apps aim to change how people think about their health. read more

Filling a Cavity in Dental Care

Author(s)3: Pamela Reynolds
Filling a Cavity in Dental Care 2121 1414 IEEE Pulse
About a decade ago, Dian Baker, a professor at Sacramento State School of Nursing, responded to a directive from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) asking health care practitioners to do something about the thorny and serious problem of ventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia, which afflicts thousands of people each year. After consulting with colleagues on the issue, Baker noticed something interesting. Although hospital ventilators had been widely assumed to be the cause of this problem, the truth was that most people getting pneumonia in hospitals weren’t on ventilators. The true culprit may come as a surprise: Nurses were shirking the unpleasant task of brushing the teeth of seriously ill patients. read more

The Biology Behind Eating Disorders

Author(s)3: Pamela Reynolds
The Biology Behind Eating Disorders 1000 1000 IEEE Pulse
For many decades, the popular narrative surrounding anorexia nervosa was that it was an emotional disorder springing from profound cultural pressures combined with dysfunctional family dynamics. Teenage girls, typically, would refuse to eat in an obsessive bid to lose weight. They would imagine themselves to be fat, even if mirrors and scales demonstrated otherwise. Because of the surfeit of images of rail-thin preteen models cluttering the pages of trendy fashion magazines, it was easy to imagine this theory to be true. It made sense if some clinicians regarded anorexia as the inevitable result of a “you-can-never-be-too-rich-or-too-thin” culture. read more

One Shot Wonder: A Vaccine Against All Coronaviruses

Author(s)3: Leslie Mertz
One Shot Wonder: A Vaccine Against All Coronaviruses 1000 665 IEEE Pulse
As the current pandemic continues to affect populations around the globe, the search for a viable vaccine for coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) continues. However, rather than constantly scrambling to generate a vaccine after an outbreak happens, some researchers are working on what they see as a better approach: developing a broad-acting “pan-coronavirus” vaccine that provides protection from any coronavirus, present or future. read more

Tracking Sleep to Optimize Health

Author(s)3: Kristina Grifantini
Tracking Sleep to Optimize Health 2121 1414 IEEE Pulse
With the advent of wearable biometrictechnology like smart watches, “hacking” our bodies’ functions and cycles has become a tool in the never-ending quest for better health. And sleep is no exception. For example, a staggering one-third of Americans don’t get enough sleep, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). read more

IoMT (Internet of Medical Things): Reducing Cost While Improving Patient Care

Author(s)3: Saanvi Arora
IoMT (Internet of Medical Things): Reducing Cost While Improving Patient Care 2560 1440 IEEE Pulse
Citizens’ dissatisfaction with the scope of the United States health care system has been a hot topic for many years. In a country where patient to nurse ratios remain 6:1, even universal health care coverage cannot guarantee adequate patient care. read more

Health and Safety of 5G: Addressing Misinformation

Author(s)3: Cynthia Weber
Health and Safety of 5G: Addressing Misinformation 1254 836 IEEE Pulse

As wireless network providers begin to roll out 5G networks, in similar fashion to the introduction of other new technologies—from the microwave oven to smart meters—public concern regarding the safety…

read more

Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Psychiatry

Author(s)3: Summer Allen
Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Psychiatry 1364 750 IEEE Pulse
An estimated 792 million people live with mental health disorders worldwide—more than one in ten people—and this number is expected to grow in the shadow of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough mental health professionals to treat all these people. Can artificial intelligence (AI) help? While many psychiatrists have different views on this question, recent developments suggest AI may change the practice of psychiatry for both clinicians and patients. read more

The Rise of Biometrics in Sports

Author(s)3: Mary Bates
The Rise of Biometrics in Sports 540 608 IEEE Pulse
Athletes—and the cadre of professionals who surround them—are always looking for an edge over their opponents. Advances in technology have now made a whole new class of information readily available to athletes, coaches, trainers, and even fans. It’s called biometrics, the science of measuring and analyzing data collected from the body, such as heart rate or hormone levels. read more