The digital health space refers to the integration of technology and health care services to improve the overall quality of health care delivery. It encompasses a wide range of innovative and emerging technologies such as wearables, telehealth, artificial intelligence, mobile health, and electronic health records (EHRs). The digital health space offers numerous benefits such as improved patient outcomes, increased access to health care, reduced costs, and improved communication and collaboration between patients and health care providers. For example, patients can now monitor their vital signs such as blood pressure and glucose levels from home using wearable devices and share the data with their doctors in real-time. Telehealth technology allows patients to consult with their health care providers remotely without having to travel to the hospital, making health care more accessible, particularly in remote or rural areas. Artificial intelligence can be used to analyze vast amounts of patient data to identify patterns, predict outcomes, and provide personalized treatment recommendations. Overall, the digital health space is rapidly evolving, and the integration of technology in health

Sunday, April 19, 2020

Coronavirus in the Emergency Department



The Covid19 pandemic patient in an emergency department necessitates a complete alteration of patient flow and sanitization methods in a mix of 'normal" emergency patients.  Emergency patients present with a wide variety of non-urgent and urgent cases including trauma, life-threatening cardiac events, and surgical emergencies.

 Accommodating this mix of patients requires registration outside in a 'safe' zone where others will not be contaminated by Coronavirus. An outside Kiosk can be utilized for ambulatory patients. Patients can then be given instructions and/or a text message when to come in.

 Emergency department staff will need to use PPE when dealing with suspected coronavirus patients.

 Cardiopulmonary Examination places the examiner in close proximity to a patient. Fortunately today a system exists EKO which affords a safe examination distance using an amplified stethoscope head and blue tooth connections to a smartphone. This combination also allows for real-time recording. In addition to these capabilities, EKO provides an algorithm for analysis and diagnosis of heart sounds.

 A Stethoscope is a universal tool that enables clinicians to quickly assess the patient's heart and lung sounds during triage. The COVID-19 workflow uses lung sounds to identify wheezes for escalation to proper treatment protocols.

 Healthcare workers need a stethoscope that protects them from infection so that they can focus on caring for their patients. Frontline providers wearing stethoscopes can be exposed to viruses.

 Frontline providers use auscultation to make critical triage and management decisions. This places them in direct contact with their patients and makes them highly vulnerable to infection during outbreaks. Eko stethoscopes give providers options for reducing disease exposure by removing bodily contact. Sounds can be transmitted wirelessly by local Bluetooth and remote WiFi, delivering best-in-class heart sounds, lung sounds, and ECG data.


The Emergency Room at SUNY Downstate, NY
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