Innovative thinkers all over the world crack their brains in getting already existing technology to serve us better. This may be in terms of getting devices smaller, smarter, more efficient and more equipped in serving us more sustainably. The same is happening in health care.
For those who’ve been to hospitals have either been told that their cases would have been prevented if detected earlier or if they had had a different choice of lifestyle. So why is it that we’re constantly seeing rising cases of diabetes, heart diseases and cancer and what can we do to reduce this? By embracing the power that technology can provide in initiating new ways to deliver health care.
Instead of the traditional, sit-in-the-waiting room for hours model of medicine, there has been the need to embrace alternative ways to initiate care to patients. Digital technologies have for the past few years been empowering people to take more control of their health and lead healthier lives. Data and connected solutions help deliver the relevant information at the right time – enabling healthcare professionals to make first-time right decisions, achieve better outcomes at lower costs, and facilitate care models that put patients at the center of care.
Philips has been at the forefront of technological advances such as rapid development in digital health data and cloud imaging coupled with significant developments in imaging and monitoring technologies; all of which strive to create meaningful innovation in personalized care for the transformation of the healthcare industry.
Since the mid-1920s, Philips Design has complemented technology with aesthetic and human perspectives and today, the company continues this tradition of creativity in its array of technological innovation – that is evident with the Philips Live! Innovation Experience.
Speaking at the opening of the Philips Live! Innovation Experience in Nairobi, C.E.O of Philips East Africa Roelof Assies, spoke more on the bold and daring mission of Philips to improve the lives of 3 billion people by 2025. He added on how the presence of Philips in Africa for over 100 years shows just how the Philips Live! Innovation Experience is committed to pushing the boundaries to improve patients’ healthcare. The Philips Live! Innovation Experience 2016 has provided a glimpse into the future of healthcare; highlighting solutions that enable people to live a healthier life, innovations that make care highly personalized and more widely available to those who need it, and ways in which connected care empowers healthcare practitioners and patients – especially in cardiology care.
Cardiology care was a key theme at the event; with the discussion of the burden of cardiovascular diseases, that have greatly affected patients especially in developing countries. The disease is the number one cause of death globally, accounting for 17.3 million deaths per year, and is expected to grow to more than 23.6 million by 2030.
Some interesting things I saw at #PhillipsLive. A portable ultrasound, an outreach kit and baby respiration monitor pic.twitter.com/HFA6TSbVFd
— Rayhab Gachango (@potentash) August 20, 2016
Despite this shocking statistic, most cardiovascular diseases can be prevented; mostly by changing behaviors and lifestyles & eliminating risk factors. The event showcased several innovations that can help medical practitioners treat cardiovascular disease by speeding detection, diagnosis and treatment, driving more effective recovery and home care, and encouraging prevention and healthy living. These solutions were centered under the following three themes:
- Reinventing Cardiology
- Access to Care
- Personalization of health.
REINVENTING CARDIOLOGY
One of the strongest drivers of the causes to cardiovascular diseases is undiagnosed and untreated hypertension, which has been generally classified to be contributed to lifestyle choices: what we eat, how it’s cooked, and how much exercise we get etc. The use of these following products could mean making healthcare better, make the process faster, cost less and more seamless.
Allura Xper Biplane System
The Allura Xper FD20 is optimised to support quicker decisions with optimal risk management in Cardiac and Vascular procedures. The device combines superb flat detector image quality with advanced interventional tools. With Philips’ 2k imaging and 16 bit detector cardiologists can evaluate small vessels and move through procedures with confidence; helping to improve treatment and providing valuable information where and when it’s needed.
- Intellispace Portal
The Philips IntelliSpace Portal is a web-enabled image and information management system with a single integrated workspace that produces a holistic view of the patient’s care continuum.
The connected solution features Advanced Analytics and Diagnostic Guidance that provides physicians with sophisticated tools to access, analyze and share images and information anytime, from virtually anywhere.
- Philips Volcano
Philips Volcano, is a global leader in physiology and intravascular imaging for coronary and peripheral applications. The business also offers a suite of peripheral therapeutic devices. This is part of Philips’ industry leading solutions to decide, guide and confirm the right therapy for each patient in real-time during image-guided therapies (IGT).
The Philips Volcano image-guided interventional therapy portfolio helps clinicians decide, guide and confirm the right therapy for the right patient at the point of care.
IMPROVING ACCESS TO CARE
Community Life Centre (CLC)
Collaborating with local governments, Philips is developing Community Life Centres (CLC) to provide a total solution for primary healthcare facilities with the aim of not only improving healthcare but also enabling community development. In Kiambu, Kenya, the installation of a CLC saw the number of patients visiting increase to 4,000 patients per month, from 1,000 patients previously.
CLC Outreach Kit
The CLC Outreach Kit provides a number of tools carried in a backpack, which supports community health workers and midwives in their efforts to diagnose and refer people in need of further treatment or transportation. It is also intended to support their educational activities within communities.
The kit comes in a range of four options and is part of a package solution complete with services and training.
- Children’s Automated Respiration Monitor (ChARM)
The Philips Children’s Automated Respiration Monitor (ChARM) converts chest movements detected into an accurate breathing count. The device not only provides quantitative feedback, but also qualitative feedback to diagnose fast breathing rates, which is one of the key vital signs to diagnosing pneumonia.
2. Minicare Acute
The Philips Minicare Acute, is a fully-automated handheld rapid diagnostic testing solution that can measure target molecules in very low concentrations (picomolar) in blood in a matter of minutes. The system offers multiplexing capabilities, making it possible to improve diagnostic and provide multiple marker results, simultaneously, from the same droplet of blood at the same time.
The results it presents are not only immediate, but it also enables doctors to identify high risk patients earlier to reduce the time from diagnosis to treatment or quickly discharge patients not in need of emergency care.
PERSONALIZATION OF HEALTH
Personal health programmes
Philips Personal Health Programs empower people to take greater control of their health. These app-based solutions help people establish and maintain healthier habits.
The products, sold separately, are made-up of the health watch, which continuously and automatically measures a wide range of health biometrics (including heart rate, activity, and sleep patterns). The Philips upper arm & wrist blood pressure monitors – allowing measurement of systolic and diastolic blood pressure as well as the heart rate; a Body Analysis Scale to measure weight, estimate body fat percentage and BMI calculation; and an ear thermometer for taking temperature.
With the benefit of being Bluetooth enabled, a person can connect wirelessly to the Philips HealthSuite Health app and through the Philips HealthSuite Digital Platform, an open, secure, cloud-based platform; you can collect and analyze health and other data from multiple devices and sources.
- BlueTouch & PulseRelief
The Philips’ PulseRelief and BlueTouch devices along with the treatment app, allows users to track pain before and after treatment, and over time. The devices can be operated by a mobile device and are thus designed to help support a more active lifestyle.
What’s innovative about them is:
- They make it easy to control and choose pain relief programs, offering a more flexible way to reduce pain.
- You can use the app to choose more personalized pain treatment. Users can rate and track their perceived pain – before and after treatment, and over time.
- One is able to control the pain relief devices remotely via iPhone or iPad, so you can monitor your pain discreetly and flexibly without endangering your life and you can still staying active!
Philips Airfryer
Imagine frying your meals using no oil!
The Philips Airfryer is a revolution in home cooking that uses little or no oil as it fries. The device basically fries using circulating hot air around a grill component, creating meals with up to 80% less fat. Whether it’s perfect French fries, samosas, chicken, fried desserts and deep-fried meats, food is cooked and crisped to perfection, at very high speed.
The Airfryer fries, bakes, roasts and grills with a tablespoon or less of oil, making it the perfect solution for fast, easy and healthier meals and snacks.
More information on how to get these products and more details about them can be found at their website.
