How Glass Could Improve Healthcare

Every industry, regardless to its nature, has a few tech enthusiasts through its lines and this has been proven with the appearance of Glass, or better said with the enthusiasm generated by Glass’s potential.

This time, we are about to tell you the story of Chris Vukin, a nurse with an educated view over technology, who thought of a couple of ways Glass would improve medical care and possibly transform it entirely.

By testing Google’s head mounted tiny computer, which can be voice operated, she saw a way to improve her work. So, in the past couple of weeks, she had been collaborating with more doctors, in order to create Glass software that will fit their needs.

The device’s tiny display could be used for looking at patient’s files, checking lab results or CT scans. Not to mention that the camera’s photo-video option can be used for a lot of things.

As a Google Glass explorer, Vukis was asked at some point if he would integrate Glass into his work, and because the answer was yes, he also found ten possible ways of integrating Glass in medical care, all of them being in the benefit of both the doctors and the patients.

Vukis is sure that this is a huge project and that its potential could improve today’s medical care services.

When talking about patient care, we all know there’s a lot of improvement to do, especially with the ways you receive your results. If your doctor would be using Glass, it could call your results instantly and then show them to you on a laptop or computer. Think about how much time you would save, just because he wouldn’t have to go search you files and your results, or send a nurse do it.

The same can be applied when a doctor prescribes medication in the hospital: with Glass he could send the order directly to the pharmacy’s computer, without having someone else writing it again, and he could also order exams or tests from the lab. He could receive the results back on Glass, as soon as they’re done. Also, Glass could record a patient’s evolution and group all the information (video or dictated) in one place and then share it with other devices.

Also, it could be used for storing information regarding certain procedures, which could be followed by new doctors, could provide a guide for life support, high stress events protocols or cardiopulmonary resuscitation. A doctor performing such a procedure could watch a how to guide in the same time.

Another interesting case would be to use it in the surgery room, in order to consult with another coworker regarding the operation.

Speaking of consultation services, this could also work from patient to doctor. For instance, the patient could call the doctor and show him what he sees through Glass. The doctor could actually provide an answer on the spot, instead of having to come visit, or make you go visit the hospital.

In the past year, there were some suggestions according to which Glass could help persons with dementia or Alzheimer to recognize the faces of people they know. For now, the face-recognition feature is banned, but it could also help a lot of other patients that are home cared by their dear ones.

For instance, reminders on Glass could remind them of their medication schedule, showing the photo of the drug they must take and the dose, and if wanted it could display information about side effects or how to take it (after, before you eat). One could even set reminders for doctor appointments and receive instructions to get to the office.

Of course, this is only the beginning. As Vukin said, there are so many ways of integrating Glass in this area, we can’t even imagine right now. He feels confident in the project and its success and so do we. So, good luck Vukin!