If you're one of the many who recognize the amazing functionality of the iPhone and iPod, you might not be surprised to learn that these gadgets are being used to improve health and medical care.
For example, Voice of America recently reported that researchers have developed an experimental iPhone app that is intended to be used by emergency medical technicians to help them diagnose a specific form of heart attack that can be especially deadly. The app then sends information to hospital surgical teams so they can prepare to treat the patient, which could significantly improve the odds that they will survive.
VOA explained that this specific type of heart attack is known as ST-elevation myocardial infarction, or STEMI, which blocks blood flow to the heart with the formation of a clot in the coronary artery. An ECG is currently the go-to test for diagnosing this condition, and this involves medical professionals placing small adhesive wire leads on a person's chest. The wires then feed signals to the ECG, producing a series of waves that indicate cardiac activity.
“With the experimental iPhone app, emergency medical technicians responding to a call can do an ECG, snap an image of the tracing with the mobile phone camera and transmit it clearly at high speed over the cell network,” the news source reported.
The iPod's role in better health
AdelaideNow recently reported that a first-of-its-kind trial is taking place in Melbourne, Australia, where medical care professionals are using iPods to monitor recovering young trauma victims. Children and adolescents recovering from severe and traumatic injuries are outfitted with an iPod, which is used to record their movement after they leave the hospital. The study is being led by Dr. Eva Alisic of the Monash Injury Research Institute, a department of Melbourne's Monash University that was established to prevent injuries and save lives.
But movement is not the only thing being recorded. Physicians participating in the trial program believe that social support is especially important when recovering from trauma, so the iPods will be used to better understand it. Patients from the Royal Children's Hospital will wear the iPods consistently, which will randomly record conversations so that activities, responses and social interactions can be appropriately monitored.
These stories highlight just how important Apple devices are becoming, which also touches on the importance of maintaining these gadgets. IResQ is proud to offer extensive iPhone repair and iPod repair services that can keep these increasingly integral devices in top working order.