On a separate note from healthcare benefits, a smarter home that can self-regulate will save on energy costs. I'm in the process of having some energy-saving home improvements done, but they don't include monitoring the temperature in each room. There's a lot of waste in heating or cooling homes. If this technology can sense whether a person or pet is in a particular place in the house, then it can be programmed, I would imagine, to increase or decrease the temperature just for that area.
That's a great point. It's also going to help those parents who struggle to tend to children born with disabilities, I'd hope and think. As well as people in the sandwich generation, who are looking after young kids and older parents, too.
The technology can be used globally, providing everyone, anywhere with top medical care. It makes it easier to spread out to more rural areas without losing the benefit of living near a top medical center.
Exactly, Joanne! People with chronic conditions like diabetes, heart problems, and so on could see their lives improve through this type of capability. Families would worry less and costs would drop, since they wouldn't need as much human support necessarily. Talk about a giant step beyond the alarms that people can buy now, which notify respondents if a patient falls... these really are a world of improvement. You can envision temporary systems, too, for those who have undergone surgery and need p/t physical therapy or assistance while they recuperate from their operation. Love this type of technology.
I was also thinking of all the benefits of a smarter home for home healthcare. The needs of our aging population of baby boomers and beyond, along with rising healthcare expenses, makes the technology usage more of a necessity than just a "nice to have." I can see the value beyond what's described here to include virtual doctor's visits with technology checking vital signs on a continuous, 24/7 basis.
Earlier today, I was reading about healthcare initiatives revolving around the 'healty home.' These tie in really nicely with the partnerships you describe here, Todd. In addition to saving the government and insurers money, people will more importantly be able to retain their autonomy and independence through the use of this type of technology. It's a fantastic look at the near-future.
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The smartphone market reached a significant milestone, a breakthrough that may cause vendors to celebrate but could strain the capabilities of IT service desks.
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As Mitch Wagner discussed today, Yahoo is acquiring Tumblr. The big Internet debate at the moment is whether Tumblr will be good or bad for Yahoo. Regardless of their stances on the future of Yahoo itself, many claim that Yahoo will somehow ruin Tumblr.
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