Mental Health Awareness

Since 1949, the United States has recognized Mental Health Awareness Month in May. Over the last few months, I’m sure many of us have been concerned about our mental health just as much as our physical health. I can say personally that I have been feeling a bit anxious in this new world.

Depression and anxiety disorders left untreated can affect people’s education and livelihood.  Together they’re estimated to cost the global economy $1 trillion each year in lost productivity. The CDC reports that 50% of us will experience some type of mental illness at some point in our lives.

A large percentage of IT workers already feel stressed on a regular basis. Now, IT professionals are under a new sense of pressure. They have had to move work forces to remote settings and handle an increase in tech support due to the is move. On top of that, there is an increase in security risks. Like the rest of America, they are under the new stresses that have come with this new normal.

 

Tech Therapy

The coronavirus is driving a mental health crisis for many, but tech can help tackle it. One technology gaining in availability is telehealth services. Not only used to check physical symptoms with your doctor, one can contact mental health professionals via phone, video conference or chat. Online platforms like TalkSpace and BetterHelp help those with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other conditions remotely.

This is also beneficial for rural America. Many must travel hundreds of miles to get to a nearby hospital or clinic. Telehealth enables help for this segment of America. Many vets live in more rural areas and must travel an average 25 to 50 miles for healthcare.  The US Department of Veterans Affairs has nearly 20,000 telehealth visits daily, an 800% increase since before the pandemic.

 

AI Help

There are AI based applications available that serve as chat therapists.

Woebot is one example. It is an AI-based chatbot that provides cognitive behavioral therapy. It monitors daily, one-on-one interactions with users using natural language processing. Then, it delivers a personalized version of therapy to the user.

The University of Colorado recently used machine learning AI to develop changes in speech. Subtle differences in speech can suggest a mental health decline. Shifts in tone or pace can indicate mania or schizophrenia. Memory loss can also be a symptom of cognitive and/or mental health problems.

 

Game Time

Even though we may be trying to limit screen time, video games can aid in elevating someone’s mood. They allow users to escape and immerse themselves into another world. Some video games main purpose is treating a mental health condition.

One example is Endeavor by Akili. This helps children who have ADHD. It brings together world-class neuroscience with the latest technology and video game entertainment. It’s a digital medicine not delivered through a pill or syringe but through a video game experience.

Virtual Reality or VR is another tool. Explore Deep is a meditative virtual reality controlled by breathing. It serves as an intervention for those with anxiety. Players navigate through a serene and poetic underwater world. Movement is controlled by slow, deep breathing. It uses a self-explorative, visually stunning underwater seascape and biofeedback mechanics.

 

Wearable Technology

Wearable technology helps to monitor sleep, physical activity and more. It is also a key tool to detect possible disorders in the first phase. The applications collect information and evaluate the activity of the user through biomarkers.

One device, TouchPoint is a neuroscientific wearable that is placed on each wrist in the morning or at night to induce the boy to calm before going to sleep. It’s uses include before, during or after a stressful situation. It reduces 70% of someone’s stress in thirty seconds.

Another example is Spire.  It is a wearable device that works with a smartphone application that tracks one’s breathing. This helps to reduce stress.  The device measures your breath via the expansion and contraction of your torso. Then, it analyzes and categorizes your breathing as calm, tense, or focused. It sends an alert to you if you need to reset your breath.

 

 

What Can you Do?

These are strange times that we are all in right now. What can you do to help your mental state? First, create reasonable expectations for yourself, your managers and your coworkers.

Understand that your productivity won’t necessarily be the same. Don’t beat yourself up and remember to be kind to yourself and others.  Maintain social work connections by doing things like check-in phone calls or virtual happy hours.

Try some stress-reducing techniques such as yoga, meditation or other mindfulness practices. Start a new hobby or learn a new skill that may fulfill your life in new ways. Make sure you take breaks during the day. Staring at a screen for eight plus hours is not a recommended practice.  Make sure to take regular breaks to stretch, walk around the block or get a healthy snack.

As a company, communication is key. Businesses should share resources on mental health assistance that is available for employees. At the same time, don’t overwhelm employees with information. Provide regular concise communication and address concerns weighing on employees.

 

How Can Zunesis Help?

Zunesis wants to help ease some of the stress felt by IT Professionals at this time. We have a wide variety of assessments to look over your current infrastructure. We also offer a Customer Connect program to allow for a free look into an IT issue at your company.

 

 

Heart Disease and Technology

What if heart conditions could be monitored from home?

What if there were predictive analytics to predict someone’s risk of heart disease?

We are getting closer and closer to this being a reality.  February is American Hearth Month. Heart disease is the leading killer in the world. It is responsible for over 17 millions deaths each year. This could rise to 23 million by 2030.

The medical costs are astronomical. The American Heart Association states the the annual cost of this disease is over $500 billion in the United States alone.

This topic is close to my heart. Many members of my family as well as friends have suffered from heart complications and strokes.  If these evolving technologies were available back then, it would have made a major difference.

More and more technologies are approved by the FDA every day. From wearable technology to digital stethoscopes, technology is being developed to assist humans with heart conditions. I am going to highlight just a few of the products that are gaining traction in the healthcare industry. The cardiovascular disease technology market is expected to exceed $40 billion by 2030.

 

Digital Stethoscope

Eko‘s digital stethoscope uses algorithms to assist with the treatment and prevention of heart disease. Recently, a suite of algorithms were approved by the FDA. The algorithms can alert technicians of the presence of heart murmurs and atrial fibrillation (AFib) during a physical exam. This is essentially converting the classic stethoscope into an early detection tool.

Eko’s AI is able to identify the heart murmurs with 87% sensitivity and 87% specificity. The average traditional stethoscope only has a sensitivity of 43% and specificity of 69% when detecting valvular heart disease. When detecting AFib, AI can detect 99% sensitivity and 97% specificity when analyzing the one-lead ECG tracing. The algorithms reports fast or slow heart rates which is typically indicative of heart disease.

A simple part of your annual exam that has been the front line tool for over two centuries could be the game changer when detecting life threatening conditions. Treating these conditions early could make all the difference.

Technology developed using artificial intelligence (AI) could identify people at high risk of a fatal heart attack at least 5 years before it strikes. This is according to new research funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF).

 

Remote Management of Heart Disease

Some of the biggest trends around cardiovascular disease revolve around remote patient monitoring. Remote Patient monitoring is where consultations can be consulted over video calls. Patient reads and information are accessible through a digital platform. The patient uses wearables such as skin patches, accessories and smart clothing to monitor the patient’s condition.

Beyond disease management, remote patient monitoring can help to see if patients are adhering to their current regiments. It is can also be vital for clinical trial monitoring and pre/post op monitoring. The ability to predict or prevent future cardiac events may occur based on the data being relayed. At home innovations are used to monitor hypertension, heart failure and arrhythmias.

In-body microcomputers have been developed where a pea-sized V-LAP sensor sits withing the heart. The sensor provides real time data to health professionals. When pressure in the heart elevates, it sends alerts the doctors in time.  It charges remotely via an external chest strap that is fitted by the patient. It can collect and transmit data to doctors at anytime.

Do you own an Apple Watch? The optical sensor can detect atrial fibrillation in the background. The market for these items will continue to grow. We live in a world where data is everywhere.

Being able to access that data from the comfort of your home, can alleviate the stress of some patients. In addition, it will help alleviate medical costs by reducing visits to the hospital.

 

Virtual and Augmented Reality

Virtual and Augmented Reality is the new reality for training medical staff. A training in a VR headset can put the operators in a virtual cath lab with a 360 degree view of the room and equipment. 3-D renderings of diseases vessel segments are viewable as well.

NovaRad has FDA clearance for the first surgical AR system. The surgeon wears an AR headset. He or she can superimpose and co-register a CT or MRI dataset onto a patient on the OR table. They can virtually slice through a patient to pre-plan a procedure and mark the skin for incisions.

Philips Healthcare is developing a cath lab AR system which allows interventional radiologists or cardiologists to use hand movements or voice commands without breaking a sterile field. They will be able to call up an ultrasound in their AR visor. Review CT imaging datasets that they can slice in mid-air or view 3-D holograms of the anatomy.  Hand movements rotate or slice the images .

 

 

The Future

These are just a few of the technologies out there that are helping improve the lives of cardiac patients. I can only imagine the developments that are to come.

Pets suffer from heart disease as well.  Colorado State University is already using cutting edge technology to assist with heart disease in dogs.

Some of these things I could only have imagined in Sci-fi films are now a reality. I only can hope that these developments will help save lives for years to come.

Zunesis already actively works with some medical institutions. My hope would be that some tools that we can provide them will take them to the next level in heart disease prevention.