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World-Changing Ideas: A Q&A With Dr. Leslie Saxon, Founder Of The Center For Body Computing
As founder of the Center for Body Computing and chief cardiologist at USC's Keck School of Medicine, Dr. Leslie Saxon is a champion of digital health technology. Join Co.Exist senior editor Ariel Schwartz for a live chat with Dr. Saxon on Thursday, February 27 at noon (ET).
Dr. Saxon
In Co.Exist's list of the World Changing Ideas of 2014, we looked at the possibility of venture capitalist Vinod Khosla's prediction (“In the next 10 years, data science and software will do more for medicine than all of the biological sciences together") coming true.
There are few people who can speak to this better than Dr. Leslie Saxon, founder of the Center for Body Computing, chief cardiologist at USC's Keck School of Medicine, and champion of digital health technology. Under Saxon's direction, the Center for Body Computing has pushed forward the field of digital health, implementing a yearlong study of the now-FDA approved Alivecor ECG iPhone case (which offers a hospital-quality ECG on your phone) and collaborating on potentially life-changing smartphone apps for patients.
Join us as we talk to Dr. Saxon about the future of digital health technology and whether it can truly change the world of healthcare.
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We're joined here by Dr. Leslie Saxon, who will answer questions about the future of the ever-growing field of digital health . Dr Saxon is chief cardiologist of the USC Keck School of Medicine and founder of the Center for Body Computing, a think tank for wireless health. In addition to holding an annual conference, the CBC works on digital health tools for doctors and patients. Dr. Saxon and the CBC were instrumental in developing the AliveCor, a smartphone case and app that acts as a portable ECG. She has also worked on a steering wheel heart rate sensor in collaboration with BMW and USC's School of Cinematic Arts.
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How do you see digital health technology playing a role in preventing heart disease or other health issues in the first place? I imagine people with a family history of heart attacks could benefit from paying extra attention to certain health indicators when they are younger.
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Since internet connected phones are a dominant computing platform, we can leverage that device with sensors, like continuous ECG recording, that occurs if you touch your phone. Every time you touch the phone, and the average user does that over 100 times a day, you are recording and ECG and it's stored. Now let's say that you touch the phone and it shows a dramatic change, like that that would happen if you were having a heart attack (many heart attack victims don't have symptoms), then the analytics would pick that up and you'd get text to go to the nearest ER or call 911
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While we wait for Dr. Saxon's response to Ariel's question, here's a link to Co.Exist's list of the world-changing ideas of 2014: bold predictions for the companies, people, and ideas that will impact our lives in the next 12 months.
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Yes, and for the general public to use as well. We have detected very significant and actionable abnormalities in healthy asymptomatic individuals, patients with known heart conditions, and elite athletes.
The whole point is to make this ubiquitous to have the largest impact on public health. -
Here's a link to learn more about AliveCor, for those interested.
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We now have a study with the AliveCor device to better understand it's use for consumers, this is a good example of what sensors can do, they have an FDA-approved diagnostic pathway and a consumer use, for self-education or just the ability to continuously store your ECG, it's an investment in your health
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Here's a link to the study that Dr. Saxon is talking about.
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Great question, with a worn sensor, FDA approval may or may not be needed and one sensor can have both and FDA and non-FDA use pathway. Some features can be used for the prescribed product that may not be used for the consumer product, for instance. The FDA pathway usually has payment associated with it, insurance, Medicare, etc. The over the counter use is self pay, typically. The FDA issued a mobile guidance document that clarifies it's position.
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Here's a presentation by Bakul Patel at a conference on body computing that details the FDA approval process.by Miles Kohrman via YouTube 2/27/2014 5:26:18 PM
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There are several things that I think are pretty key, our research indicates that the use of video is really powerful, the tech tools that enable that are YouTube and video on mobile. You can create entertaining and engaging video, in short form, digestible over mobile, that targets very specific patient needs.
We worked with my friend, Joe Perez, one of the founders of the YouTube channel TASTEMADE and one of their chefs to create a cooking show for diabetic women to help them manage their disease, very powerful, because we used a very popular chef and provided key information, in a story or "show format". We reach huge numbers and leverage the success of YouTube and TASTEMADE. We plan to produce many more to micro target the needs of specific patients -
Here's the video that Dr. Saxon is talking about:by Miles Kohrman via YouTube 2/27/2014 5:31:16 PM
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Social networks also serve to engage and support behavior. We created an app called Biogram, where users can photoshare and also post heart rate, this leverages the power and popularity of photosharing to educated users about how heart rate reflects emotion and can be used to communicate feeling and moods
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We're thinking a lot about this important and delicate issue, the issues with the NSA leaks, got ours and everyone's attention and health is an extremely private and sensitive issue..huge implications if information and privacy is breached. As a doctor, I always tell patients to think twice before sharing health information. How do we assure growth of digital health and protect the individual? I feel we need to have an agnostic body, dedicated to consumer health safety over digital that is international and forward thinking...a UN of digital health protection
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The use of big data and continuous data feeds, can actually improve efficiency and safety. Data is analyzed and provided back to the physician and consumer or patient only if it is abnormal, we call this exception based reporting. That means that doctors are spending time on only those that have problems and need attention and not on those that are fine. The consumer gets a note text or message they are Ok and the doc focuses on what they are trained to do. Huge implications for improved care and optimal use of expensive medical facilities. For example, if I see 20 patients in my office in an afternoon, only 5 really have issues that need my attention, think of the efficiencies for all if I only brought the five in. We did a study and showed that remote follow-up resulted in improved survival in patients that had implantable devices that were followed remotely compared to those that were not.
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Here's a link to the article that Dr. Saxon mentioned in her answer.
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Ariel recently covered the BMW project for those unfamiliar with it: "Your Next Doctor Might Be Your Car"
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Let's say that you're recording your blood pressure, oxygen saturation and heart rate and you're are driving through a polluted area and you see a change, or you notice that your blood pressure normalizes when you listen to certain songs or have certain driving experiences, the car tells you when it needs a safety check, why not have it tell you when your body needs one?
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I recently wrote a piece about Proteus Digital Health's "smart pill" system, which consists of a sensor embedded in a pill and a battery-powered patch that measures things like sleep and heart rate. How do you think digital health will impact the pharmaceutical industry?
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Dr. Saxon was recently profiled by CNN. While we wait for her response to the question about the pharmaceutical industry, you can watch it below:by Miles Kohrman via YouTube 2/27/2014 5:56:56 PM
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Pharma companies are re defining themselves as not only drug companies, but patient centered disease management companies, in recognition of the important role they can play in helping patients intergrate their pill taking with their overall health status. Proteus has real solutions to this problem by connecting some very important dots between taking drugs, activity and symptoms, along with providing continuous connectivity for patients/families and docs. We are working with them on heart failure disease management solutions. We're also working with Sanofi on ways to continuously engage patients with all sorts of conditions, who take their products, to assist in the overall management of the patient by providing the right digital tools, very exciting
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There are so many kinds of wearable health and tracking devices coming out and already on the market. It seems like there are a confusing number of options. How do you suggest going about which to use? I also worry about tracking all my data with one company/platform and one day losing all my data if it doesn't stick around.
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By our last count there are 127 devices that are wearable, with an average cost of over $100, most provide directional information, rather than 'medical grade' data, but the information can be very useful, the accelerometer is the most popular component right now, but that will change. Even the iPhone 5 has a Nike FuelBand (Nike+ Move) embedded. When phone and tablet makers start embedding more sensors in their devices, that will create yet another experience and large database for access. I don't have a specific recommendation, because these are early days. I would only say, make sure you can access your data and port it...
[Photo: Reinhard Hunger for Fast Company]