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NUR AINADAMIA BINTI MOHAMAD 1 NEWS
NANTHINI A/P NEDUNJELIAN 10TECHNOLOGY

NOR SHAFIQAH BINTI MOHAMAD 19 TOOLS
NUR IZZATI BINTI AHMAD 28HERE’S HOW
RAS FAZIRA BINTI RAMLI
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BNEiWoS-based communication networks
could control cells in the body to
treat conditions

BY NANTHINI NEDUNJELIAN

ike electronic devices, biological cells “In one project that we are reporting on at the meet-
send and receive messages, but they ing, we engineered cells to receive electronically
communicate through very different generated information and transmit it as molecular
mechanisms. Now, scientists report cues,” says Eric VanArsdale, a graduate student in
progress on tiny communication net- Bentley’s lab at the University of Maryland, who is
works that overcome this language barrier, allowing presenting the latest results at the meeting. The cells
electronics to eavesdrop on cells and alter their be- were designed to detect and respond to hydrogen
havior -- and vice versa. These systems could enable peroxide. When placed near a charged electrode that
applications including a wearable device that could generated this redox mediator, the cells produced a
diagnose and treat a bacterial infection or a capsule corresponding amount of a quorum sensing molecule
that could be swallowed to track blood sugar and that bacteria use to signal to each other and modulate
make insulin when needed. behavior by altering gene expression

The researchers will present their results
today at the American Chemical Society (ACS) fall
2020 Virtual Meeting & Expo.

“We want to expand electronic information In another recent project, the team engineered two
processing to include biology,” says principal in- types of cells to receive molecular information from
vestigator William E. Bentley, Ph.D. “Our goal is the pathogenic bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa and
to incorporate biological cells in the computational convert it into an electronic signal for diagnostic and
decision-making process.” The new technology other applications. One group of cells produced the
Bentley’s team developed relies on redox mediators, amino acid tyrosine, and another group made tyrosi-
which move electrons around cells. These small nase, which converts tyrosine into a molecule called
molecules carry out cellular activities by accepting L-DOPA.
or giving up electrons through reduction or oxidation
reactions. Because they can also exchange electrons
with electrodes, thereby producing a current, redox
mediators can bridge the gap between hardware
and living tissue. In ongoing work, the team, which
includes co-principal investigator Gregory F. Payne,
Ph.D., is developing interfaces to enable this infor-
mation exchange, opening the way for electronic
control of cellular behavior, as well as cellular feed-
back that could operate electronics.

3

The cells were engineered so this redox mediator In other work, Bentley’s team and collaborators
would be produced only if the bacteria released both including Reza Ghodssi, Ph.D., recently designed a
a quorum sensing molecule and a toxin associated system to monitor conditions inside industrial biore-
with a virulent stage of P. aeruginosa growth. The actors that hold thousands of gallons of cell culture
size of the resulting current generated by L-DOPA for drug production. Currently, manufacturers track
indicated the amount of bacteria and toxin present in oxygen levels, which are vital to cells’ productivity,
a sample. If used in a blood test, the technique could with a single probe in the side of each vessel. That
reveal an infection and also gauge its severity. Be- probe can’t confirm conditions are uniform every-
cause this information would be in electronic form, where in the bioreactor, so the researchers developed
it could be wirelessly transmitted to a doctor’s office “smart marbles” that will circulate throughout the
and a patient’s cell phone to inform them about the vessel measuring oxygen. The marbles transmit data
infection, Bentley says. “Ultimately, we could engi- via Bluetooth to a cell phone that could adjust oper-
neer it so that a wearable device would be triggered ating conditions. In the future, these smart marbles
to give the patient a therapeutic after an infection is could serve as a communication interface to detect
detected.” chemical signals within a bioreactor, send that infor-
mation to a computer, and then transmit electronic
The researchers envision eventually integrat- signals to direct the behavior of engineered cells in
ing the communication networks into autonomous the bioreactor. The team is working with instrument
systems in the body. For instance, a diabetes patient makers interested in commercializing the design,
could swallow a capsule containing cells that mon- which could be adapted for environmental monitor-
itor blood sugar. The device would store this blood ing and other uses.
sugar data and periodically send it to a cell phone,
which would interpret the data and send back an
electronic signal directing other cells in the capsule
to make insulin as needed. As a step toward this
goal, VanArsdale developed a biological analogue
of computer memory that uses the natural pigment
melanin to store information and direct cellular sig-
nalling.

MNEWeSasuring social networks of young
adults with autism

BY NANTHINI NEDUNJELIAN

s many have recently discovered, so- “Many autistic young adults are disconnected from
cial connections are vital to a person’s people, communities and organizations that could
wellbeing. While social isolation is a provide them with valuable social resources to
core challenge associated with autism, support their transition to adulthood,” said Elizabeth
researchers from Drexel University’s McGhee Hassrick, PhD, assistant professor in the
A.J. Drexel Autism Institute have laid the ground- Autism Institute and lead author of the study.
work to show how interpersonal relationships, and
the resources they provide, could impact autistic The study demonstrated how social network analysis
youth’s adult outcomes. can be adapted for the field of autism, by measuring
the social networks of autistic adults and the resourc-
es gained from the social connections. Researchers
had 17 autistic adults during post-high school transi-
tion (ages 19 to 27) complete an online survey about
their social connections and the different types of
support they gain from those connections.

5

Parents of three of the autistic adults were also The study does have limitations, as it was only
surveyed to provide information about the social designed to test the feasibility of the social network
connections they rely on to help their autistic young measure and does not provide information about
adults transition successfully. how networks might impact outcomes. There is also
the possibility of under-reporting the actual size and
“Interpersonal relationships and the resources and makeup of autistic young adult networks, due to the
support embedded in the social networks of autis- social network measure only allowing participants to
tic young adults could impact key adult outcomes, identify five people.
including quality of life, mental health, employment
and independence,” said McGhee Hassrick. “Future studies using our social network measure
might provide valuable information about possible
According to the researchers, there is currently very interventions that could help autistic youth acquire
little known about the social networks of young the social resources needed for successful adult out-
adults on the autism spectrum and no studies mea- comes,” said McGhee Hassrick.
suring the social capital of youth and their parents
together. The study, “Social Capital and Autism in Young
Adulthood: Applying Social Network Methods
to Measure the Social Capital of Autistic Young
Adults,” will be published in Autism in Adulthood.
Co-authors include Laura Graham Holmes, PhD;
Paul Shattuck, PhD, both of Drexel University;
Collette Sosnowy, PhD, of Brown University; and
Jessica Walton, of Lock Haven University.

This project produced new and useful ways of
collecting social network data from young autistic
adults that will produce knowledge about how to
help young adults on the autism spectrum build net-
works that will produce social resources needed to
support positive outcomes in adulthood.

CNEeWlSl phone location used to estimate
COVID-19 growth rates

BY NANTHINI NEDUNJELIAN

ew research shows that counties Baker and the other researchers, including the
with a greater decline in workplace study’s lead author Shiv T. Sehra, MD, an assis-
tant professor of Medicine at the Harvard Medical
cell phone activity during stay-at- School, used location data from cell phones -- which
home orders showed a lower rate of were de-identified and made publicly available by
COVID-19 infections. The research- Google -- to analyze activity across up to 2,740
ers believe patterns they saw in publicly available counties in the United States between early January
cell phone location data could be used to better and early May 2020.
estimate COVID-19 growth rates and inform deci-
sion-making when it comes to shutdowns and “re- This data was broken up into locations where the
openings.” activity took place, ranging from workplaces, to
homes, retail stores, grocery stores, parks, and transit
This research was published today in JAMA stations. Roughly between 22,000 and 84,000 points
Internal Medicine. “It is our hope that counties might of data were analyzed for each day in the study
be able to incorporate these publicly available cell period. The idea was to compare where cell phone
phone data to help guide policies regarding re-open- activity took place as a proxy to show where people,
ing throughout different stages of the pandemic,” themselves, spent their time. This data was com-
said the study’s senior author, Joshua Baker, MD, pared between two time periods: the first in January
MSCE, an assistant professor of Medicine and Epi- and February, before COVID-19’s outbreak in the
demiology. “Further, this analysis supports the incor- United States, then mid-February through early May,
poration of anonymized cell phone location data into during the virus’ initial surges and when stay-at-
modelling strategies to predict at-risk counties across
the U.S. before outbreaks become too great.” home orders were enacted.

Intuitively, they noted an increase in time “It will be important to confirm that cell
spent at home, while visits to the workplace dropped phone data is useful in other stages of the pandem-
significantly, along with a decline in visits to retail ic beyond initial containment,” Baker said. “For
locations (such as stores and restaurants) and transit example, is monitoring these data helpful during
stations. the reopening phases of the pandemic, or during an
outbreak?”
They saw that in counties where there was
initially a higher density of cases, visits to work- Past its immediate importance for
places, as well as retail locations and transit sta- COVID-19, Baker sees future utility for this type of
tions, fell more sharply than counties less affected data.
by COVID-19. At the same time, in these counties,
there was a more prominent spike in activity at “They do have the potential to help us better
homes. understand behavioral patterns which could help
future investigators predict the course of future
In addition, the researchers saw that the epidemics or perhaps monitor the impact of different
counties where workplace activity fell the most had public health measures on peoples’ behaviors,” he
the lowest rates of new COVID-19 cases in the days said. This research was funded partly by a Veterans
that followed. Lag-times of 5, 10 and 15 days were Affairs Clinical Science Research & Development
observed to allow time for COVID-19’s incubation Merit Award (I01 CX001703)
period, but the lower infection rates held across the
range.

Moving forward, Baker hopes more work can
be done to vet cell phone data to see if they can be
specifically used to predict COVID-19 hotspots and

NEWS

Robots use in Rwanda to fight against
COVID-19

BY NANTHINI NEDUNJELIAN

ne of the challenges being faced
worldwide is the rate of infection of
health professionals while treating
COVID-19 patients. 2016 statistics
show the following picture of Rwan-
da’s health sector: 1/50,505 ground ambulance /
population Ratio; 1/10,055 Doctor/population ratio;
1/1,094 Nurse/population ratio; 1/10,500 Laboratory
technicians /population ratio. Although Rwanda is
on track to meeting most of the required quota, the
country cannot afford the set back that a pandemic
like COVID-19 among health professionals would
cause.

To minimize contact time with confirmed On Tuesday, May 19 at the Kanyinya
cases and therefore reducing the risk of contamina- COVID-19 Treatment Centre, the 5 robots were
tion of health professionals in COVID-19 treatment launched by the Ministry of Health. Named in
centres, robots were deployed. At Gatenga and Kinyarwanda, Akazuba, Ikirezi, Mwiza, Ngabo, and
Kanyinya treatment centres in Kigali City, visits Urumuri are made by Zora Bots, a Belgian company
by medical staff to patients went from 3-4 to 2 per specialised in robotics. They were acquired through
day since May 2020. The 5 human-size robots are a partnership between the UNDP Rwanda Accelera-
programmed to perform temperature screening, take tor Lab (AccLab) and the Ministry of ICT and Inno-
readings of vitals, deliver video messages and detect vation. Each robot costs about $30,000. Urumuri is
people not wearing masks then instruct them to wear currently deployed at the Kigali International Airport
masks properly. with the capacity to screen 50 to 150 people per min-
ute and report abnormalities to officers on duty.

They were acquired through a partnership As Rwanda is reopening Kigali International
between the UNDP Rwanda Accelerator Lab (Ac- Airport for commercial international flights from
cLab) and the Ministry of ICT and Innovation. Each 1st of August, Urumuri will allow to speed up mass
robot costs about $30,000. Urumuri is currently screenings of fever for passengers as they land.
deployed at the Kigali International Airport with the
capacity to screen 50 to 150 people per minute and The pandemic has proven to be a crosscutting
report abnormalities to officers on duty. challenge affecting Rwanda in all sectors (Health,
Economy, Education, Agriculture, …). It therefore
requires different sometimes innovative solutions
with available resources like robots.



TECHNOLOGY

AI In Healthcare –

Benefits, Challenges & Risks
Robot-assisted surgery (providing guidance based
BY NUR IZZATI BINTI AHMAD on records and real-time data) is considered to
be the AI healthcare application with the greatest
expected financial benefit (worth $40bn a year in
the US by 2026) and is calculated to result in a
21% reduction in the duration of hospital stays.

rtificial Intelligence (AI) has the poten- Virtual nursing (remotely assessing a patient’s
tial to have a transformative impact on symptoms) can reduce unnecessary hospital visits
the healthcare industry. Even though and save time for staff. This AI application is ex-
AI will require a significant amount of pected to provide a $20bn annual benefit to US
investment to be deployed in the field, the appli- healthcare by 2026.
cation of AI can potentially create $150bn annual
savings in the US healthcare economy by 2026, AI applications can help with the day-to-day
according to Accenture. heavy lifting in healthcare provision. TUG robots,
able to carry 453 kilograms, have been deployed
By 2021, the AI health market is expected to reach at the University of California, San Francisco
$6.6bn, increasing from $600m in 2014 and Medical Center to carry out tasks such as deliv-
representing a compound annual growth rate of ering medicine and food and removing waste for
40%. patients.

Applications & Benefits Robot Process Automation (RPA) can assist with a
wide range of tasks in healthcare, including:
• Patient appointment requests
• Patient registration

Some of the present and future AI applications in
healthcare include:
• Robot-assisted surgery • Virtual nurses
• Symptom checking and triage • Treatment plans
• Medication management • Precision medicine
• Health monitoring • Healthcare system analysis
In addition to automating diagnosis, AI in health-
care can assist with prevention, forecasting the
spread of diseases at the macro level as well as
calculating the probability that an individual may
contract a condition. This can drive positive
health outcomes and assist providers with logistics
and planning.

10

Challenges Risks/ threats

AI comes with a number of challenges for the The deployment of AI in healthcare comes with a
healthcare industry, notably: number of risks. While focused, AI may be
• Issues of security and privacy blind to wider context cues and it may also strug-
• Potential lack of interoperability with other gle to deal with the ‘intrinsic uncertainty’ of
platforms medicine in the real world. Additionally, reliance
• Need for a high standard of performance at on automation may ultimately diminish the
very least outperforming humans skills of physicians.
• Blindness to emotional cues from patients
Five potential pitfalls of utilizing AI in healthcare:
AI requires large amounts of training data. Deep- • Lack of compulsory ethical standards across the
Mind’s AlphaGo program, for example, whole sector
achieved mastery in the game Go by processing • Rushing the deployment of AI, missing possible
30 million recorded human moves. In downsides
healthcare, as each new ‘game’ potentially rep- • Insufficient training of medical professionals
resents a human life at risk, innovative strategies • Poor patient education and communication on
for ‘training’ need to be found. benefits and disadvantages
• Unaffordable solutions fail to turn AI into the
Successful adoption of AI in healthcare can only stethoscope of the 21st century
be achieved by addressing anxieties felt by the
general population and by healthcare workers. Though most consumers trust healthcare providers
Reassurance is needed that AI will not infringe to secure their data, it is nevertheless being
on human autonomy and that it will augment stolen and data breaches are increasingly seen as
rather than replace individuals. being inevitable. AI can create new attack
surfaces by transmitting data to third-party provid-
The healthcare industry has been slow to adopt ers and external agencies, meaning that
digital technologies, putting it in a weak position securing these channels is critical.
when it comes to deploying AI. In the US,
one-quarter of hospitals and more than 40% of Autonomous agents can act in unexpected ways,
physicians are not using electronic health record with potentially adverse outcomes and
systems, according to McKinsey. contrary to social norms (for example demonstrat-
ing apparently discriminatory behavior). In
sensitive areas, such as healthcare, it will be im-
portant for practitioners to be able to access an
audit trail and to consider whether automated
monitoring is needed.

11

TECHNOLOGY

Thermal Imaging Systems In The

Workplace: Panacea Or Problem?
What Are The Legal Limita-
mployers are looking for better ways to tions?
monitor whether individuals entering
their workplaces have been exposed to Before you rush to use thermal imaging systems,
or are infected with COVID-19 – and you should consider the applicability of current and
the use of more sophisticated thermal scanning even future laws regulating their use. First, under
cameras or similar systems that can process many the Americans With Disabilities Act, measuring the
people quickly has emerged as a possible solu- body temperature of an employee is considered a
tion. Before implementing such technology in the medical examination and thus is subject to certain
workplace, however, you should consider the pros limitations. Along these lines, the Equal Employ-
and cons of using them and the logistical hurdles ment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently
required for implementing them. approved checking temperatures of employees
and even suspending job offers to individuals who
What Are Thermal Imaging have a temperature in excess of 100.4 degrees. The
Systems? EEOC justifies the use of such measurements now
because of the “direct threat” of COVID-19 as a
Thermal imaging systems utilize infrared camer- worldwide pandemic, but it is but unclear how long
as to detect skin temperature from a distance and that justification will remain valid.
without actual contact to the skin. They have gen-
erally been in limited use in some industries for Second, some states and municipalities have laws
almost 20 years. Currently, they are being used in that regulate biometric testing and/or facial
governmental and military applications, in trans- recognition. For example, states such as California,
portation, food processing, and manufacturing Illinois, Texas, and Washington have laws regulat-
plants. ing the collection and use of biometric identifiers,
including fingerprints, handprints, retinal and/or
facial scans and voiceprints. Additionally, local or-
dinances in Massachusetts prohibit the use of facial
recognition technologies by government entities.
Whether these laws may be used to regulate ther-
mal imaging depends on the language of a particu-
lar statute.

Third, you need to consider common law or stat-
utory privacy laws and take precautions not to
violate them. Fourth, if your employees are rep-
resented by a union, you should consider whether
you arepermitted by the applicable collective bar-
gaining agreement to implement such new technol-
ogies You should consider whether you have a duty
to bargain with the union representing your em-
ployees about such tests. Finally, other laws have
been proposed on a federal or state level regulating
similar technologies. For example, the Commercial
Facial Recognition Act of 2019 would prohibit
commercial entities from using facial recognition
technologies without the affirmative consent of the
person who is being assessed.

12

What Are The Advantages Of What Are The Disadvantages
Thermal Imaging Systems? Of Thermal Imaging Systems?

A primary advantage of thermal imaging is that The main disadvantage is that thermal imaging
the person who handles the system is not required does not detect whether someone has COVID-19.
to be physically close to the person being evaluat- That’s because, among other things, a person with
ed. In fact, the person who handles the thermal the coronavirus may not have a fever. A more
imaging system could be in a different area or complete diagnostic test must be performed to
room. This eliminates the need for personal determine if someone has COVID-19.
protective equipment (PPE) and OSHA-required
training for temperature takers, such as that Further, the accuracy of these systems depends on
required for work around bloodborne pathogens. careful set-up and operation, and they need to be
used in the right environment and location in or-
Thermal imaging systems generally have been der to be effective. Because these systems measure
shown to accurately measure someone’s surface surface skin temperature, which is usually lower
skin temperature faster than the typical forehead than a temperature measured orally, thermal
or oral (mouth) thermometer that requires a close imaging systems need to be properly adjusted to
distance or physical contact with the person being correct for this difference in measurements. And
evaluated. This means that thermal imaging of course, the person handling the thermal imag-
systems are well adapted to triage large numbers ing system needs to be properly trained for the
of individuals for initial temperature assessment results to be helpful.
in high throughput areas, such as ports of entry,
airports, train stations, sporting events, and other Finally, as with many products, variances in quali-
places where large numbers of individuals need to ty exist among the available systems available for
be scanned in a short time. For employers that use. Those interested in using one need to careful-
operate food processing plants, construction sites, ly explore the various products on the market to
large manufacturing plants, or similar hightraffic determine which is best for their situation.
businesses, this aspect of the system could be
very welcome. It could solve logistical challenges What Are Some Practical
while avoiding the thorny question of whether Tips For Using Thermal Im-
workers need to be compensated for the aging Systems?
time waiting to have their temperatures taken.
If you decide to proceed with a thermal imaging
Thermal imaging systems can also be an efficient system at your workplace, here are some practical
and effective method of complying with tips you should follow for the best results:
requirements to take temperatures that may be ■ Identify who needs to have their temperatures
imposed by government entities or other third checked, why, when, and how, including if such
parties, such as the owner of a construction site. screening is required by local or state order.
For example, in Colorado, New Jersey, and New ■ Communicate with employees about the need
York City, among others, employers in certain in- for and rationale behind the temperature
dustries have been required to check temperatures checks.
of employees in the workplace. ■ Disclose the use of these systems with proper
signage, policies and/or acknowledgement
forms

13

TECHNOLOGY

Rise of the Tracking Apps

he Covid-19 pandemic introduced lock- South Korea is one of the few countries to have
down measures not previously experi- successfully contained the outbreak without impos-
enced by society across the globe. It also ing draconian lockdown restrictions. Apart from
gave rise to an unparalleled number of mass testing, contact tracing and social distancing
health monitoring-cum-tracking apps deployed by measures, South Korea employed several track-
governments in the name of more effective and ing apps including Corona 100m launched on 11
efficient contact tracing and health monitoring of February 2020. Corona 100m alerts users when
the public. Such tracing and health apps were first they approach 100 metres of a location visited by
rolled out in several Asian countries first hit by an infected person by disclosing the date when the
the new coronavirus, namely China, Hong Kong, person was diagnosed with Covid19, places he
Singapore and South Korea. Malaysia shortly after had visited, his nationality, gender and age. The
jumped into the bandwagon. app uses personal information of infected persons
which has been shared with the public by the gov-
As the first country to introduce digital health ernment via real time emergency text alerts and re-
monitoring and tracking, China witnessed a large- lated websites, ranging from their age and gender to
scale adoption of tracking apps beginning early a detailed log of their movements and travel history
this year ensuing from the development of health including the time, name and address of the places
code systems by the local governments which they had visited, mode of transport and whether
integrated with popular mobile apps such as Ali- a mask was worn. Such information is gathered
pay and Wechat. The health code system is intend- by the authorities from various sources including
ed to monitor and track people’s movement based use of information technology system that tracks
on a QR code assigned to users. Three colours people’s locations and movements including mobile
indicate each a different level of risk – green for phone location tracing, credit card transactions and
“safe”, amber for a seven-day quarantine and red CCTV footage.
for a 14-day quarantine. The user is anointed with
one of these colours after completing a self-health In Singapore, the government launched the con-
questionnaire which is used for verification by the tact tracing app, TraceTogether that operates by
authorities. Users must scan their QR code when exchanging short-distance Bluetooth signals be-
entering and exiting subway stations, shopping tween mobile phones to approximate the distance
malls, office buildings, apartments, shops and and duration of contact between users.15 It enables
other public places. the government to track and trace close contacts
of infected persons and alert users if they have
been in close proximity with infected persons.16
Apart from the user’s mobile number that needs to
be provided to the government, all proximity data
collected via Bluetooth from nearby mobile phones
running the same app are anonymized, encrypted
and stored on the user’s mobile phone for 21 days
and would only be accessible by the government
with consent if the user is infected or is the subject
of contact tracing.

14

In Hong Kong, the government deployed the track- The MySejahtera profile is an individual’s person-
ing app, StayHomeSafe which works in collabora- al account with a digital ID in the form of a QR
tion with electronic tracking wristbands to monitor code, which discloses the name, user ID which
the movement of arrivals from overseas who are may be mobile number or email address and the
subject to a 14-day compulsory quarantine. Users state in which the individual resides, which are all
are required to scan a unique QR code on their personal data. It also reveals the individual’s
wristband to pair up with the app for activation and health status or classification which are known as
calibrate the app by walking around the perimeter sensitive personal data for which more stringent
of their quarantined location. During the quarantine and additional safeguards apply. As the health
period, users may at any time be requested by the screening being conducted via MySejahtera
app to re-scan the QR code to confirm their pres- involves the collection and use of employees’ per-
ence. sonal information, the first and foremost question
would be whether employers must obtain the prior
MySejahtera consent of their employees.

The Malaysian government officially launched With digital technologies emerging as effective
MySejahtera app on 20 April 2020 to aid its mon- tools for the government and businesses confront-
itoring, managing and mitigating of the Covid-19 ing the pandemic, the government is seeking to
outbreak during and post the movement control develop more digital apps to supplement and en-
order. MySejahtera enables users to carry out self- hance the functionality of MySejahtera app. This
health assessment on themselves and their family includes MyTrace that was introduced on 3 May
members from time to time and allows users to 2020. MyTrace enables the authorities to track and
share their location. The information is collected by trace potential contacts of infected individuals.
the government to assist individuals to assess and The app uses Bluetooth to detect the distance and
monitor their health status and that of their depen- period of contact between users. While use of
dents, determine and identify Covid-19 hotspots tracing apps on employees is effective, business-
and track the spread of the virus for prompt and es are legally bound by the PDPA to ensure the
effective steps to be taken where a possible infec- proper handling and management of employees’
tion is identified. After the self-assessment is com- personal information including health data. Par-
pleted, users will be informed of their health status ticularly, businesses must implement appropriate
which is classified as low risk, casual contact, close technical and organizational security measures to
contact, person under surveillance, person under safeguard the security and integrity of the personal
investigation or confirmed case. Users will be guid- information against misuse or unauthorized access
ed on any further action to be taken if diagnosed or disclosure.
with Covid-19 symptoms and will be notified if
they are near to a high-risk zone. the importance of 15
MySejahtera has been emphasized in the standard
operating procedures as being a mitigation strategy
to support the government’s economic recovery
efforts.

TECHNOLOGY

Tracking and Tracing COVID:
Protecting Privacy and Data
While Using Apps and Biometrics

Governments are collaborat- For example:
ing with telecommunication   The German telecommunications provider Deut-
service providers to access sche Telekom is providing anonymised “movement
geolocation data to track pop- flows” data of its users to the Robert-Koch Insti-
ulation movements tute, a research institute and government agency
responsible for disease control and prevention.
As COVID-19 continues to take human lives and   Vodafone Group’s Five Point Plan to address
jolt the global economy, governments are urgently COVID-19 includes providing governments with
seeking innovative new tools to inform policy large anonymised data sets (such as an aggregated
and tackle the crisis. Digital solutions based on and anonymous heat map for the Lombardy region)
geolocation data are emerging to help authorities to help authorities better understand population
monitor and contain the spread of the virus. Some movements.
are fed by mobile call data records (CDRs), i.e.   The European Commission is currently liaising
data produced by telecommunication service pro- with eight European telecommunications operators
viders on telephone calls or other telecommunica- to obtain from them anonymised aggregate mobile
tions transactions, which provide valuable insights geolocation data, in order to coordinate measures
into population movements. As network operators tracking the spread of COVID-19. To address pri-
serve substantial portions of the population across vacy concerns, the data will be deleted once the
entire nations, the movements of millions of crisis is over.
people at fine spatial and temporal scales can be
measured in near real-time. The resulting infor-
mation and trends are invaluable for governments
seeking to track the COVID-19 outbreak, warn
vulnerable communities, and understand the
impact of policies such as social distancing and
confinement.

Telecommunications providers in a number of
OECD countries have started to share CDR-based
geolocation data with governments in an aggregat-
ed, anonymised format.

16

New mobile applications for Tracking apps can embody
COVID-19 “tracking” are varying degrees of privacy
also being launched and data protection

The use of geolocation data-collecting apps can
allow data-sharing with explicit, built-in privacy
and data protections, and enable users to give their
explicit. Singapore’s TraceTogether app
has a number of privacy safeguards, including that
it does not collect or use geolocation data and data
logs are stored in an encrypted form. To protect
the privacy of its users, the Pan-European app
encrypts data and anonymises personal informa-
tion. In addition, as two phones never exchange
data directly and the users’ aliases are changed
frequently, it is virtually impossible to reveal the
identity of users.

Leveraging biometric data
adds both benefits and
challenges

17



TOOLS

Can Wearable Tech Spot
COVID-19 Symptoms?

BY RAS FAZIRA BINTI RAMLI

s part of the ongoing search for Americans, can truly flag early symptoms of
COVID-19 solutions, researchers have COVID-19, they could help to safely reopen work-
found that data from wearable devices places and schools moving from their place as con-
like Apple Watches, Fitbits and the like sumer gadgets to the front lines of healthcare
can act as an early warning system in detecting the
illness. According to Fortune, Apple, Fitbit, Garmin How Can Fitness Trackers
and other wearable device makers have donated de- Help Spot Symptoms?
vices to further early studies, even encouraging their
own customers to participate in them. Wearable devices constantly monitor and collect
their wearers’ vital signs, which is key to identify-
Most recently, Fitbit and Apple have teamed up ing a potential COVID-19 infection. Scientists have
with the Stanford Healthcare Innovation Lab on its found that even simple data collected by the devic-
COVID-19 wearables study. While the findings have es subtle temperature or biometric changes like an
yet to be published, there’s evidence that the idea elevated heart rate or respiratory rate can be useful
works. Stanford researchers were able to detect signs in limiting the spread of the disease. And studies
of the coronavirus before or at the time of diagnosis like those conducted by Scripps Research are taking
in in 11 of 14 patients by studying changes in their advantage of this.
heart rate documented by Fitbits.
“There’s a huge amount of promise in these new The Scripps study, known as DETECT (Digital En-
technologies,” Dr. John Brownstein, chief innovation gagement and Tracking for Early Control and Treat-
officer for Boston Children’s Hospital and a profes- ment), largely relies upon a rich and diverse set of
sor of epidemiology at Harvard Medical School, tells anonymized data collected from thousand of volun-
ABC News. teers wearing smart watches and fitness trackers.

If smart devices, already worn by 21 percent of The goal: to study patterns that might reveal the
onset of viral infection, before

symptoms are present.

“Our medical professionals work
closely with scientific research-
ers to further our collective
understanding of the threats this
novel coronavirus presents,” Dr.
Laura Nicholson a hospitalist
at Scripps Health and associate
professor of molecular medicine
at Scripps Research.

19

The collaboration with frontline workers at the San
Diego Metropolitan Transit System and Scripps
Health will examine workers who are at higher risk
of exposure to COVID-19 and other respiratory
illnesses.

“When your heart beats faster than usual, it can
mean that you’re coming down with a cold, flu,
coronavirus or other viral infection. Your sleep and
daily activities can also provide clues,” Jennifer
Radin, an epidemiologist at Scripps Research who is
leading the study, said in the organization’s release.

Why Using Wearables to De- “Being able to detect changes to these measurements
early could allow us to improve surveillance, priori-
tect COVID-19 Symptoms tize individuals for testing and help keep workplaces
and communities safe,” she said.
Makes Sense?
Can Wearables Become Sick-
The earlier a person’s illness is detected, the easier it ness Trackers?

is to prevent the spread of the virus.

“We’re looking at this asymptomatic and conta- While the idea of using wearables as a sort of symp-
gious stage,” Dr. Ali Rezai, director of West Virginia tom tracker shows promise, Brownstein tells ABC
University’s Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute and News that testing is still the only way to confirm
leader of WVU’s COVID-19 wearables study, tells whether an individual has actually contracted the
ABC News. “Our goal is to detect it early in this coronavirus.
phase and help people manage better with work and
public safety.” “You can’t really go buy a wearable and create a di-
agnosis of a particular condition,” Brownstein says.
Instead of asking people to take frequent coronavirus “We have to be very careful in terms of over-inter-
tests, which can be slow and costly, gathering data preting the data.”
from wearable devices can act as a check on a per-
son’s health. Individuals would be able to monitor
their own health data via smartphone app to look for
potential warning signs of COVID-19 infection.

“The more you know about your body and what your He adds that wearables should not be viewed as a
‘baseline’ is, the more you’re able to tell if some- replacement for telehealth or an in-person visit, but
thing is off,” Scott Burgett, director of Garmin health rather as complementary to care patients are receiv-
engineering, tells Fortune. “Because Garmin lets ing.
you see your health stats over time, it is easy to track
trends and notice deviations.” Still, researchers and clinical staff are enthusiastic
about the technology’s future in healthcare.
To get a better understanding of what unusual health
data might actually look like, Scripps has taken its “There’s no way to get real surveillance with just
research one step further, partnering with transit and testing,” Dr. Eric Topol, founder and director of the
healthcare workers in San Diego. Scripps Research Translational Institute, tells For-
tune.
20

TOOLS

Facebook launches preventive

health tool BY RAS FAZIRA BINTI RAMLI

HealthDay—A new tool designed to help The tool makes recommendations based on age and
guide preventive care for heart disease, sex. After receiving personalized recommendations,
cancer, and seasonal flu was launched in the a user can choose to get more information, mark
United States Monday by Facebook. recommendations as completed, or set reminders to
get suggested tests.
The Preventive Health tool—which is accessed by
either searching for it on Facebook or clicking on a Most of the preventive measures are covered by
promotion that pops up—was created in partnership insurance, but the feature also provides a map of
with the American Cancer Society, American Col- federally qualified health care centers in underserved
lege of Cardiology, American Heart Association, and areas across the United States that provide services
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, regardless of patients’ ability to pay, CNN reported.
CNN reported.
In terms of the flu, the tool offers a way to find
where flu shots are being offered, such as pharma-
cies, grocery stores, and urgent care clinics.

21

Personal information is not shared
with third parties, such as health or-
ganizations or insurance companies,
Freddy Abnousi, M.D., M.B.A.,
head of health care research at
Facebook, told CNN.
Eventually, the Preventive Health
tool could be expanded to other
countries and include more resourc-
es on preventive care outside of
heart health, cancer, and seasonal
flu.
“We’re going to spend the next six to 12 months
really trying to understand whether people are
engaging with this tool and whether it’s helpful or
not,” Abnousi said. “Once we figure that out is when
we’re going to start thinking about expansion.”

22

TOOLS

12 Innovations That Will Change

Health Care and Medicine in the

2020s BY RAS FAZIRA BINTI RAMLI

Christine Lemke:
The biggest Big Data

ocket-size ultrasound devices that cost 50 California-based Big Data
times less than the machines in hospitals firm Evidation has developed just
(and connect to your phone). Virtual reality such a tool, with information from
that speeds healing in rehab. Artificial intel- 3 million volunteers providing
ligence that’s better than medical experts at spotting trillions of data points. Evidation
lung tumors. These are just some of the innovations partners with drug manufacturers
now transforming medicine at a remarkable pace. like Sanofi and Eli Lilly
to parse that data; that work has led to dozens of
No one can predict the future, but it can at least peer-reviewed studies already, on subjects ranging
be glimpsed in the dozen inventions and concepts from sleep and diet to cognitive-health patterns.
below. Like the people behind them, they stand at
the vanguard of health care. Neither exhaustive nor the founder, Christine Lemke, one of Evidation’s on-
exclusive, the list is, rather, representative of the going projects, to see if new technologies can effec-
recasting of public health and medical science likely tively measure chronic pain, is personal: Lemke has
to come in the 2020s. a rare genetic disease that causes frequent back pain.

David Abney: Drone-delivered Doug Melton: A stem-cell cure
medical supplies
for diabetes Treatment can in-
UPS has been conducting a trial program
called Flight Forward, using autonomous drone volve a lifetime of careful
deliveries of critical medical samples including
blood or tissue between two branches of a hospital in eating, insulin injections and
Raleigh, N.C., located 150 yards apart.
multiple daily blood-glucose
“We expect UPS Flight Forward to one day be a very
significant part of our company,” says UPS CEO tests. Melton has a different approach: using stem
David Abney of the service, which will deliver urine,
blood and tissue samples, cells to create replacement beta cells that produce
and medical essentials like
drugs and transfusable insulin. He started the work over 10 years ago, when
blood. UPS is not alone in
pioneering air deliveries. stem-cell research was raising hopes and controver-

sy.

In 2014,Semma Therapeutics has created a small,
implantable device that holds millions of replace-
ment beta cells, letting glucose and insulin through
but keeping immune cells out.

Abasi Ene-Obong: A more di-
verse global bio bank

A major limitation threatens to hamper the era of
personalized medicine: people of Caucasian descent
are a minority in the global population yet

23

make up nearly 80% of the subjects in human-ge- Shravya Shetty: Cancer-diag-
nome research, creating blind spots in drug research. nosing artificial intelligence
Dr. Abasi Ene-Obong, 34, founded 54gene to change
that. Named for Africa’s 54 countries, the Nige- Symptoms of lung cancer usually don’t
ria-based startup is sourcing genetic material from appear until its later stages, when it’s difficult to
volunteers across the continent, to make drug re- treat. Shravya Shetty believes artificial intelligence
search and development more equitable. may be the solution. Shetty is the research lead of a
Google Health team that in the past two years built
Sean Parker: A disruptive ap- an AI system that outperforms human radiologists in
proach to cancer research diagnosing lung cancer.

The Parker Institute for Cancer Immunother- Joanna Shields: AI to read ev-
apy, established by Napster co-founder and former ery science paper
Facebook president Sean Parker, is a network of
top institutions including Memorial Sloan Ketter- BenevolentAI has created algorithms that
ing, Stanford, the MD Anderson Cancer Center and scour research papers, clinical trial results and other
more. sources of biomedical information in search of previ-
Its goal is to identify and remove obstacles to inno- ously overlooked relationships between genes, drugs
vation in traditional research. and disease.

Thomas Reardon: A wristband Sean Slovenski: Walmart-ifica-
that can read your mind tion of health care

A man wearing what looks like a chunky Walmart opened its first Health Center, a
black wristwatch stares at a tiny digital dinosaur medical mall where customers can get primary care,
leaping over obstacles on a computer screen before vision tests, dental exams and root canals; lab work,
him. The device on his wrist is the CTRL-kit, which X-rays and EKGs; counseling; even fitness and diet
detects the electrical impulses that travel from the classes.
motor neurons down the arm muscles and to the
hand almost as soon as a person thinks about a par- Charles Taylor: 3-D digital
ticular movement. hearts
“I want machines to do what we want them to do,
and I want us to not be enslaved by the machines,” Charles Taylor, a former Stanford professor,
says Thomas Reardon started HeartFlow to help patients avoid invasive
diagnostic procedures and improve treatment out-
Jonathan Rothberg: An ultra- comes. The company’s system creates personalized
sound in your pocket 3-D models that can be rotated and zoomed into, so
doctors can simulate various approaches on screens.
Jonathan Rothberg, a Yale genetics research-
er and serial entrepreneur, figured out how to put Isabel Van de Keere: Rehab in
ultrasound technology on a chip, so instead of a virtual reality
$100,000 machine in a hospital, it’s a $2,000 go-any-
where gadget that connects to an iPhone app. Isabel Van de Keere, the founder and CEO
It went on sale last year to med- of Immersive Rehab, a London-based startup whose
ical professionals. The device goal is to change the neurological-rehab experience
isn’t as good as the big machines using virtual reality. VR creates more opportunities
are but it could make scanning to harness the brain’s plasticity and repair neutral
more routine. pathways

24

TOOLS

The 9 Biggest Technology Trends

That Will Transform Medicine And

Healthcare In 2020 BY RAS FAZIRA BINTI RAMLI

ealthcare is an industry that is currently Computer and Machine Vision
being transformed using the latest tech-
nology, so it can meet the challenges it Since there has been significant progress in
is facing in the 21st century. Technology machine vision, there are more ways computers and
can help healthcare organizations meet growing de- machine vision are being used in medicine for diag-
mand and efficiently operate to deliver better patient nostics, viewing scans and medical images, surgery,
care. Here are 9 technology trends that will trans- and more.
form medicine and healthcare in 2020. Machine vision is helping doctors definitively know
how much blood a woman loses in childbirth so that
AI and Machine appropriate care can be given to reduce the

Learning mortality of mothers from post-partum hemorrhag-
ing. Computers provide accurate intel, while previ-
As the world population ously this was a guessing game.
continues to grow, and age, arti-
ficial intelligence, and machine Wearable Tech
learning offer new and better ways
to identify disease, diagnose con- Wearable fitness technology can do much
ditions, crowdsource and develop more than tell you how many steps you walk each
treatment plans, monitor health day.
epidemics, create efficiencies in Today’s smartwatches can not only track your steps
medical research and clinical trials, but can monitor your heart rhythms. Other forms of
and make operations more efficient wearable devices are ECG monitors that can detect
to handle the increased demands atrial fibrillation and send reports to your doctor,
on the healthcare system. blood pressure monitors, self-adhesive biosensor
Ultimately, AI and machine learning can assist with patches that track your temperature, heart rate, and
many clinical problems as long as governing and more.
regulatory bodies can determine how to regulate the Wearable tech will help consumers proactively get
use of algorithms in healthcare. health support if there are anomalies in their track-
ers.
Robotics
25
Currently, collaborative robots such as the
da Vinci surgical robot are already assisting humans
with tasks in the operating room. However, the
potential for robots in healthcare expands beyond
surgical uses. These already include helping doctors
examine and treat patients in rural areas via “telep-
resence,” transporting medical supplies, disinfecting
hospital rooms, helping patients with rehabilitation
or with prosthetics, and automating labs and packag-
ing medical devices.
Other medical robots that are promising include a
micro-bot that can target therapy to a specific part of
the body, such as radiation to a tumor or clear bacte-
rial infections

Genomics Digital Twins

A digital twin is a near real-time replica of
something in the physical world—in healthcare, that
replica is the life-long data record of an individual.
Digital twins can assist a doctor in determining the
possibilities for a successful outcome of a procedure,
help make therapy decisions, and manage chronic
diseases.
Ultimately, digital twins can help improve patient
experience through effective, patient-centric care.
The use of digital twins in healthcare is still in its
early stages, but its potential is extraordinary.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning Extended Reality (Virtual,
help advance genomic medicine when a person’s Augmented and Mixed Reality)
genomic info is used to determine personalized
treatment plans and clinical care. In pharmacology, Virtual reality has helped patients with visual
oncology, infectious diseases, and more, genomic impairment, depression, cancer, and autism.
medicine is making an impact. Augmented reality helps provide another layer of
Computers make the analysis of genes and gene mu- support for healthcare practitioners and aided phy-
tations that cause medical conditions much quicker. sicians during brain surgery and reconnecting blood
This helps the medical community better understand vessels.
how diseases occur, but also how to treat the condi- In mixed reality, the virtual and real worlds are in-
tion or even eradicate it. tertwined, so it provides important education capa-
bilities for medical professionals as well as to help
3D Printing patients understand their conditions or treatment
plans.
3D printing enabled prototyping, customi-
zation, research, and manufacturing for healthcare. of the network are imperative for positive outcomes.
Surgeons can replicate patient-specific organs with 5G can better support healthcare organizations by
3D printing to help prepare for procedures, and enabling the transmission of large imaging files so
many medical devices and surgical tools can be 3D specialists can review and advise on care; allow for
printed. the use of AI and Internet of Things technology;
3D printing makes it easier to cost-effectively de-
velop comfortable prosthetic limbs for patients and
print tissues and organs for transplant. Also, 3D
printing is used in dentistry and orthodontics.

5G
As the capabilities for healthcare centers to
provide care in remote or under-served areas through
telemedicine increase, the quality and speed

AR, VR and mixed real-
ity; and allow for remote
and reliable monitoring of
patients.

26



HERE’S HOW

3 Digital Health Solutions That Im-
prove Patient Care and Satisfaction

BY NUR AINADAMIA BINTI MOHAMAD

When asked what aspect they were least satisfied
with, 23 percent of Generation Z respondents said
transparency about their care; another 24 percent cit-
ed convenience of the treatment location or channel.
It’s worth noting, however, that telehealth options
have proliferated since the pandemic and regulations
have shifted accordingly.

igital is no longer a differentiator for In order to deliver and sustain a new level of care,
healthcare organizations. In order to providers must evolve their thinking and current
stay competitive and address a host operating processes. Incorporating mobile health
of new challenges, providers must solutions, artificial intelligence and radio-frequency
consistently adopt and embrace new identification will play a large role.
technologies to improve workflows and enhance
patient care. Utilizing these and other technologies not only will
help meet the changing expectations of
healthcare consumers but also drive improved care
when it’s needed most.

By redefining their care process and the ways pro- Mobile Health Solutions Give
viders make themselves available, patients are a Patients More Control over
driving force for much of this change. Self-man- Their Care
aged care is a growing requirement, with more than
50 percent of patients expecting providers to have While equipping physicians and staff with the latest
digital capabilities according to Accenture’s 2019 technologies is critical for healthcare organizations
Digital Health Consumer Survey. to keep up, providers should also consider what they
can do to outfit patients with the right solutions.
Healthcare, in turn, is evolving to meet immediate
and future demands during the global health crisis One such option is creating a mobile health app.
with strategies such as alternative healthcare facili- These apps, which can be used with a patient’s own
ties and drive-through COVID-19 testing sites. From smartphone or tablet, are a cost-effective way for
virtual care centers that allow patients to talk to a providers to boost engagement and encourage pa-
doctor online to walk-in clinics at major retailers, tients to track their own vital signs and symptoms.
accessibility is increasing.

Younger Generations of Pa- With a growing population and a shortage of doc-
tors and nurses in many areas — coupled with the
tients Demand Flexible Care demands of COVID-19 — the number of clinicians
experiencing burnout is alarming. This small change
Options could go a long way in reducing the number of
unnecessary hospital visits and could free up physi-
Younger generations aren’t satisfied with the health- cians to focus on more critical cases.
care industry’s status quo and are the most willing
group to try nontraditional services, the Accenture
survey found.

28

Use Artificial Intelligence for Healthcare facilities are utilizing RFID to tag ev-
Health Data Management and erything from patient wristbands to medications
Safety and even lifesaving equipment. In emergency situa-
tions, tagged inventory can make all the difference
Artificial intelligence is ideal for capturing and in a physician’s ability to quickly respond and treat
storing large amounts of data, including patient data patients.
collected on mobile health apps, and helping health-
care providers analyze it. Global tracking with mobile barcode readers and
RFID provides operational, actionable data on the
AI holds the potential to reduce the number of un- location and condition of vaccines and other per-
necessary in-person doctor visits each year, the Ac- ishable drugs. The technologies give pharmacists
centure survey notes. That’s because AI can augment visibility into prescription stock without the need for
diagnoses — and even identify diseases based on manual data entry, and they show accurate dose-level
facial features, retina scans, X-rays and speech, mak- data for all products.
ing it possible for patients to recognize and begin to
diagnose their own symptoms before walking into a This type of valuable transparency also helps with
doctor’s office. decommissioning expired or damaged inventory and
accounting for uncollected medication.

In addition to empowering patients, AI can be used Interoperable data collected on these technology
to streamline manual processes and free up health- platforms enables the free and secure flow of infor-
care workers to spend more time at the bedside. mation to inform real-time decisions about health
and is critical to ensuring the success of all efforts —
And as physicians start to use AI on a more regular no matter when or where care is delivered.
basis, the technology can pick up on a user’s pref-
erences, reducing the number of clicks and effort
it takes to finish a task. This enables more accurate
medical analysis and reduces the chance of human
error.

RFID Provides Real-Time Visi-
bility of Health Devices

Another digital solution driving change in the
healthcare industry is radio-frequency identification,
or RFID. The solution provides critical real-time
visibility into tagged assets, such as equipment or
specimens, reducing the time spent looking for them.

29

HERE’S HOW

How Electronic Health Records
Can Improve Patient Care

BY NUR AINADAMIA BINTI MOHAMAD

“Fifteen years ago, when I started practice, nobody
complained that I couldn’t see their record because
nobody expected me to be able to,” says Darrow.
“But year after year, the ability to get information is
both easier and broader than it was previously. When
it works, it is a beautiful thing.”

Mount Sinai Continues Devel-
opment of Robust EHR System

The systems, often a divisive topic for patients and Mount Sinai has no shortage of exposure when it
clinicians, show new capabilities, connectivity and comes to EHR systems. In its work with Epic (its
ease of use. EHR vendor) over the course of roughly 20 years,
the system has grown from a single EHR for ambu-
lectronic health records do more than latory care to a full implementation across all depart-
collect and store patient information. ments in five hospitals
Increasingly, these records compute
and communicate the data, providing Kristin Myers, the senior vice president for IT gover-
insights that can make a difference in nance at Mount Sinai, tells HealthTech that visits to
treatment. the organization’s records system in the ambulatory
care space alone have reached roughly 4 million to
date.

HealthIT.gov reports that 75 percent of healthcare With plans to expand the EHR to a sixth hospital in
providers say their EHR enables them to deliver bet- May and a seventh by 2022, Mount Sinai is working
ter patient care, which results in higher patient sat- closely with its vendor to ensure the system is evolv-
isfaction rates and fewer medication errors, among ing as necessary. The health system’s continued goal
other benefits. is to better meet the expectations of patients, provid-
ers and clinicians, especially those who are relying
These systems, though associated with higher phy- more heavily on mobile technology.
sician stress and burnout, can be lifesaving when
managed efficiently. Data shared in an EHR can help “We always look to see if Epic is able to do the new
clinicians choose the right medication for a patient requests and the new functionality that we need.
with allergies, for example, or provide history on an And if it can’t, we give the vendor enough time to
unresponsive patient when they arrive at an emer- develop it, and they usually do,” says Patti Cuartas,
gency room. senior director of IT, population health and payer
systems at Mount Sinai. “We’re pushing our EHR to
The path to high functionality is a slow process. But the limits, making sure that we’re able to coordinate
most improvements in today’s EHRs can be attribut- care, which is our goal for patient care and better
ed to the ever-growing prevalence of technology outcomes and increased quality.”
in patient’s lives and a demand for medical tools to
be more intuitive and user friendly, says Dr. Bruce 30
Darrow, chief medical information officer for Mount
Sinai Health System in New York

“Every time we start an implemen-
tation, the first thing we look at is
all of the infrastructure components
— whether it’s wireless, the phys-
ical network, do we have enough
network drops to be able to support
business continuity, disaster re-
covery, do we have enough PCs or
iPads to support the workflow,” says
Myers.

Northwell Health
Looks to the Future

Patient Satisfaction Is Im- Northwell Health, New York State’s largest health
proved Upon Through Mount system, is also focused on enhancing its EHR to
Sinai’s EHR improve patient care and satisfaction.

Mount Sinai has seen measurable successes from One particular area of interest for the organization
its EHR implementations and ongoing adaptations. is using the patient portal as an extension of patient
Among them: an increase in timely patient discharg- health records. John Bosco, Northwell’s CIO, sees
es, a decreased number of days spent in the hospital the health system’s portal as a means to collect, store
and a higher telemetry capacity and share health information, noting that patients
“like the convenience of being able to see their re-
Darrow recalls a particularly memorable example. cords, renew a prescription and send a secure mes-
A patient with records from two other hospitals had sage to a physician.”
come to him for a third opinion. Mount Sinai’s ro-
bust electronic records system allowed the clinician When it comes to Northwell’s current patient portal
to collect and analyze the data in advance, allowing plans, Bosco says the organization not only wants
the patient to be treated without having to retell his to make it more approachable and accessible via
whole treatment story. patients’ mobile devices but also more impactful by
providing patients tailored treatment information
At the end of the visit, Darrow offered words of based on the medical history found within their elec-
comfort to the patient and his wife: “Here’s what I tronic record.
think, this is how my opinion either is concurrent
or discordant from what the others said at the other In conjunction with the EHR provider Allscripts,
hospitals, and I’m going to write it out for you,” he Northwell is also focused on enhancing the capa-
said, noting that the couple was told they’d have full bilities of its EHR system as a whole, creating a
access to those details via a patient portal and the next-generation records system that is rooted in
notes could be shared with anyone on their care team cloud, voice recognition and artificial intelligence
going forward technologies designed to handle some of the admin-
istrative tasks that often lead to employee burnout

Such an exchange would be impossible without a “We think there’s really significant opportunity as
network that can handle the added bandwidth, Myers you look years down the road of a physician just
notes. Although there are upfront costs associated being able to speak out loud and have that picked up
with the EHR system itself, a substantial portion of and transcribed accurately into a medical record,”
any rollout budget should be dedicated to the net- says Bosco. “We’ve got a whole list of advanced
work and to making sure infrastructure can support a capabilities that we believe a next-generation records
system efficiently and effectively. system should have, and that’s certainly one of the
bigger ones.”
31

HERE’S HOW

How Healthcare IT Is Helping With

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

BY NUR AINADAMIA BINTI MOHAMAD As the pandemic developed, HHS relaxed require-
ments to temporarily allow healthcare providers to
s we’re all seeing, the coronavirus use commercial video-conferencing solutions such
pandemic is turning the world up- as WebEx and Zoom for video visits. However, this
side-down. While many industries should in no way be a permanent solution because
like entertainment and restaurants these technologies are not integrated within EHRs,
are decimated, other industries are and therefore are not a part of the legal medical re-
stepping up to provide critical services to help us cord. For each of these video visits, the provider still
through this time. Healthcare IT is on the forefront needs to go into their EHR to document the encoun-
of supporting the clinicians who are taking huge ter
risks while providing care. I am profoundly grate-
ful to be working in healthcare IT right now to be a There are also a number of direct-to-consumer tele-
medicine platforms that have been around for awhile
Vsmiadll epaort oVf siosliuttison–s thTatealree mmakeidngiacdiniffeerence. that have seen increased use since the pandemic.

Probably the biggest change we’ve seen in a very LExeamvpelersaarge iAnmgwePll aantdiTeenletdoPc.ortal
short time is the increased use of telemedicine to
connect healthcare providers with patients who Patient portals such as MyChart from Epic and Heal-
cannot, or should not visit clinical settings. Beyond theLife from Cerner have been around for a num-
the obvious benefit of keeping potentially infectious ber of years now. With the coronavirus pandemic,
people isolated, video visits help healthcare staff to providers are now making greater use of screening
conserve personal protective equipment (PPE) like questions and other pre-registration features to better
gloves, masks, and gowns. This applies to patients in understand patients before they show up at clinics.
hospital beds as well as those who may visit out- Patients can opt to share their GPS location with a
patient clinics. Hospital staff can leave electronic clinic so that the staff know when the patient has
tablets in patient rooms so that they don’t need to go arrived. This can help clinicians to provide “just in
into the room (and gown up) for every single patient time” care and in some cases prevent wasting of PPE
interaction. for patients who no-show at the last minute.

For healthcare providers who use one of the major Healthcare IT staff are also using EHR data to send
electronic health records (EHR) systems, setting up messages to high-risk patient groups. For example,
video visits hasn’t been too difficult. They need to the corticosteroid class of medications can weak-
get the cameras and microphones for doing the visits en the immune system. We can easily run reports
from a PC, or they need to install a smartphone app to identify all patients who are on these meds, and
thatintegrates with their EHR. An example is Haiku, can include other risk factors like age. That data is
which is paired with Epic. They then need to work then used to send emails and secure messages to the
with their EHR vendor to purchase a number of affected patients.
licenses to allow however many concurrent connec-
tions that are needed. 32

Creating New Hospital

As cases increase, hospitals are needing to set up
new care locations, sometimes in unconventional
places like tents in parking lots. Just because patients
are being seen in temporary locations, they still need
to be entered into a clinic site and a bed to provide
the right documentation. That work is done by ADT
(admission, discharge, & transfer) analysts.

Deconstructing Corona Virus
Cases

It is likely that COVID-19 was in our communities
before it was officially identified. EHR systems are
uniquely positioned to go back in time to help us
identify older possible cases that were not apparent
at the time. For example, we can run reports in our
systems that look fo patients over the past year
who presented with respiratory symptoms, but test-
ed negative for the flu or other respiratory infec-
tions; and had traveled outside the country during
the same time frame. Can you imagine trying to do
that with medical records on paper?

Big Tech Assistance

33

HERE’S HOW

The Role of information technology
service in healthcare

BY NUR AINADAMIA BINTI MOHAMAD The Opportunities and Chal-
lenges of Healthcare IT
Standards

ew and emerging technologies have Today’s medical facilities are built on the individual
transformed healthcare in recent expertise of talented physicians, nurses and staff, but
years. Hospitals and physician offices patients receive the best care when all these team
large and small have implemented members work together. Through legilation like the
new technologies to respond to a Health Information Technology for Economic and
changing regulatory environment and to improve Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2009, Congress
the overall quality of care for patients. Today’s pushed medical facilities to modernize their IT
medical facilities are high-tech operations that put systems, particularly regarding the use of electronic
cutting-edge technologies into the hands of talent- health records. These shared, detailed records allow
ed professionals. Even still, significant opportuni- a patient’s medical providers to act as a team and
ties remain for hospitals and healthcare settings to make crucial healthcare decisions based on the total-
streamline their implementation and usage of new ity of a patient’s health record.
technologies.
EHRs are now used across the medical landscape,
IT services for healthcare have never been more but there are significant problems that need to be
vital. The right IT partner can help your medical addressed for EHRs to live up to their promise. Over
facility fully realize the extraordinary benefits of 85% of office-based doctors use an EHR system,
information technology in healthcare. Our IT ser- but most doctors are calling for change. In a 2016
vices can help your medical facility operate with poll, 63% of doctors agree that EHRs have improved
fewer errors, comply with today’s regulations, and patient care, but 71% think that EHRs are a cause of
recover quickly from unexpected disasters. Our elec- physician burnout. Even worse, 69% of doctors in-
tronic health records (EHR) systems can help your dicated that they have less time for patients because
staff reliably record crucial patient health data and of the time they spend writing and reading EHRs.
seamlessly share that data with other healthcare pro- Clearly, there’s a need for change.
viders. Most importantly, the healthcare IT support
provided here at Worldwide Services will help to
improve the quality of care that patients receive from
your staff. As medical facilities across the coun-
try continue to modernize, the need for robust and
responsive healthcare IT support will only increase.
With Worldwide Services, your facility can find the
affordable and efficient IT services you need.

34

The Role of Healthcare IT
Support

At its core, healthcare information technology is all Put It All Together With Man-
about communication — communication between aged Network Services
devices, between team members, between patients
and their medical providers, between separate med- The foundation of IT services for healthcare is a
ical facilities. These communication channels are robust and flexible healthcare network solution. Our
enabled by carefullyselected and installed hardware managed IT services will allow your facility to meet
solutions, and maintained with prompt and effec- today’s requirements while preparing for tomorrow’s
tive repair services. These components should be opportunities — and save money along the way.
scalable and flexible so that your network can grow
along with your facility. Scalable network solutions have helped healthcare
providers of all sizes implement new technologies
Information technology’s role in communications into their facilities. Network infrastructure provides
also puts it on the frontlines of your facility’s secu- the channels through which end users and devic-
rity team. Healthcare IT standards, patient privacy es communicate and coordinate. Electronic health
rights and patient well-being all require a trust- records, electronic billing, and comprehensive
worthy, secure network that is transparent and easy staff management systems don’t function without a
for your staff to use but secure against unauthorized reliable network. Slow or unreliable networks cause
users. A healthcare IT services provider can help delays, miscommunication and errors, all problems
your facility initiate best practices for network secu- that are unacceptable in the healthcare environment
rity. Today’s patients expect their data to be secure,
and we can help establish your reputation as a trust- Our healthcare IT sup-
worthy steward of patient data. port services provide the
initial setup of vital net-
The Benefits of a Healthcare IT working equipment, plus
Provider responsive and effective
service for incidental
EHRs are central to today’s hardware repairs. Our
discussions about the integration HIPAA-certified security
of health information technol- professionals and repair
ogy into healthcare because IT experts quickly resolve
services connect and support repair issues and bring
almost every function of a med- your systems back to full
ical facility. Worldwide Services operation. Even further,
helps healthcare providers with we’re well-positioned to
staff management, ensuring that help with disaster recov-
they are always staffing their ery and loss prevention.
facilities with people trained The effective operation
with the necessary skills and of your facility depends
competencies. We help pro- Our solutions will keep youor ndaytoaubrancektewdo-urkp., private,
viders implement cutting-edge and secure, even when the unexpected happens.
technologies like hybrid op-
erating rooms, which use the
latest assistive technologies to
empower the next generation of
surgery. We help facilities inte-
grate recorded video into EHRs,
patient visits and operations.

35



INFORMATION

New Gadgets for Health and
Fitness In 2020

WRITTEN BY : NOR SHAFIQAH BINTI MOHAMAD

Connected Running Consoles The Fork

Runners will enjoy this new innovation which involves insoles that come The fork has been here for a little
with sensors that can pick up data while you are running. The NURVV’s longer. So, we have the obliga-
insoles have 32 sensors and each of them works at an amazing rate of tion of saying sorry that we failed
1,000 times per second. After this, the information is sent to an android to bring the information to you a
or iOS app depending on what the user has or prefers. On the device, long time ago. Here, we are talking
you will see a proper analysis of your running. The information that you about the HAPIfork, and not a gad-
can pick out from the data includes the speed, pace, balance, pronation, get that you can attach to your bi-
foot strike, step length, and cadence. According to the manufacturers, the cycle. It is actually a connected
insoles can help prevent people from getting injured and are compatible cutlery. In essence, the HAPIfork
with any type of running shoe. These insoles are puddle, mud, and rain is a fork that comes with an app
proof. But the question is, are they sweat proof too? We will find out. that can help track its speed. Now,
when you eat, the fork monitors
Smart Scales the speed. If you eat too quickly
while at the dining table, the fork
Scales that just inform you about your weight are as old as can be. will light up and start vibrating.
These new sets of smart scales come with sensors placed under your This helps to prevent speedy guz-
feet, and they calculate the users BMI and their body fat percentage. zling of food on the go. There is
What is the essence? Human muscles are heavier than fat, so people also the chance to slide it into
gain weight when they add muscle. The difference is indicated by the your pocket or purse and go to
smart scales. The results the scales come up with can be synced with the restaurant with it. But try not
your phone, in a form of a chart that tracks the changes, and your to order peas if you want to use it.
weight would be tweeted by some. They work with electrical impulses, The final advice is that whenev-
so if you have electrical devices or a pacemaker in you, avoid them. er you want to get on a new fit-
ness regime, consult your doctor.
Smart Skipping Also, you should never rely on
gadgets alone to monitor your
Since the days of the playground, the skipping rope has been in- health and fitness. They can nev-
novated. This is like every other rope, yes. However, some now er take the place of consulting
come with a heads up display where your tally of skips is shown in a certified health professional.
the air. Now, you don’t have to stress yourself mentally by counting,
since the rope can count and send to your phone. But if the handles
shift while you are skipping, you can move the display out of sight.

37

INFORMATION

Digital health tracking: Preven-

tive care or privacy invasion?
BY NOR SHAFIQAH BINTI MOHAMAD
“24-hour health mon-

itoring is high tech.

But is it helpful?”

The day has arrived The new monitors

when doctors can remotely mon- Many gadgets now can wirelessly transmit data to your doctor’s
itor your health every moment, if office, often by using your smartphone. Some devices (like a pace-
you (and they) choose. Increas- maker) monitor and affect a particular body function. Others track
ing numbers of wireless digital basic health information, such as your activity level, blood sugar
sensors — some implanted in or level, heart and respiratory rates, skin temperature, posture, and
on the body, some ingested, and even falls.
some worn like clothing — are These new-generation sensors may be
making the leap from patents to • implanted in the body, such as a tiny monitor the size of a pencil
patients. In 2017, the FDA cleared
dozens of devices for continuous tip that detects abnormal heartbeats 24 hours per day
health monitoring. “The hope is • applied to the skin as a patch — also called electronic skin or a
that people heading toward se-
rious problems — such as high smart tattoo — that looks like an adhesive bandage; embedded
blood sugar or heart rhythm ab- inside are flat, flexible electronics that measure vital signs such
normalities — can be headed off as temperature
at the pass,” explains Dr. Anthony • worn as clothing, such as socks with special heat sensors that
Komaroff, editor in chief of the can detect foot ulcers as soon as they begin to develop, or con-
Harvard Health Letter. tact lenses that may one day monitor blood sugar in tears.
• Also on the horizon: orthopedic sensors that can tell doctors
Not necessarily new how well a hip, knee, or spinal implant is fusing with bone or
coping with pressure.
We’ve had portable gadgets that
monitor health for decades. One
early example is the kind of heart
pacemaker that detects irregular
heartbeats and shocks them back
to a normal rhythm. Today we
also have devices that sense and
respond to many other health
problems, such as Parkinson’s dis-
ease tremors or pauses in breath-
ing during sleep.
But, at least until recently, these
devices didn’t report information
to the doctor at the moment they
were called into action. That’s
been changing.

38

Digital pills

The latest monitoring development came in November 2017, when the FDA approved the first digi-
tal pill. Each pill is embedded with an ingestible sensor that records when the drug is taken and then
sends the information to a wearable patch. The patch can forward the data to your smartphone, care-
givers, and doctors.
The approved medication with this technology is Abilify MyCite, which contains aripiprazole, an
antipsychotic drug used to treat schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, or sometimes adult depression.
But the approval of a digital pill opens the door for many other types of medications that could have
tracking applications.

Benefits?

Imagine getting a call from your doctor’s office alerting you about a missed dose of medication,
an abnormal heart rhythm, or a dangerously high blood sugar level.
“If we’re able to diagnose and treat you earlier, prevent emergencies, or predict whether you
need to go to the doctor, that can potentially improve health and save money,” says Dr. Ameet
Sarpatwari, a Harvard Medical School instructor who researches pharmaceutical policy.
Indeed, there have been many reports that digital health monitors have helped identify problems
that doctors had not previously diagnosed, such as atrial fibrillation.
But we don’t have enough evidence yet to show if these devices ultimately save lives or money;
some of them cost tens of thousands of dollars (including the hospital costs for implanting them,
when necessary). “As purely diagnostic tools, they do have some value, especially the implant-
able versions. But we really need more data to see if this information improves outcomes,” says
Dr. Deepak L. Bhatt, a cardiologist and editor in chief of the Harvard Heart Letter.
We also don’t have enough evidence that digital pills improve medication adherence. “There are
many reasons why people don’t take their medication. The digital pill addresses only one com-
ponent of a complex problem,” says Dr. Sarpatwari.

39

Health monitoring concerns

Despite the potential to help your health, many concerns remain about digital monitors and pills, such
as the chance a device will fail to transmit data, or the extra burden of dealing with the information.
“Physicians can get inundated. You need enough staff to process it,” says Dr. Suzanne Salamon, a geria-
trician and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School.
The technology also raises ethical questions, especially when it comes to digital pills. “Will your insur-
er pay for them if it sees that you’re not taking them exactly as prescribed? Will an insurer lower your
copay if you agree to take the digital pill? Will the insurer refuse to give you medication unless it can
be monitored?” asks Dr. Sarpatwari.
As for wireless devices, they create new kinds of information for your medical record.
The privacy issues that apply to data from wireless monitoring devices are the same as those for your
other health information: Who will have access to this information? And will insurers or employers be
able to pressure you to be monitored, if you have a health condition that might benefit from monitor-
ing?
There are also risks that hackers could illegally access your information and steal your identity, or
worse, render an implanted device inoperable.

A lot to grapple with

Are these monitors protecting our health or permitting intrusion?
“That’s a decision each of us must make. I’d probably consider it
a protection,” says Dr. Komaroff. “And given the degree to which
people have allowed their personal privacy to be eroded in the
world of social networks, I’ll bet that’s the decision most people
make. But whatever decision people make, the point is that it should
be their right to decide.”

40

MERriisrnkoirmsiazendd MReedduiccaeld Improved Doctor Patients Relationship

Although there are still a lot of Due to advancements in technology, doctors can monitor a patient’s
people who die because of errors records. This provides them with in-depth medical information of a
in the prescription of medication. given patient. This allows the doctor to provide personalized treat-
Nowadays, individuals who may ment to the patient. In the past years, the patient’s medical record
require medications more than the files were kept in the stores or halls hence creating cumbersome
average person can wear some paperwork and making it difficult to find files from some years back.
given medical bracelets equipped Technology has now allowed records to be kept online, making them
with an individual record to assist easily traced by both the doctor and the patient.
hospitals in following doses of
medications, which helps reduce Better treatments
errors. There is also the internet,
which is a helpful tool in reduc- Due to advancements in technology, there is a provision of better
ing the mistakes in prescription equipment, which has made the doctors provide more comprehensive
since there are several websites care. This has made treatments better, which improved the life quality
that tell you all you are required of many individuals suffering from long-term illnesses. Technology
to know about a given drug and has led to the provision of proper medicine, which has cleared the
also provide portals to purchase fear of some past life-threatening diseases. In addition to the provi-
the drugs online. For instance, you sion of appropriate medication, you can purchase drugs online for
can buy clenbuterol on an online use. For instance, you can order and buy clenbuterol online in case it
portal and be sure to get doctors’ is not available at the healthcare Centre and personally uses it follow-
prescriptions. The advancement ing the physician’s guide for better treatment.
in technology has dramatically
improved the safety of preventive
steps. Because of the improve-
ment in technology, medical pro-
cedures are made less risky due to
technological innovations such as
laser treatments.

Fasten results

Medical test results took a long 42
time to be shown in the past,
weeks, or even months. With the
advanced technology, you can get
your results immediately; the lab
is done with your sample. Nowa-
days, many hospitals and clinics
provide web portals that allow
you to get your results within
hours or days. This is seen as a
good move since it reduces the
patient’s anxiety and provides
you with the answers that you
require. Besides, the web portals
allow you as the patients to view
your past medical records hence
giving you a chance to moni-
tor your appointments, medical
issues, and billing.

INFORMATION

5 Ways to Stay Fit While
Maximizing Technology

by NOR SHAFIQAH BINTI MOHAMAD

urning off excess fat is quite challenging for most people but not impossible if the right steps are
taken. The human body is built to adapt to changes and as long as you implement certain fat loss
tactics, you will be on your way to getting the summer body you’ve always wanted.
The journey to weight loss has gotten easier in recent years due to the advanced technology in the
healthcare industry. This has led to an increase in weight loss apps to help more people monitor their
progress and reach their goals.

We have put together five tips to help you stay fit while maximizing the impact of technology on
healthcare.

1R.igGhett the Diet

2. Start Strength Training There are lots of fad diets today
and even supplements such as
Strength training helps increase your strength and body mass while the keto slim diet pills to help
you build your body against resistance. One of the multiple benefits with fat loss. However, while
it has is that it helps to burn fat and a PubMed study shows that it they offer an easy alternative to
increases calories burned at rest by 7% and reduces fat weight by manage your diet and eat health-
1.8 kg. Examples of strength training exercises to help you burn fat ily, they are not sustainable.
includes Circuit Training, Squat + Curl, Push-Ups, Dumbbell Row So, as much as you may want
+ Fly, Bench Step Ups, Lunge + Front Raise, Incline Dumbbell to explore the easy way out, it’s
Press, and more. best to get your diet right. Draw
a new diet plan that contains
more protein, fiber, and saturat-
ed fats to ensure you are getting
the right nutrients. Limit your
carb intake as much as you can,
as it will only make you pile the
pounds back on.

43

ENTERTAINMENT

DOWNLOAD THE APPS!!!

When you pair a Fitbit device with
the app, you get all of your readings
in one place, including your steps, exercise, sleep
and calorie consumption. Lemond says she likes
these daily recording apps for that reason: You
can see everything in one place.