Comp 15 - Usability & Human Factors

Unit 9 - Ubiquitous Computing in Healthcare

This material was developed by Columbia University, funded by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology under Award Number 1U24OC000003.

Overview

History of Ubiquitous Computing Basic principles Examples of ubicomp in healthcare • Clinical settings • Patient-centric technologies Technical challenges Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011 Component 15/Unit 9 2

History of Ubiquitous Computing

Three waves of computing • Mainframes (one main processor, many terminals) • Personal computing (one computer for one person) • Ubiquitous computing = many computers on and around each individual • Mobile computing (PDA, cell phone, etc.) • Pervasively embedded in the environment (smart environments) • Wearable computing Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011 Component 15/Unit 9 3

Original Vision

Xerox PARC, Mark Weiser Ubicomp project began in 1988 “the most profound technologies are those that disappear” • Paper • Writing Vision for computing technologies that are so commonplace that they disappear from people’s conscious attention Component 15/Unit 9 Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011 4

Original Vision (cont.)

• Computing by the inch (PDA, smart phone, mobile phone, voice recorder, etc.) Component 15/Unit 9 Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011 5

Original Vision (cont.)

• Computing by the foot Component 15/Unit 9 Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011 6

Original Vision (cont.)

• Computing by the yard Component 15/Unit 9 Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011 7

Version of Ubicomp

Computing on the body (wearable computing) Computing in the environment (ubicomp) Component 15/Unit 9 Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011 8

Challenges

Natural input Context aware computing Automated capture and access Component 15/Unit 9 Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011 9

Natural Input

Computing distributed in environment requires naturalistic interaction patterns • Voice recognition • Handwriting • Gesture • Tangible computing (interact with computing as with physical environment) Component 15/Unit 9 Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011 10

Context-Aware Computing

Delivery of information and services based on the automatically sensed context Multiple definitions of context Who, when, where, etc.

Success often depends on three factors Accuracy of context information sensed by the system Correctness of interpretation or knowing what action to take in a particular context Consequence of performing this action Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011 Component 15/Unit 9 11

Capture and Access Using technology to capture the flow of activities in real time and provide access to the records on demand

• Often used for capturing meetings, or brainstorming sessions • In healthcare: documenting patient doctor encounters Component 15/Unit 9 Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011 12

Pervasive Healthcare

Application of ubiquitous computing technologies for healthcare Making healthcare available everywhere, anytime, and to anyone (ref) Component 15/Unit 9 Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011 13

Pervasive Healthcare (cont.)

Acute care settings – digital hospital • RFID for patient tracking • Context-aware clinical environments Patient-centric technologies – health and wellness • Telemedicine (IDEATell) • Digital Family Portrait • MAHI • UbiFit Garden Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011 Component 15/Unit 9 14

Improving Patient Safety

RFID patient tracking systems Prevent errors (wrong medication to wrong patient) Streamline billing (automatic tracking of procedures) Component 15/Unit 9 Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011 15

Context-Aware Surgery Room

Main focus: improving patient safety Providing the right information at the right time in the right place (pertinent patient data) Drawing attention to information of concern (warnings of drug allergies, etc.) utilizing surgical context (physical and clinical) Component 15/Unit 9 Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011 16

Patient-Centric Technologies

Remote monitoring Case manager Education, recommendations, adjustments to care-plan Component 15/Unit 9 Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011 17

Health and Wellness

Digital Family Portrait • Georgia Institute of Technology Helping adult children maintain awareness of well-being of their parents • Activity of parents is sensed by motion detection sensors • Abstract visualization creates pattern without violating privacy Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011 Component 15/Unit 9 18

Health and Wellness (cont.)

MAHI (Georgia Institute of Technology) Assistance with diabetes management • Mobile phone for capture of experiences (pictures of meals, voice records) • Integration with glucose monitor • Website for review with diabetes educator Component 15/Unit 9 Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011 19

Health and Wellness (cont.)

UbiFit Garden • Intel Monitoring physical activity • On the body monitoring • A variety of physical activity types Ambient display on a mobile phone • Aesthetically pleasing visualization • Monitoring accomplishments • Reward for achievement of goals Component 15/Unit 9 Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011 20

Conclusion

Ubiquitous computing is an important and rapidly growing area that has potential to make significant impact on how healthcare is delivered within and outside of clinical settings.

However, many challenges remain to its successful penetration: • Many of these technologies rely on natural input such as voice or gesture, which is not always accurate and may be hindered by fragmented internet connectivity. As new enabling technologies become available, however, better applications of ubiquitous and pervasive computing will be invented. Component 15/Unit 9 Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011 21