Presenter: Mobile technology is permeating health care

LAS VEGAS – A physician who dedicates his time to advancing mobile medical technology said the first step optometrists can take in this direction is to use an iPad in the waiting room for patients to fill out forms.

Daniel Kraft, MD, the medicine chair at Singularity University, addressed an audience here at Vision Expo West, detailing existing and up-and-coming mobile technologies in health care.

Kraft recommended hiring a developer to customize a mobile application for your practice.

“There are also apps for patients to do screening at home,” he said. “If you’re following someone up, they often don’t come back until a week later, and the problem is worse.”

He recommended using “smart” education, including 3D models of the eye showing various eye conditions.

Kraft discussed a glucose meter that is integrated with a smart phone. “You can see your own data,” he said.

Imaging is changing, Kraft said. Virtual colonoscopy is here. A CT scan can reconstruct the coronary blood vessels. “Virtual angiogram will replace a needle in the groin,” he said.

With EyeNetra.com, you can attach a camera to a mobile phone, take a scan, get a basic prescription and order lenses online for direct shipping to the patient, Kraft said. “What would happen if this could do glaucoma screening?”

Kraft said the Xprize (QualCommTricorderXprize.com) is a home-based diagnostic that can detect the top 18 or 20 most common diseases. “We’re building in some eye-related elements to that as well,” he said.

“Think about how you can interact with your patients with this,” Kraft continued. “Telemedicine has a big opportunity to disrupt a lot of fields and enhance care.”

Retinal implants are enabling people to see better. Resolution of the chips is increasing.

“In the future, you guys will be very involved in this space,” he said. “Just like your digital camera keeps getting better, we’ll see that in this realm. There will be hope for the blind.”

“The connectivity is all doable,” Kraft said. “It’s all out there; the trick is just finding what’s applicable to you.”

The mobile technology session was sponsored by Eyefinity.