Direct-to-consumer genetic tests are popular. For a few hundred dollars, companies like 23andMe and AncestryDNA promise information about disease risk for customers and their children, details about ancestry, and insights about personal characteristics—like why you may think cilantro tastes like soap. It’s a simple process. Customers just pay, sign a waiver, and send in a(...)
Medical Technology
From Pedometers to Precision Care
Posted by | Collaboration, Health Innovation, Medical Technology, Patient Care, Precision Medicine, ResearchBy Dr. James Aw The patient, in his early 20’s, was clinically depressed and struggled with sleep. His family physician prescribed him an antidepressant and medication to treat his insomnia. But his mood wasn’t lifting, and his sleep wasn’t improving. He had difficulty at school and was on a waiting list to see a psychiatrist.(...)
A Story of Resounding Hope
Posted by | Latin America, Medical Technology, Patient CareEach year at Johns Hopkins Medicine International, we welcome about 4,500 patients who travel from all over the world, trusting us to coordinate every aspect of their care while they’re receiving treatment at Johns Hopkins. Let me share one patient’s story: Mateo was born May 14, 2014, in Mexico City after a complication-free pregnancy and(...)
When Local Care Can’t Do It All
Posted by | Clinical Program Development, Collaboration, Health Care Leadership Development, Health Innovation, Medical Education, Medical Technology, Nurse Development, Patient Care, Patient Safety, Precision Medicine, ResearchWhen you’re ill, it’s a struggle just to change out of your pajamas or heat up a cup of tea. Going into work is out of the question. For patients who are critically ill, traveling for care can feel unbearable. Patients would rather receive treatment locally, where they have family support and can recuperate in(...)
Localizing Clinical Care
Posted by | Asia Pacific, Clinical Program Development, Collaboration, Health Innovation, Health System Sustainability, Latin America, Medical Education, Medical Technology, Middle East, Patient Care, Patient SafetyHealth care is a competitive business. Hospitals often invest in their clinical programs as a way to distinguish themselves in an increasingly tough marketplace. Hospitals offer clinical programs, such as emergency services, to compete directly for patients. Others use some services as a stepping stone leading to other in-demand care, for example, launching cardiac catheterization(...)
“Call of Duty” Meets ER
Posted by | Health Innovation, Medical Technology, Patient SafetyAs early as the 1960s, the armed services, government laboratories and military think tanks began using the most modern computers available to create computer-based games for training, analysis and virtual warfare. These simulations created a low-risk, yet effective way to test and refine military and political policies and prepare teams to undertake extremely difficult tasks.(...)
Betting Big on Artificial Intelligence
Posted by | Health Innovation, Medical Technology, Patient Safety, ResearchThough the term hadn’t yet been invented, the first “smartphone” became available to consumers in 1994. It was the IBM Simon Personal Communicator, and it retailed for today’s equivalent of $1,852—without a contract. Back then, who would have imagined that clunky, expensive mobile could represent the future of medicine? So much has changed nearly 25(...)
Saving Lives by Lowering High Blood Pressure
Posted by | Health Innovation, Medical Technology, Patient Care, Patient Safety, Precision Medicine, ResearchBy Dr. Oscar Cingolani We all know high blood pressure is a global threat, often called “the silent killer.” In fact, hypertension is responsible for one in eight deaths worldwide, and it is the major culprit behind stroke, heart and kidney disease. In a new effort to curb this deadly impact, the American Heart Association(...)
Partners Forum 2017: Outcomes and Off-site Care
Posted by | Collaboration, Health Innovation, Health System Sustainability, Latin America, Medical Technology, Middle East, Patient Care, Patient SafetyEach year at Johns Hopkins Medicine International’s Partners Forum, leaders from our global affiliates discuss ways to improve health and health care for the collective good. This year’s theme, “The Evolution of Health Care: Predictions and Practices in a Changing Environment,” helped us better understand the context and landscape of health care today. We wrestled(...)
Partners Forum 2017: Data vs. Delays in Care
Posted by | Collaboration, Health Innovation, Health System Sustainability, Medical Technology, Middle East, Patient Care, Patient SafetyWe were thrilled to host the recent Johns Hopkins Medicine International Partners Forum, an annual meeting that brings together leaders, care providers and researchers from our nearly 20 affiliates in 15 countries. Looking at the past 20 years of my involvement with Johns Hopkins Medicine International when these relationships developed, this is an event I(...)
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