Filip Brož In addition to journalism, I am also involved in helping professions. As a future psychotherapist, I have gone through various medical and social facilities in the past. For several years, I went to a psychiatric clinic as an intern, worked in an addiction treatment center, in low-threshold facilities for children and youth, on a helpline and in an organization that provides help and support to people with mental and combined disabilities.
It was there that I became convinced that Apple's product portfolio can not only make life easier for people with disabilities, but in many cases they can start living a life at all. For example, I worked individually with a client who lost his sight and was mentally handicapped at the same time. At first I thought it would be difficult for him to use the iPad. I was deeply mistaken. It's hard to put into words the smile and excitement that appeared on his face the first time he read an email from his family and found out what the weather was going to be like.
A similar enthusiasm appeared in a severely handicapped client who had barely uttered a few words in his life. Thanks to the iPad, he was able to introduce himself, and apps focused on alternative and augmentative communication helped him communicate with others in the group.
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I also used Apple products during group activities. For example, each client created their own communication book on the iPad, which was full of pictures, pictograms and personal information. The important thing was that I only helped them minimally. It was enough just to show where the camera is and where what is controlled. Various sensory games and applications were also successful, for example creating your own aquarium, creating colorful pictures, up to primitive games focused on concentration, basic senses and perceptions.
Paradoxically, I was happier during Apple's last keynote from the newly introduced news about healthcare than from the iPhone SE or the smaller iPad Pro. In recent weeks, several stories of people who are disabled in some way and Apple products make their lives easier have also appeared on the Internet.
It is very moving and strong, for example video by James Rath, who was born with a visual impairment. As he himself admits in the video, life was very difficult for him until he discovered the device from Apple. In addition to VoiceOver, he was greatly helped by the maximum zoom feature and other options that are included in Accessibility.
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Another video describes the story of Dillan Barmach, who has suffered from autism since birth. Thanks to an iPad and his personal therapist, Debbie Spengler, a 16-year-old boy can communicate with people and develop his abilities.
Focused on healthcare
Apple entered the health segment several years ago. In addition to registering a number of patents related to, for example, various vital signs sensing sensors, he also gradually hired many doctors and health experts. In iOS 8, the Health application appeared, which collects all personal data, vital functions including sleep analysis, steps and other data.
The Californian company also reported a year ago ResearchKit, a platform enabling the creation of applications for medical research. Now it has added CareKit, a platform with the help of which other applications focused on the course of treatment and health can be created. It also appeared in iOS 9.3 Night mode, which not only protects your eyes, but also helps you sleep better.
Abroad, the Californian giant launched a massive collaboration with various scientific workplaces and clinics. The result is the collection of data from people who suffer from, for example, asthma, diabetes, autism or Parkinson's disease. Sick people, using simple applications and tests, can realistically share their experiences with doctors, who can react more quickly to the course of the disease and, thanks to this, help these people.
However, with the new CareKit, Apple went even further. Patients discharged to home care after surgery no longer have to follow instructions on paper, but only with the help of an application. There they will be able to fill in, for example, how they feel, how many steps they have taken per day, whether they are in pain or how they are managing to follow their diet. At the same time, all the information can be seen by the attending physician, eliminating the need for constant visits to the hospital.
Role of Apple Watch
Apple's biggest intervention in the field of healthcare is the Watch. Several stories have already appeared on the Internet where the Watch saved its user's life. The most common cause was a sudden high heart rate detected by the watch. There are already applications that can replace the function of the EKG device, which examines the activity of the heart.
The icing on the cake is the app Heartwatch. It displays your detailed heart rate data throughout the day. This way you can easily find out how you function in different situations and how your heart rate changes. Applications that monitor the development of the child inside the mother's body are no exception. For example, parents can listen to their child's heart and see its activity in detail.
In addition, everything is still in the early days, and health-oriented applications will increase not only on the Apple Watch. There are also new sensors in the game that Apple could show in the next generation of its watch, thanks to which it would be possible to move the measurement again. And one day we may see smart chips implanted directly under our skin, which will monitor all our vital functions and the activities of individual organs. But that is still the music of the distant future.
A new era is coming
In any case, the Californian company is now significantly changing another field and showing us the way to the future where we could easily prevent various diseases, treat diseases more effectively, or perhaps be alerted to the arrival of cancer in time.
I know many people in my area who use Apple products precisely because of the health and features found in Accessibility. Personally, I think that the iPad and iPhone are also ideal devices for seniors, for whom it is usually not a problem to quickly learn how to use them.
Although with respect to its main products, such as the iPhone, iPad or Mac, health efforts are a bit in the background, Apple gives them more and more importance. Healthcare will change in the coming years with the advent of modern technology, both for doctors and their patients, and Apple is doing everything to be one of the key players.
Yeah, I like this. Although many companies have been in this area before, Apple is trying to push it somewhere and that's good... Thumbs up for me...
citation> There are already applications that can replace the function of an EKG device, examining the activity of the heart.
<konec citace
I don't have to clean it, that's bullshit. Healthcare is of course changing, but mostly with robotics, microsensors in the body, data mining of patient data (but more reasonable data from diagnoses and controlled measurements in hospitals), etc.
The thought that Apple will change the healthcare theme with a couple of sensors is laughable, but of course another marketing reason to go for it, because using the Apple Watch will save your life!
I wonder how many people lost their lives because they were hit by a car while they were reading on their iPhone while crossing the street :DDD
Wow, I'm looking at a fun plugin from Disqus
As a medical student, I also welcome Apple's direction, I use the health application every day, hopefully we will soon see them using the research kit, etc.