Recap: Doctors 2.0 & You Paris

I just returned from Doctors 2.0 & You held in beautiful Paris where I discussed development of the EndoGoddess App and using mobile health in e-health and medical practice, specifically for diabetes. Doctors 2.0 & You is an international meeting focused on doctors' and patients' challenges and opportunities in the health 2.0 space.

The event was organized by e-patient and e-health pioneer Denise Silber who, upon discussing the trends in e-health, asked the important question of 'what is the e-health quest?'

Beauty and pleasure are the quest in France. The French embrace beauty and pleasure in food, art, conversation, and vibrant debates as I observed while happily walking around Paris. E-health, what is its quest? In keeping with the French way of life, the quest as discussed at this year's Doctors 2.0 & You...

-Learning by connecting with communities. Whether the communities are just for doctors, just for patients, or for doctors AND patients (such as the diabetes online community with me pictured above with diabetes patient advocate/blogger Kerri Sparling at www.sixuntilme.com), science and healing and help come through conversation provided by e-health channels. Patients can learn from patients, doctors can learn from doctors, patients can learn from doctors, and doctors can learn from patients. A classic example presented was the evidence of science and healing that has been generated from the 'Patients Like Me' communities which was first started in 2004 for patients with ALS and their families. The beauty and pleasure noted from connecting within these communities is always a present undertone in any presentation I have ever heard about online communities, including the amazing ones at Doctors 2.0 & You.

-Learning by debating or facing challenges using new and economical ways. Just as the French seem to enjoy debates and challenges, challenges and solving problems are in the blood of entrepreneurs who were abundantly present at Doctors 2.0 & You. Entrepreneurs and e-health partnerships with telecommunication giants such as Orange have indeed taken on a large-scale global problem, counterfeit medications in Africa, with an elegant sms-based texting solution which was discussed. The beauty and power of such an economic and effective solution is hard to deny!

-Learning by having fun. In order to allow e-patients to have engaging consumer health information about pharma products for their empowerment, pharma company Boehringer Ingelheim has developed a facebook game called Syrum which can be played here. The objective of the game is to "save the world, one disease at a time, by harvesting compounds and then using them as trading cards to play against diseases. A player must first investigate molecular compounds at a research desk before putting them to the test in the laboratory, then conduct clinical trials and, if successful, advance a treatment to the market." The content engagement from the game is expected to lead to increased comprehension of consumer health information (currently undergoing beta testing now). Gaming is an innovative way that e-health can empower e-patients through fun and pleasure.

So, what is the e-health quest? It's about learning and living this life together (doctors, nurses, patients, entrepreneurs, industry, hospitals) with vibrant beauty and pleasure. C'est la vie! :)

Paris Bound!

Am off to Paris to speak at Doctors 2.0 on how social media, web 2.0, and mobile applications are impacting healthcare. New communities, new services, new tools, mobile apps are extending the reach of professionals and patients, raising both opportunities and challenges which will be discussed....from the doctor and patient point of view. Follow me on twitter for updates over the week! :)

'Sky Is The Limit': IPhone Meters, Apps, Skymall

I am so excited to see that the awesome iPhone iBGStar glucometer is now available for purchase in the Apple Store: http://store.apple.com/us/product/H8974?WT.mc_id=BGWB002

Glucose strips are also now available for purchase at Walgreens: http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/bgstar-blood-glucose-test-strips-for-ibgstar---50-count/ID=prod6108726-product

As noted in a prior blog post about my trip to South By Southwest , last month we at Duet Health started to build data connectivity between the EndoGoddess App API and all of Agamatrix glucometer APIs including the iBGStar. However, progress is halted.

Ideally, it would be great for everybody (patients, doctors, pharmaceutical companies) if there was a 'skymall' of choices for apps with devices so that each person could have their favorite app (each with its unique features) with data connectivity to their favorite device. Although the iBGStar glucometer device itself is FDA approved, anytime an app creates data connectivity with the approved glucometer, the app must undergo a separate FDA approval as it becomes a medical device 'accessory'. Financially, undertaking the investment in the quality assurance certification required by the FDA (estimated time 1 year, an estimated price of $100,000) is not feasible. This is sadly even further true given that we would eventually like to connect the EndoGoddess App to multiple glucometers (each with a $20,000 price for each separate application submission to the FDA).

Perhaps the answer is in the 'sky', or more specifically in the cloud. Rather than every app being evaluated separately for data connectivity with awesome devices like the iBGStar glucometer, I suggest letting the 'sky be the limit'. In other words, the integrity of the cloud's ability to predictably transfer data from the cloud could be the standard for FDA attention and regulation to assure quality of the original device data. Given the recent growth of federal cloud computing implementation related to the noted large cost savings for the US Government, standardized cloud regulation for data integrity with data transfers seems to just make sense. Cloud regulation rather than app regulation could lead to abundant innovation for apps with only 'the sky as the limit'. Without this clarity, however, progress for data connectivity with the EndoGoddess App will sadly remain grounded.