Health

This chapter of the book covers ITGS syllabus section 2.4 Health. The use of Information Technology for diagnosis, treatment, and scientific research are covered, along with the potential health risks of improper IT use, including overuse injuries and possible addiction. This chapter links with many ITGS syllabus sections including 1.1 Reliability and Integrity, 1.2 Security, 1.3 Privacy, 1.6 Equality of Access, 1.9 Policies, 3.1 Hardware, 3.3 Networks, and 3.7 Databases. The following resources should help students studying this chapter of the textbook:

Health case study

Lesson resources: Oobunta Case Study

In 2010 the case study for the ITGS paper 3 exam was "Healthcare in an East African country". Although the case study is changed every year, I still use this particular case study to teach the Health unit, since it really encourages students to think and apply the knowledge they have acquired through the two years. I like to teach this late in the course, when students should be beginning to revise basic concepts such as hardware, software, and networking for their mock exams, and starting to become proficient in applying the ITGS social and ethical issues. Below are a series of lessons I use to teach this case study.
  • Healthcare in an East African Country (link to IB website, login required)
  • Introduction slides - used to give some background information on East Africa and generate discussion about how Oobunta might look.
  • Comprehension questions - I've found these useful for some students, as they encourage thorough reading and often reveal language related issues which might be initially apparent.
  • Newspaper task - Another background task. Used to improve student understanding of the case study and the potential problems. This could easily be adapted to become a DTP practical lesson too.
  • Issues review - a quick review of some of the issues students should have covered in the newspaper task.
  • Texts Tackle HIV in South Africa - A very relevant article which can be used to start a class discussion.
  • IT in healthcare (rubric) - Pair or small group research task for main IT and health technologies.
  • Training methods - worksheet covering ways of training users of IT systems. Useful when considering Oobunta.
  • Oobunta proposal task, rubric - The main task. Applies all of the content learnt in the previous activities to Oobunta. I have also done this task with students creating a video proposal, but found a written proposal better for making efficient use of time and covering content in the appropriate level of detail. To extend the task, use the cost spreadsheet below.
  • Cost spreadsheet - to really challenge students, use this cost spreadsheet in conjunction with the proposal task above, and have them base their decisions on the relative costs of each item. I usually find they rise to this challenge quite well, even if some of the costs are a bit unrealistic.
Health map

Disease mapping and tracking

Information technology and modern communication networks are powerful and convenient tools for tracking disease outbreaks in near real-time. HealthMap.org offers an up-to-date online map of disease outbreaks across the globe. Flu.gov provides similar functionality for cases of the flu in the US, while Google Flu Trends does a similar thing, but using very different techniques (it measures search frequency).

Elsewhere, smartphones have been used to collect data on malaria cases in remote Uganda (Computer World), and have helped track Dengue Fever in India (Technology Review).
Health monitoring

Personal health monitoring at home

A proliferation of mobile phone apps and other devices are now available, enabling anyone to monitor their own health at home:
The US military are even developing a 'smart tattoo' to monitor troops' vital signs constantly and unobtrusively.
Project Gerhome smart home monitoring

Remote patient monitoring

Project Gerhome is the smart home / patient monitoring project I cover in the textbook. Its aims are to use a variety of technologies, including video cameras, to monitor elderly people in their homes. The site is primarily in French but there is an English-language page about the project here.

Could telehealth revolutionise NHS patient care? (BBC)
How tech can help the elderly stay independent (BBC Click video)
Patients can also be monitored. This BBC video explains how Alzheimer's patients can be tracked with satellite technology. This topic relates closely to the smart homes topic in the Home and Leisure chapter.
Online health advice

Online health advice

Examples of online health advice created by official or professional groups include NHS Direct (advice from the UK's National Health Service), NetDoctor, and WebMD.

Online advice is naturally accompanied by concerns regarding the authenticity of the creators and the reliability of the information itself:
Health research

Medical research

IT & Health: Scientists Identify Drugs' Side Effects by Analyzing Search Data Collected From Millions of Users (The Atlantic) explores an innovate method of obtaining details about the side effects of drugs.

Health awareness

IT for health awareness and advice

The ubiquity of cell phone technology has seen it being used to provide health advice and awareness, particularly through text messaging. These systems have been credited with doubling young smokers' quit rates (New Scientist), and have been used to help tackle HIV in South Africa (BBC), encourage condom use in New York (NYTimes), and drive health IT innovation in several developing countries.
Telemedicine

Telemedicine and Telehealth

Telemedicine can take many forms. Traditional hospitals can perform  consultations with patients in remote hospitals or at home:  Texting the Teenage Patient (NY Times) and Teenagers to take embarrassing ailments to Second Life doctors (Guardian) describe one particular scenario where telemedicine may have a significant advantage over face-to-face consultations.

However, research has also cast doubt on the cost-effectiveness of telehealth (Computer Weekly), while some doctors are wary about online house calls (The Age).
Training tools

Patient simulators and training tools

Patient simulators are computerised mannequins used to train medical staff. Unlike traditional first aid mannequins, patient simulators use computer technology to provide outputs (such as 'heart beats') and realistic responses to treatment. Patient simulators are available in several versions, including male, female, child, and baby.

The CAE Healthcare home page has extensive information about patient simulators, including high quality images, video examples and use cases for nurses, EMS, and the military. The Multidisciplinary Clinical Simulation Center also has a wide range of information, while Robot patients help doctors polish their skills (BBC video) shows these patient simulators in use.

Virtual patients: hi-tech training for the operating theatre explains how Anatomage, a new touch-screen virtual operating table, works. The system features a complete digital 'patient', and is being used to train staff at Saint Mary's hospital in London.
Heart simulation

Computer models for health care

Various computer models are used to help design new drugs and administer existing drugs and treatments more effectively: Other health models are used to improve our understanding of the human body: Finally, computer models may be used to predict the spread of a certain virus or bacteria, with a view to preventing it:
E-prescriptions

Electronic Medical Records (EMR) & Electronic Health Records (EHR)

Electronic medical records resources:
Health technology

Diagnostic and Therapeutic Tools in Healthcare

The following articles address the general topic of information technology in healthcare and its issues and impacts:
Da Vinci Surgical System

Robotic Surgery

The Da Vinci Surgical System is the most famous robotic tool to assist surgeons. HowStuffWorks is essential reading to understand the technology behind it.

Not everyone agrees that the impacts of such systems are positive, however. Robots Taking Record Number of Human Uteri (The Atlantic) charts the dramatic rise in robot-assisted operations, while Are Surgical Robots Worth It? (MIT) investigates some of the potential negative impacts that have been reported. Would you have robotic surgery? addresses similar issues.

Salesmen in the Surgical suite (NY Times) is a tragic story of a patient whose operation was botched by a doctor with no previous experience on the Da Vinci Surgical System - a stark reminder that training is essential whenever new technologies are introduced.
Computer controlled prosthetic devices

Computer-controlled prosthetic devices

Computer-controlled prosthetic devices have made huge leaps in recent years, with lighter weight devices that can be controlled by the user's feet, electrical impulses from nerve endings, and even the mind.

Perhaps the most famous development is the "Luke Arm", created by Dean Kamen for DARPA.  (This video from 60 Minutes and this Technology Review article give a good sense of the wonder of this device).

There have also been developments in robotic legs for amputees and stroke patients (BBC) and more recently, the FDA even approved a computerised eye implant that can partially restore sight to blind people.

Learning to Accept, and Master, a $110,000 Mechanical Arm (NY Times) gives a detailed insight into what it is like learning to live with a 'robotic' arm.
Accessibility technology

Computer accessibility for disabled users

The hardware page contains details about input and output devices and software suitable for disabled users.
Ergonomics

Physical considerations: Ergonomics and RSI

Why is sitting in a chair for long periods bad for your back? (HowStuffWorks) and Mobile working propels RSI to "record high" (PCPro) both explain some of the health impacts and injuries that can be caused by poor ergnomics. Evidence on RSI 'urgently needed' (BBC) has statistics that reveal the extent of the impacts.

Call to protect workers from RSI (BBC) has some advice about preventing overuse injuries. A relatively new idea is standing desks, which some people claim are more ergonomic than sitting desks and can reduce health impacts.
Addiction

Psychological considerations: Internet and game addiction

Computer gaming addiction raises many potential negative health, psychological, and economic impacts. The problem has become so bad in some countries that extreme measures have been taken to try to combat the issue:
Psychological considerations
Image: Flickr

Psychological considerations

The Child, the Tablet and the Developing Mind (NY Times) examines the psychological impacts on children of constant exposure to technology.
Future of healthcare

Lesson Resources: The Future of Healthcare Technology

This large poster by envisioningtech.com (CC-BY-SA) highlights some of the ways technology may change healthcare in the future.

It is a good introduction to the health topic as it covers many technologies that are on the cutting edge of healthcare: from diagnosis and treatment methods which are in use today to futuristic technologies such as biological implants, augmentations, and 3D printing of medicines.
Revision resource

Lesson Resources: Revision Flashcards

Health revision flashcards to test students on the key terms. The 'Learn' and 'Test' modes of Quizlet work best.