Where There Is No Doctor: ICT and Health Communications Revisited: 2004 to 2021

Where There Is No Doctor: ICT and Health Communications Revisited: 2004 to 2021 From Barefoot Doctor to Connected Caregiver

Christopher Johnson M.Ed., Ed.D. June 24th 2021

IT Health Workers From Barefoot Doctor to Connected Caregiver

• Seventeen years ago, I proposed establishing “IT Health

Workers” that made use of the Pocket PC, a handheld device connected to telemedicine providers as a means of bringing care to those outside the commercial health care bubble

IT Health Workers From Barefoot Doctor to Connected Caregiver

• Today the need to train a large force of young people to provide primary care is no longer practical

• Through video consultations with trained E-Nurses, patients are routinely monitored not by a human but by a wristband device

• Regional health services provide remote and underserved

populations access to superior health diagnosis and treatment methods if the device indicates a need for further testing

IT Health Workers From Barefoot Doctor to Connected Caregiver

• Apple Watch is positioning itself as a leader in basic health monitoring and preventive care

IT Health Workers From Barefoot Doctor to Connected Caregiver

• This new model replaces the earlier mobile computing that

required specialized personal with an autonomous data monitoring system that is incorporated in a watch giving it the ability of continuously updating health workers who “manage” a group of elderly citizens

• Autonomous care is the future health provides will need to prepare for. “Good morning Mr. Tsai please take you antihypertensive medication before taking your walk.”

IT Health Workers From Barefoot Doctor to Connected Caregiver

• In 2004 the idea of a programmed robotic health care assistant was only found in science fiction books and movies

• Due to a lack of medical care providers Japan has had to make the fiction a reality in order to meet the aging population

IT Health Workers From Barefoot Doctor to Connected Caregiver

• Mental health for the elderly and non-mobile patient has become an ever increasing challenge for many health agencies globally.

While some have created visitation programs by volunteers, community mental health providers and youth outreach services the need continues to out run the available services

• AI companion pets are now filling this critical need

IT Health Workers From Barefoot Doctor to Connected Caregiver

• New frontiers available for geriatrics involve the care of clients

with dementia or other cognitive disorders include: GPS tracking, cognitive probes to ascertain mental health, and identifying early markers of the client's decline in overall cognitive function

• While not necessarily a primary role of the mobile system, recent work in the UK with outreach service involving puppets gives the system an entertainment aspect

IT Health Workers From Barefoot Doctor to Connected Caregiver

• While the original publication hinted at a radical change in health

services, it could not have predicted a reduced role of physicians.

• Not until Mayo clinic teamed up with IBM's WATSON did the

possibility of a reduced roll in face to face contact seem anything but science fiction. After a shaky start, WATSON has shown how AI can provide health care services once considered the exclusive realm of the medical doctor

IT Health Workers From Barefoot Doctor to Connected Caregiver

• As we age, confront global pandemics, or reduce costs, ICT

health service will play an ever increasing role in our daily lives

• Gathering vital signs, changing bedpans, and assisting in bathing •

routines, these attendants can also tell a joke or update the latest football scores, and all with a preprogrammed synthetic smile

The best way to face this future is not with fear or resistance but with a gift only humans have, the gentle warm smile and friendly hello we give to our human caregivers today.

IT Health Workers From Barefoot Doctor to Connected Caregiver

• As we age, confront global pandemics, or reduce costs, ICT

health service will play an ever increasing role in our daily lives

• Gathering vital signs, changing bedpans, and assisting in bathing •

routines, these attendants can also tell a joke or update the latest football scores, and all with a preprogrammed synthetic smile

The best way to face this future is not with fear or resistance but with a gift only humans have, the gentle warm smile and friendly hello we give to our human caregivers today.

The Future Is Closer Than You Think…

Thank You For Your Attention