Detection and treatment: the real spaces for innovation in healthcare [Wired Health]

Over 300 attendees crammed into the very apt Royal College of General Practitioners in London for the inaugural Wired Health conference last week. Content-wise the day was broken into three main areas diagnosis, data-driven health and body repair (kudos to Wired’s Science Editor João Medeiros for a jam-packed and 360 degree line-up).

During the day, attendees were continually bombarded with the blurring lines of science, technology and data. From Claire Hooper’s DuoFertitlity Kit, which helps women conceive naturally in a less invasive and more effective way than IVF, to how fashion played the biggest role in the success of Misfit’s “Shine” wearable tech device and the da Vinci Surgical System from Intuitive Surgical, which is enabling minimally invasive surgery through the use of intricate robotic gestures and training that is not only saving lives, lowering healing times but also lowering downstream costs.

Throughout the day, it became clear there are real issues with where we go next, from ethical issues, technological issues to economic ones. It is equally apparent however that big leaps are being made in the two main areas of early detection and treatment, saving many lives and billions for multiples economies around the world.

Don’t worry if you couldn’t attend, Wired has already committed to another Wired Health next year and created a content hub that houses the day’s activities.

Takeaways you can use

Fashion and psychology offer as much to the future of health as technology does

As the Shine device shows, people have real problems with “ugly” and with the imminent arrival of Google Glass and hundred of other sensors, fashion will continue to have a real impact on the future which is a real opportunity for all design, technology and fashion companies — where do you fit in?

Technology can (and should) be repurposed

It’s time to think differently about the humble webcam Those cameras on billions of desks around the world can now diagnose Alzheimer’s four years earlier than a doctor can. Impressive and inspiring. How are (could?) you using eye-tracking?

Stop using fear to get what you want

Studies show immediate (non-financial) rewards, social incentives and progress monitoring were all more effective (or equally effective) at reducing or encouraging positive, desired behaviours compared with warning or negative enforcement. How can use utilize these mechanics to be better and promote desired behaviours.

Here are three must-watch videos from the day:

1. Studying how traders cope with stress could save everyone a lot of money (and mistakes):

2. Breath analysis has improved greatly and will continue to help early diagnosis:

3. QuantuMDx Group introduced the idea of “The Internet of Life” and showed how its £500 handheld device will monitor, detect and possibly predict new infections, identify cancer in ten minutes all over the world :