COOLHUNT - The 'ThuisMeetapp' (Home measurement app)

I read an article in 'De Telegraaf' (a newspaper in the Netherlands) about a home measurement app (in Dutch: ThuisMeetapp). There's been a test with this app for people with heart failures and the lung disease COPD. Almost 90 percent of the people who participated in the test recommended the health app. 

WHAT? This app is developed by a healthcare innovation company FocusCura. The app can be prescribed by the doctor and he will give the patient assignments to do at home. You can think of things like doing measurements at fixed times like bloodpressure, weight etc. If you do the measurements yourself you don't have to go to the doctor so often. If you connect the app with an iPhone or iPad it will send the measurements to a medical call center and your own doctor. Until now the app could only be used by patient with heart failure and the lung disease COPD. But because of the success the app it will also be available for parkinson, child diabetes, obese, asthma, trauma, and palliative care in the future. 

WHY? What's so cool about this app is that because of the measurements at home abnormalities will be detected earlier. And in this way appropriate assistance can be provided. In this way chronic diseases can be controlled way better.  This app is a form of an Inline trend. Because normally you go to the doctor but now you can measure your own values without going to the doctor. And for that you're using an online function namely an app on your iPhone or iPad. I think the macro trend in this story is control. The control of your own body, and the knowledge about it. When we used to go to the doctor we didn't always know what he was talking about. And look at us now! We're playing doctor ourselves! 

Source: http://www.sonhaber.nl/bilimteknoloji/hastaneye-gitmeye-gerek-kalmayacak-h32306.html

Sources:

* http://www.changinghealthcare.nl/thuismeetapp-officieel-inzetbaar-als-hulpmiddel/

* 'Chronisch zieke kan zelf controles doen.' (De Telegraaf 19-09-2014) 

COOLHUNT - Playing the piano together.

Last week when I arrived at the train station in Nijmegen something was different. I heard a beautiful sound coming towards me. It was the sound of a beautiful piano piece. It sounded loud and with a great  acoustics. Then I saw it. A guy was playing the piano on the station. At first I thought what is this? Did someone bring their piano to the station? But when I came a little closer out of curiosity I found out what it was. 

WHAT? It's an initiative from the organization 'Buiten Spelen'. It's the fifth piano in Nijmegen. There were already other piano's spread through the city. The intention is to bring people together spontaneously so that they can make music together. When I arrive at the station I hear people play beautiful music and it's really worth to listen to them. The piano is paid out of crowd funding. They renovated the piano before they put it on the station. Now it's a great way for people who have to wait for the train to come together and make great music! You can see the photo that I made myself. And also a video from 'Omroep Gelderland'. They will tell you something more about the initiative (in Dutch). 

WHY? This is a really cool idea because the train station (NS) is often compared to negative thoughts, trains who are always late, people who are in a hurry and little irritations between travelers. This piano brings a bit of life and joy to the train station! I thinks it's a great way of sharing which in my eyes is the 'macro' trend in this story. We are so busy with sharing everything through social media and even in restaurants you see that sharing is a trend (like tapas). It's also a great example of togetherness. People come together and they just forget their stress and hurry and just make some music! And other travelers who are maybe not as musical as the people who are playing can just enjoy the music. Because the acoustics are great in the station! 

source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8F_TtVkbBk

Source: my own photo

Source: http://www.omroepgelderland.nl/web/nieuws-1/2070232/vrij-bespeelbare-piano-op-station-nijmegen.htm#.VC-lgEuVd4E