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 - The canary: a gluten tracker

For people with a gluten allergy it’s hard to find out if there’s gluten in the food that they eat. They don’t have very much choice and sometimes the ingredients are not listed on the packaging of products. For some people it can be dangerous if they don’t know what’s in their food so we need something that they can detect what’s in their food.

WHAT? According to trendhunter.com there is a solution. And that is ‘the Canary’ a portable device that can test gluten in foods. This gadget will help people with allergies and it will prevent them from getting sick. The device is created by 6SensorLabs and it is a pocket-sized device that has disposable units. You can put those units in your dishes to test the gluten levels. The information will appear on the device and you can track it by using a corresponding smartphone app.

WHY? People with allergies can now go out for dinner without worrying about the food. It’s a great invention with a lot of potential. Maybe in the future the device can not only track down if there are gluten in the food but also other nutrients that are dangerous to other people like nuts or sugar. It’s an example of an Inline device with the underlying value of people who are more curious about what’s in their food these days. We’re much more conscious these days about what we eat. If you have a gluten allergy this device is great, because it can detect gluten in dishes. People don’t have to worry anymore if they can eat something the device will do that for them. Devices will take over a lot of functions from humans but sometimes it’s convenient. This is a great example of Inline. Because you take something offline (a measure instrument) and you make something online from it (a gadget). 

Source: http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/portable-gadget

Source: http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/portable-gadget

COOLHUNT - The life saving bracelet.

According to ‘Noorderboog’ each year more than 600 kids in Dutch hospitals end up with unconsciousness caused by the use of too much alcohol. Or even worse they will end up in a coma. And if you are lucky one of your friends will bring you home before it’s to late. So how can we prevent the number of teenagers that ends up in the hospital?

WHAT? A bracelet that will measure your alcohol and dehydration levels when you go out. It’s called the ‘Vive Smart Bracelet’. This bracelet with all his functions has to make sure that you come home save and don’t end up in the hospital. What are those functions? Well you can connect the bracelet with an app that will measure your alcohol level when you start drinking. During the evening the bracelet will send random vibrations and when you squeeze it the bracelet knows you’re OK. If you don’t squeeze the bracelet will send an aware through social media to your friends so they can check on you if you’re all right. It can be used by anyone who goes out for a drink.

WHY? It is a cool idea because maybe in the future a lot of patients that come into the hospital with an alcohol problem could be prevented because of this bracelet. And maybe the quality of going out will be a lot more fun. It is an Inline trend because a bracelet is an offline thing with in this case an online function. I think the need behind this trend is safety. We see a rise of young kids that end up in the hospital drunk and I think with this product parents and friends don’t have to worry anymore.

So maybe this is the future of going out? The product still needs some thinking because there are some problems but I’m excited about this idea because I hope it will prevent a lot of alcohol problems in the future!

Source: http://www.nsmbl.nl/handig-deze-armband-vertelt-je-vrienden-of-je-dronken-bent/

Sources:

* http://www.noorderboog.nl/ziekenhuiszorg/patienten/onderzoeken-en-behandelingen/nazorgtraject-alcoholvergiftiging-bij-jongeren

* http://www.nsmbl.nl/handig-deze-armband-vertelt-je-vrienden-of-je-dronken-bent/