Recently, there has been a good deal of discussion around the notion that digital health isn’t a computer, engineering or medical science. Many have agreed and latched on to the idea that digital health is more a social science where technology is only as good as its application to the real world of clinical medicine.
Today, we see the outrage over the misuse of data for nefarious means. Platforms such as Facebook have become vilified for their potentially complicit behavior in supplying these data for powerful analytical engines such as Cambridge Analytica. And in turn, these engines—and their operators— have transformed from in-demand oracles to demons of epic proportions.
We all know, and probably all periodically use the expression: for goodness’ sake! Perhaps it represents well the prevailing cynicisms of modern living that when we say “for goodness’ sake” these days, we don’t really mean doing something for the sake of its intrinsic goodness. Rather, we use “for goodness’ sake,” when we aren’t using less savory language, to vent exasperation.
Whenever you take a photo on your digital camera or mobile phone, it puts a time stamp on it, telling you the day and time you took the photo. Likewise, whenever you send an electronic document, like a fax (yes, doctors still do that) or email, it comes with a time stamp. But, in the world of time and space, the accuracy might be low. It is like when your watch starts losing minutes because the battery is running low.
The title above is not quite complete. The full title for this piece is: How Hospitals Conspire to Kill Our Loved Ones and Conceal It Even from Themselves. It was a bit too long.
If you didn't have anxiety what would you do differently? How would you live your life? Without anxiety would you pursue different careers or hobbies? Would you try to get that promotion you deserve even if it requires travel and public speaking? Would you fly in a plane or go back to school to complete your degree? Would you drive on the highway so you can take road trips? Would you go to a party at a friends house? Or a work gathering? Would you go to a store instead of ordering everything online? Let me tell you how to deal with anxiety and how to stop anxiety from affecting your life.
Despite the study in one of the world’s most prestigious scientific journals, and the high-profile media coverage of it: no, cancer is absolutely not mostly random and a product of “bad luck.” It wasn’t true when these same investigators published very similar work generating very similar media hype and nonsense two years ago, and it isn’t true now.