Digital Doctors: The Future of Medicine | Derek O'Keefe | TEDxGalway

Through his work remotely monitoring aquanauts for NASA, Derek O’Keeffe has developed an interest in how technological advances are allowing more medical procedures and checkups than ever to be performed from the comfort of our own homes, and looks at how we can expect our everyday lives to be transformed in the not-so-distant future. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx
Derek O’Keeffe is a doctor and an engineer. He is currently Professor of Medical Device Technology at NUI Galway and a Consultant Physician at University Hospital Galway. He has previously worked with NASA as a flight surgeon on their NEEMO mission and has also put a biomedical experiment in orbit on the International Space Station to monitor astronaut health. He is fascinated by the potential of STEM to improve medical care and his TEDx talk will explore new paradigms of healthcare delivery. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

[@RM-ji6bf]

Dr. Derek O’keefe, I am very impressed with your input and experience being both a physician and engineer. Working for NASA and caring for patients as well must have it’s perks, especially caring for astronauts. I agree that the future of medicine for the most part will be done via digital health. I would like to address some of the benefits of Digital Health including the active monitoring of vulnerable patients. For example, an elderly patient can wear a glucose or heart monitor and when there are abnormal readings, then we can have a healthcare professional reach out. I also believe that there can be essentially a filter for primary care for those who need to speak to a doctor for more simple treatments such as a headache or sinus infection. The doctor can always talk with the patient and if he/she feels they need a higher level of care, then a plan should be put in place for them to get help. One thing that may be seen as a downside is the doctor-patient relationship and the idea of physical touch. Over centuries, it has always been an accustom for the doctor to do a complete physical exam. The doctor can listen for to the heart and lungs and may pick up on unusual findings and can save lives. Having physical touch also has a profound effect on patient satisfaction (for the most part). Nowadays, even in person doctor’s visit lack physical contact (especially during the COVID-19 pandemic). From personal experience, after going to an urgent care for headaches, I went to a DO who felt around my neck and noted tension around the muscles. He did manipulative medicine with his hands and my headache was relieved without the need for medications. I was only in High school, and that event alone led me to pursue medicine. Now I am a second year DO student myself. I know that during the pandemic, telehealth became the staple. After talking to professors and other providers, most of them agree that there could be less patient wait times in many cases and even over the phone (once the patient is established), one can easily help a patient. Great video.

[@charlesphiri4915]

I like your comment can you share your email or LinkedIn we share some ideas I am a fourth year medical student

[@Kevinsungeun]

This is one of my favorite ted presentation. I would also give him an applause for his deliberate and humours way of speech. The field of medicine definitely needs to catch up with the exponentially developing technologies.

[@user-fe7gu6kj2x]

This talk does a great job of addressing a very real and long-standing issue in healthcare, specifically in the United States. In my opinion, there are three major pillars that we can judge the efficacy of healthcare systems; access to care, quality of care, and cost of care. These three are intrinsically related and changing one inherently affects the others. In the United States, there is an issue regarding access and cost of care. With digital medicine, there could be a definite improvement in regards to access to care, efficiency of care for many, and a general improvement in patient outcomes. Many patients may be able to have more personalized treatment plans made available to them, or many patients may be given the ability for remote monitoring. In theory, I think these innovations will make a drastic improvement in the access to care dilemma that we are currently faced with. However, I think there are some ethical concerns regarding patient safety and privacy. By using an online medium, there are vulnerabilities that are hard to entirely eliminate. There is a real concern regarding data privacy and there is a risk that private and personal health information may be compromised. Additionally, it is hard to ensure that algorithms present in digital medicine would truly be free of bias, which can continue to perpetuate inequalities. I also worry about dehumanizing patient care by simply viewing patients through a digital lens. There are many studies that show the benefit of therapeutic touch in medicine. In a predominantly digital world, it may negatively affect patients if there are less physical exams done and the benefits of therapeutic touch are lost. Patients may also decrease their trust in the healthcare system when faced with the realization that it is less human. Perhaps the solution is the implementation of digital medicine as a means of continuing care after establishing care in person with a physician, or as means of medical visits in regards to non-emergent means only. As digital medicine and technology continues to evolve, it is important that it is developed in a way that continues to respect and prioritize patient autonomy, privacy and the principle of beneficence.

[@user-fx3nd8sq3y]

awesome ...the way he described the need for telemedicine and how would it completely change our life that really matters a lot. we should all think about our future in health care perspective to save our time and resources instead of visiting hospitals just can get consultancy remotely.thank you

[@mfonnta7618]

Your post was massively educative and motivating. I am a final year medical school currently working on a career in tech. I'll love to work with a team that works on artificial intelligence in medicine.

[@sudhis555]

I would love to connect with you on linkedin

[@franklinattama1913]

Let’s link up on LinkedIn if you don’t mind

[@spacegirl6608]

What is that field actually called??

[@parthibanarivalagan3119]

Hey looking forward for the same , im from india , can you help me out , im trying to find a path in my career

[@onyinyechukwuigbojinna1998]

This could possible starts a new profession in Healthcare

[@dilipkamble5536]

Nice information about Healthcare

[@suzukigsxfa9683]

Always answer your phone it might be NASA. 😄

[@UdayPratapSingh999]

Correct

[@UdayPratapSingh999]

I also worked on telemedicine

[@luisblanco4660]

Interesting, I’m also a MD and CS engineer. Great video, love all about it.

[@aleenazahir]

Why such educative videos dont get more views than the songs and comedy is why the World is messed up. People don't like Education that much .

[@dishaofei]

Pl

[@christianc7420]

I dont think he understands how creepy and invasive this is. Im sure everyone in the audience was uncomfortable thinking about this dystopian future knowing this tech can be misused.

[@diamondcover]

Yeah, so invasive. Terrifying actually.

[@christianc7420]

@@diamondcover simple minded and complacent people like you will ruin society

[@mitziepoo5869]

Control!! AI can be used for some good but can also be used for bad!!

[@pratikmanavi]

👏👏👏👏👏

[@leocieri4912]

The three packet classically fancy because belt immunophenotypically squeal alongside a waiting vase. oafish, ruthless department

[@nnekaa.4591]

Man went to the moon in the 1960’s

[@peacebeuponus860]

Did we actually go to the moon ??? :))

[@thales7063]

Péssimo lixeiro

[@pinas4838]

concordo pra krl