by Arshya Vahabzadeh | Jul 29, 2015 | Uncategorized
A digital revolution is coming to mental health, having already established a foothold in business, education, and healthcare. This revolution is, however, not led by angry citizens, but is fueled by the rapid emergence of Exponential technologies. Exponential technologies are those that are growing swiftly in power and availability, and they are opening up entirely novel fields, such as 3-D printing of body organs. These technologies have immense potential to disruptively change how we live our lives, and how we manage our health. Exponential technologies include “wearable” sensors, artificial intelligence (AI), robotics (including drones), synthetic biology, 3-D printing (including the printing of body parts), and human-computer interfaces. We may already have “exponential” technology in our pockets, as even basic smartphones contain considerable computing power, and integrate the functionality of many other historically separate devices. We are on the cusp of an explosion in the number of people using “wearables”, interactive digital devices that can monitor our behavior and/or physiology. There are many examples of wearables, including smartwatches (e.g Apple watch), smartglasses (e.g Google Glass), and activity trackers (e.g Fitbit). When we assess a child’s mental health, we often consider their sleep, appetite, activity levels, and relationship with others. These are all areas where wearable sensor-rich devices can collect data, and in some cases potentially offer some type of intervention. In order for the data to be useful, it must lead to actionable change. The data must give us insights into a child’s functioning, and must therefore undergo an analytic process. Historically, data analysis was largely a human process, but the development of predictive algorithms in many industries has...
Recent Comments