Is it a superbug? A parasite? How about a fungus? Diagnosing an acute infection is a time-pressured guessing game – with doctors often flummoxed over what pathogen is causing a patient’s rapidly declining health.
The University of California health system, led by UC San Francisco, is using a precision medicine approach to quickly detect infectious disease among patients in its health system. It is using next-gen sequencing and a proprietary algorithm to figure out what virus, bacteria, fungus or parasite is causing a patient’s illness.
Yesterday’s MedHeads featured Chris Seper, Stephanie Baum, Meghana Keshavan and special guest David Kroll, a regular contributor to Forbes, who will also moderate the precision medicine panel discussion at MedCity CONVERGE next month. Kroll had some thoughtful insights concerning the FDA decision that let 23AndMe back into medical genetic testing.
Watch the broadcast above, but also take a look at these five important topics we reviewed this week.
With the Rise of AI, What IP Disputes in Healthcare Are Likely to Emerge?
Munck Wilson Mandala Partner Greg Howison shared his perspective on some of the legal ramifications around AI, IP, connected devices and the data they generate, in response to emailed questions.
1. Heart patient: Apple Watch got me in and out of hospital fast
Virginia resident Ken Robson, 64, had been visiting his son in the San Diego area in mid-June. “I had been noticing that I had been feeling weak and lightheaded,” he said. He also noticed severe drops in his heart rate. “Your heart rate doesn’t go into the 30s and 40s unless you’re an Olympic athlete,” Robson said. He knew something was wrong, so he went online and self-diagnosed with a heart arrhythmia known as sick sinus syndrome.
2. UCSF’s one-size-fits-all precision medicine test for infection
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A Personalized Approach to Medication Nonadherence
At the Abarca Forward conference earlier this year, George Van Antwerp, managing director at Deloitte, discussed how social determinants of health and a personalized member experience can improve medication adherence and health outcomes.
Digital health company InfoBionic has followed up a Series B round in November with an $8 million Series B-1 round in order to commercialize the second generation of a device that transmits a continuous feed of the patient’s heart rhythm to detect cardiac arrhythmia. The company expects to add 10-20 staff with the funding, mainly for sales and marketing support. It will allocate funding to product development, expanding its platform to include other chronic conditions.
4. Could sleeping on your side reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s?
We’ve been told that our sleep positions clearly plays a role when it comes to neck or back pain, but researchers have found that it could actually affect our brains and our risk for disease.
A team at Stony Brook University used MRI scans to image the brain’s glymphatic pathway, the complex system that clears wastes and other harmful chemical solutes from the brain. What they found is that the brain does a better job of clearing out this waste when we sleep laterally, on our sides. This could actually play a role in decreasing the chances of developing neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
5. Pathway Genomics unveils app to order genetic test to determine optimum fitness, diet regimen
Pathway Genomics has officially debuted an app that enables users to order a genetic test to optimize their exercises and diet choices based on their genetic profile. The move combines the rise of precision medicine with the interest in adding healthcare applications to smartphones.
