Long data from the electrocardiogram

The first capture of the electrical activity of the heart—the PQRST complex—was done by Willem Einthoven in 1895, using a 600-pound machine and five skilled operators, with a simple request for patients to place their hands and one foot inside buckets filled with an electrolyte solution. Eventually, the 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) in hospital and clinic settings evolved, requiring a big machine on wheels with multiple cables for each limb and across the chest. Today, by touching a sensor with our fingers and the left leg, forming Einthoven's triangle, we can instantly record a high-quality six-lead ECG to a smartphone. This technology will make it possible to easily monitor extensive heart electrical activity virtually anywhere, at any time, and as frequently as desired. With this new capability comes daunting challenges in the accurate interpretation and management of data. Digital health care for older adultsLeila is an 86-year-old woman with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. She lives alone, and, as a result of a recent heart attack, her family doctor and cardiologist want to see her more frequently. She has some moderate arthritis involving her knees and hips and poor vision, but she is committed to maintaining her independence. Full-Text PDF Digital medicine: empowering both patients and cliniciansWhen physicians and health-care professionals think of the term digital medicine a first reaction might be that this represents an oxymoron. Medicine involves human touch and anything digital has traditionally been conceived as its antithesis. This sentiment is unsurprising given reactions to the big foray of computers in medicine—electronic medical records—considered by some to have diminished the relationship between doctors and their patients. Full-Text PDF