(via ePatientDave)
You know how in science fiction movies the alien/human language barrier is overcome by some tiny electronic universal translator that instantaneously allows each party of a conversation to speak and listen in their native language? Google’s new voice-enabled Google Translate app (currently available for Android, iPhone likely coming soon) brings us one step closer to that reality. As the above video by emergency medicine resident Graham Walker shows, the app listens to a user’s words in one language and, once the user has verified the accuracy of the voice recognition, plays back the translated audio. While not quite instantaneous, it can greatly reduce the communication barrier that arises when patients and clinicians literally don’t speak the same language.
Taking a step up one level, I think this is where a lot of the promise of healthcare IT lies–in breaking down communication barriers. In fact, that’s the one thing that the other cool new technologies we’ve covered recently here–devices for tracking weight and blood pressure, social media for sharing blood glucose readings, iPhone cases for recording arrhythmias–all have in common. They all help facilitate communication between patients and clinicians, or patients and other patients, or patients and healthcare technology manufacturers.
What are some other great examples of healthcare technology breaking down communication barriers between patients, clinicians, administrators, insurance providers, etc.? More importantly, how is your healthcare technology application breaking down these barriers?
