In another amazing coincidence, Frank Moss published an op-ed piece on medical technologyin the New York Times on the same day that David Pogue wrote about Jawbone's Up bracelet.
Moss opened his piece with a simple question
WHY can’t Americans tap into the ingenuity that put men on the moon, created the Internet and sequenced the human genome to revitalize our economy?
and provides a confident answer
I’m convinced we can. We are in the early phases of the next big technology-driven revolution, which I call “consumer health.” When fully unleashed, it could radically cut health care costs and become a huge global growth market.
He describes
a “digital nervous system”: inconspicuous wireless sensors worn on your body and placed in your home would continuously monitor your vital signs and track the daily activities that affect your health, counting the number of steps you take and the quantity and quality of food you eat. Wristbands would measure your levels of arousal, attention and anxiety. Bandages would monitor cuts for infection. Your bathroom mirror would calculate your heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen level.
It's odd that he imagines that wristband as Pogue writes about
the Up wristband ($100). The tiny motion sensors inside are designed to monitor your activity and sleep, and, by confronting you with a visual record of your habits, inspire you to do better.
I can easily imagine wearing a device like Up, and I think it's too bad that Pogue finds the device wanting. I acknowledge that Moss's vision and imagination see far beyond mine, but I am enthsiastic about reaching a future of better health and improved health care delivery systems. Isn't it cool that we are taking our first steps in that direction now?