What Is The Doctor Reading?
This newsletter instead of more medical literature updates I wish to update folks the future. Last year I began offering remote monitoring services for my membership patients. I now have over 50 patients using this program. Presently there are 3 companies whose products interface (using the Bluetooth technology) with the IRemedy company. The
Withings automated blood pressure unit and their
Body Fat % analysis weight scale is one.
FitBit devices can be linked to this service. Finally the
Fora diabetes test meter system interfaces data to this dashboard. I have been collaborating closely with IRemedyPro to improve the remote monitoring dashboard. Soon our beta testing project will be offered to doctors nationwide. While we are only beginning to tap into this technology, already I am finding it very helpful.
When your appointment date is coming up, my staff and I can view,review and download data that these devices have collected when you use them. FitBit has the nice feature of assisting you in documenting your food intake. Provide a patient uses this part of the application (on their phone or PC app), I can click the data field for "caloric intake" and see their full food diary!!
After completion of the software updates I can also email feedback when I am reviewing information- another point of contact for us. I doubt folks in England and Canada are getting this kind of physician access.
I can see and monitor between appointments your home blood pressure measurements using the Withings blood pressure unit. If you want to purchase and/or link your meter/device to my dashboard, simply contact my staff and request that we invite you. You will get an email from IRemedyRemote where you register your unit. Upon activation of the device, using BlueTooth connection, your data will be linked "live" whenever you measure.
Another recent and novel project that I am starting to experiment with involves a joint project between
23 and Me and
Pure Encapsulations. This project is called
PureGenomics. This involves having a physician register his patient with the program.
Once registered the patient then can purchase a 23 and Me gene kit. The kit is sent to your home and you provide enough saliva to have your entire genome tested. Where Pure Encapsulations comes in is that they provide a filter that finds genes that predict nutritional/metabolic processing variants. This data allows guided and specific supplementation recommendations (if an abnormality is identified).
If you are interested in considering gene specific nutritional support and information, I recommend you arrange an appointment so we can set things up. A follow-up appointment will be needed as we have to manually download your DNA data into the PureGenomics filter software in order to generate a report for you.
The cost of the one time gene test is just under 200 dollars. As some of you who follow health news know, gene data from cancer specimens is now the "forefront" of cancer research and treatment. This same technology can now be harnessed to provide specific targeted nutritional information.
I ran this testing protocol on myself and confirmed that I have a gene variant that makes it difficult for me to maintain B12 levels (something I observed through lab testing and supplement attempts). I have also learned that I lack other metabolic functions for optimal nutrition and liver enzyme metabolism.
So while I am a fiercely conservative individual regarding the patient and doctor relationship, I remain pressing forward aggressively as it relates to improving my diagnostic skills and our health and wellness.