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URMC  » Center for Future Health » About

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  • Dynamic Process
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Dynamic Process

The Center for Future Health uses a systems approach as a catalyst in the move toward creation and adoption of a proactive health system for the nation. Although developing relevant medical technology systems is vital, it is equally important to determine the needs of the community you want to serve (Needs) and to validate that the system works effectively in the environment in which it is used (Validation).

Needs

The field of proactive health is ever-changing. We help discover new opportunities by learning which technologies are emerging, how they are being used, and where the field is headed through Environmental Scans and Synergy Workshops.

Learn more about consumer and provider needs.

Research

At Center for Future Health, we are constantly working to create non-invasive health systems for self care, mobile care, and home care. Here are some examples.

• Automated Health Assessment
  • Molecular Monitoring and Smart Bandage Technology. We are creating a system of sensors that rapidly detect pathogens, allergens, and general health status.
  • Motion Understanding. We’re learning how to interpret changes in activity patterns that may indicate patient fatigue, mood changes, neuromuscular conditions, or cardiovascular disease.
• Personal Health Assistant
  • Conversational Personal Medical Assistant. We’re developing easy-to-use conversational interfaces for applications such as medication management and dietary adherence.
• Integrative Research
  • Continuous Assessment. We’re learning how continuous data gathering and analysis can improve health decision-making.
  • Middleware. We believe that sensor network applications, especially those found in the home, may be built on top of existing protocols (e.g., IEEE 802.11, Bluetooth). To make these protocols more useful, application designers will benefit from a middleware that encapsulates the protocols, providing a high-level interface and flexibility.

Learn more about our research.

Validation

Translational research, crucial for medical acceptance, enables you to validate your medical technologies and systems in multiple community venues.

Medical validation is needed for systems in self-care, home care, and mobile care. At CFH, we can:

• Test concepts for medical effectiveness at our Smart Medical Home Research Lab. We enable you to try out ideas with target users before any major investment is made.
• Evaluate prototypes in consumer settings. Our partnership with the New York Association of Housing and Services for the Aging (NYAHSA), and the Center for Aging Services Technology (CAST) extends our network to people in retirement communities across the nation. Our Primary Care Network has a constituency of over 350,000 people between Rochester, New York and upstate Pennsylvania. It has a significant interest in eliminating disparities.
• Ensure technology intended for consumer health can work as part of a proactive health system.

Learn more about how we provide validation for proactive health systems.

Education and Outreach

Each year, we offer a workshop that focuses on issues relevant to a national proactive health system. We invite professionals from our broad network of health providers, researchers, product developers, consumers, and caregivers. You are welcome to sponsor workshops that fit within the scope of the Center’s mission.