Barracuda Consulting, LLC

Written By: Kelly Buckman A common theme in many of films, and TV shows, going as far back as “Terminator” (1984), “RoboCop” (1987), or even further (anyone remember the “Jetsons”, which originally aired in 1962 or “2001: A Space Odyssey” from 1968?), the presence of robots and machines that can perform many of the functions once required of humans, has been ample fodder for the creative mind. Certainly a common thread among these films, and shows, coupled with advances of technology in the real world, are feelings of awe, and not a small amount of angst. Robotics has been a key factor in the automation of the manufacturing industry for over half a century. The first industrial robot, the Unimate, was developed in 1954. Initially met with skepticism, over time, the technology evolved, and today, robots perform numerous tasks with greater endurance, speed, and precision than their human counterparts, including welding, painting, assembly, pick and place for printed circuit boards, pac...

Written By: Kelly Buckman By now, it should be clear to all of us that cutting-edge technological advances are key to the future of healthcare in the 21st century. In fact, it’s rare to receive medical care these days without some aspect of technology affecting us, from electronic health records (EHR’s) to wearable monitors to Virtual Reality diagnostics. It comes as little surprise then that the healthcare industry is blazing new trails when it comes to using technology to enhance, and even save, lives. One such example is the use of 3D printing, a process of making three dimensional solid objects from a digital file. Once primarily associated with graphic design and manufacturing, 3D printing is being used today to create a variety of medical devices, including instrumentation (e.g., guides to assist with proper surgical placement of a device), implants (e.g., cranial plates or hip joints), dental restorations such as crowns, hearing aids, prescription eyeglasses, and external pr...

Written By: Kelly Buckman Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the past decade, chances are that you’ve heard of the “Cloud” and may even understand the value of Cloud technology for storing large amounts of data for businesses and other types of organizations. What you may not know is how healthcare is benefiting from advances in cloud technology, and in particular, software as a service. A common delivery model for many business applications, Software as a service, also known as SaaS, is a software licensing and delivery model in which software is licensed on a subscription basis and is centrally hosted. * Typically accessed using a thin client via a web browser, some common examples of SaaS include Office 365, Google Apps, Citrix GoToMeeting, Cisco WebEx, and Netflix. With SaaS, vendors develop, monitor and maintain the application. Data is stored off-site and users access software over the internet. And since SaaS vendors develop and troubleshoot any issues that may aris...

Written By: Kelly Buckman In an era when healthcare is increasingly driven by technology as a means of automating processes and sharing information, what does the future look like for hospitals? It may not be what you think. Case in point is Mercy Virtual Care Center in Chesterfield, MO. At first sight it looks like any other hospital, with doctors and nurses checking vital signs, talking with patients, and creating treatment plans. But unlike hospitals that most of us are used to, there is one thing missing: patients. At Mercy, doctors and nurses treat patients from carrels with monitors showing patients in remote rooms. From here, they can see graphs with bloodwork and images of internal organs and limbs, and scan lists of issues that computer apps have determined they should look out for. Called a “virtual hospital” Mercy is on the cutting edge of healthcare technology. Unlike a traditional hospital, a virtual hospital has no need for rooms, as providers care for patients ...

Written By: Kelly Buckman It’s a scenario that is far too common these days. A well-meaning physician prescribes pain killers for a patient who has suffered an injury, with the expectation that the patient will only take the drug until their pain starts to subside. Too often, however, they continue to take the medication after the injury heals, and as a result, become addicted. When the patient can no longer obtain the prescription drug, the results may be catastrophic as in many cases, they turn to heroin or other opioid use, often fatally overdosing. In fact, arguably the worst addiction crisis in American history, opioid addiction has reached epidemic proportions over the past several years, as healthcare providers struggle to adapt practices to reduce the chances of a patient becoming dependent on these drugs. In 2016 alone, there were more than 42,000 overdose deaths from addiction to legal painkillers and illegal drugs like heroin, according to Centers for Disease Control and...