SAN FRANCISCO – Dr. Michael Docktor, a pediatric gastroenterologist at Boston Hospital, described myriad digital tools that physicians – especially gastroenterologists – as well as patients are now using. Some tools may be implemented to track stool output or diet for diseases like irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn’s disease, he said in an interview at the AGA Tech Summit, sponsored by the AGA Center for GI Innovation and Technology.
There are patient-facing applications that provide data that can be used by both patients and their physicians to better understand the disease. These data can help in diagnosis and management and give the GI doctor a “window into the 99% of the time that they aren’t with the patient.” Other apps can build a timeline of the disease that can help the patient get a better understanding of their disease and learn to distinguish a flare from a bad day with poor food choices. Dr. Docktor described the AGA Tech Summit as a place to try out new ideas and work with like-minded doctors.
