­Digital Health Happenings in the Pharma Industry

by Brent I. Fox, Pharm.D., Ph.D.

I must confess: I like shiny things. I especially like shiny things that run on 1’s and 0’s, can exchange large volumes of data (information) in near real time, and can connect me with people on a global scale. When these things can present this information in amazing color and clarity with crystal-clear audio, I am just beside myself. With this insight, it is likely not surprising that I really enjoy following technology hype cycles. Admittedly, I do find myself sometimes rooting for the latest tech’s success — so I can fully incorporate it into my daily life.

ComputerTalk readers have certainly seen information technology (IT) successes and failures in the more than 20 years this column has existed (more on that next month). Theranos is a recent failure that showed so much promise — on the surface. In brief, Theranos, Inc., claimed it was going to revolutionize medical laboratory testing by making blood tests cheaper, faster, and more accessible with a…