Cambridge Consultants have announced breakthrough software on a single chip that allows medical devices such as blood pressure monitors to transmit data wirelessly. It uses low-cost wireless technology - with a potential cost of less than US $10 at the appropriate volumes and could be available in devices by the end of 2008. Read the full story.
The most well-informed discussion I have seen on the topic. However, it is depressing that neither of the experts gives the potential role of telehealth monitoring even a passing mention. From The Pulse.
Brief item re telecare and an epileptic three-year-old.
Just proving it is not difficult to substitute ‘re’ with the name of Nintendo’s ‘Wii’ game box to produce an eye-catching headline as many of the articles below have done. The serious point is that it is being adopted with enthusiasm by many organisations involved in rehabilitation and health for older people who as using it to motivate people to exercise, and no, this isn’t an April Fool’s story!
One wonders whether it could be the seed of a consumer-based telehealth monitoring device. Particularly with older people, it would make sense to be able to monitor various physiological parameters before, during and after exercise. With Wii boxes and new games selling in their millions on release, it would be a great way of popularising such use of technology.
Here’s a small collection of relevant stories:
Wii-habilitation: Playing in virtual worlds good for the elderly
Nintendo’s Wii Fit to make you healthier [Has good illustrations]
Wii will win the fight against obesity
And if you don’t think Wii could integrate with other devices, check this out:
Nintendo Wii controller used in battlefield bomb disposal
First, a well-constructed article that ranges over the issues concerning the take up of home-based health monitoring technology. Note the final paragraph. Item from The Age.
By contrast, the AARP Foundation is upbeat about the willingness of older people to adopt new technology.
Finally, an interesting round-up of telemedicine developments as they have evolved for the University of Texas. It also brings together the above two points. ‘Telemedicine has global reach‘ From the Galveston County Daily News.
STAY INFORMED
Press Association report on the Minister’s response to the recent Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) report. He has requested a fundamental review of the criteria for determining the needs of older and disabled people by councils. This is of particular concern to the telecare community, because where councils are restricting services to people with the highest, most immediate needs, they will miss the people most likely to benefit from telecare.
San Francisco company appears to be re-inventing the Columba bracelet. Let’s hope it looks better. They seem to have thought of that. See the final paragraph of this article. I quote:
And the last obstacle is appearance. If seniors don’t find the transmitting device attractive, they won’t wear it, he said.
Mark Warner, co-founder of the Alzheimer’s Store, which sells hundreds of Alzheimer’s products online, offered some low-tech advice to the high-tech entrepreneurs struggling to design an aesthetically pleasing transmitter.
The answer may lie as much in the presentation as in the design, he said.
“I’ve found that seniors will wear anything their grandchildren give them,” he said. “Just wrap up the transmitter as a present, say it’s from little Susie, and you’ll never have to worry about it being tossed into some corner.”
Is this good advice or plain patronising?
As regular Telecare Aware readers will know, Wireless Healthcare is a favourite source of articles, so it is a pity that in this commercial report they have produced they chose to perpetuate the use of the pejorative term ‘elderly’ instead of the less value-laden ‘older people’. Wireless Healthcare’s own story on the report.
New Zealand’s Zephyr Technology and Germany’s Sigma Sport have announced an agreement whereby Zephyr will supply smart fabric-based heart rate monitoring products for Sigma’s clothing lines.
Not telehealth, unfortunately, although it would arguably be a much better use for Siemens’ funding than MRI scanners.
“The Diabetes Education Centre staff can connect with their clients in the communities through the telehealth network in the rural health centres to provide one-on-one sessions. This means that people don’t have to leave their communities to get the services they need.” Full story.
Cisco HealthPresence combines state-of-the-art video, audio and call centre technology with medical information over a highly secure network to create a virtual face-to-face experience for patients and caregivers who may be miles apart. It is a technical platform that interfaces with medical diagnostic equipment, such as stethoscopes and otoscopes, as well as a vital signs monitor that can measure blood pressure, temperature, pulse rate and pulse oximetry to capture the physiological condition of the patient. An attendant is available to operate the medical devices on behalf of the remotely located caregiver as well as to maintain the technology in good operating condition. Full HealthPresence news item.
Medtronic, provider of pacemakers, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) devices, recently reached two industry milestones with its comprehensive suite of information solutions and remote monitoring technologies. Between March and November 2007, the Medtronic CareLink® Network doubled to more than 200,000 patients at 2,000 clinics worldwide; Medtronic patients using the CareLink Network can send cardiac device information to the clinic from the comfort of home. Paceart® System also has reached a milestone, providing HL7® (Health Level Seven) connectivity to 12 of the leading electronic health record (EHR) solutions. Sending a patient’s cardiac device information ‘ including programmer and CareLink remote monitoring reports ‘ via Paceart to a clinic’s EHR saves time1 and offers access to complete patient information. Press release for full information.