HEALTHCARE
Telehealth : A Valuable Tool for Enabling Care with Technology
Virtual visits between doctors and patients have become very common .
Compiled from National Institutes of Health Research
Telehealth often involves remote monitoring of blood pressure , heart rate and other measurements obtained by a device worn by the patient and electronically sent to medical personnel . Smartphones and other smart personal devices are increasingly utilized for the collection , dissemination and even analysis of health status due to their increasing presence around the globe , even in remote , underserved communities .
Remote patient monitoring ( RPM ) enables patient monitoring outside of clinical settings , such as in the home . Patients use or wear sensors that wirelessly collect and transmit physiological data to health professionals . RPM can significantly improve an individual ’ s quality of life . For example , in diabetes management , the real-time transmission of blood glucose readings enables healthcare providers to intervene when needed and avoid acute events and hospitalizations .
Telehomecare provides the remote care needed to allow people with chronic conditions , dementia , or those at high risk of falling to remain living in their own homes . The approach focuses on reacting to emergency events and raising a help response quickly . Sensors monitor changes in chronic conditions , as well as other risks including floods , fires and gas leaks . Sensors can also alert caregivers if a person with dementia leaves the house . When a sensor is activated , a monitoring center is alerted to take appropriate action , such as contacting a caregiver or sending emergency services .
Point-of-care ( POC ) medicine relies on diagnostics that can be performed at the time and place of patient care , which includes at home , in doctor ’ s offices and clinics , and in remote areas without electricity or laboratory equipment . POC devices can detect micronutrient deficiencies , anemia , infectious agents and even some cancers . Combined with telehealth , POC technologies allow healthcare workers to test
“ Remote patient monitoring ( RPM ) enables patient monitoring outside of clinical settings , such as in the home . Patients use or wear sensors that wirelessly collect and transmit physiological data to health professionals .”
patients and rapidly obtain results without the need for a complex laboratory setting , which can result in significant cost reduction .
National Institutes of Health ( NIH ) funded researchers are working on a 15-minute paper-based viral diagnostic . Diagnoses of HIV viral load requires RNA amplification from blood in a centralized laboratory , which
can delay diagnosis and treatment for weeks . Scientists from NIH ’ s National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering ( NIBIB ) are developing a paper-based diagnostic that can quantify HIV viral load in whole blood in 15 minutes . A mobile phone is used to power and control the paper-based RNA extraction and reaction ; analyze the fluorescent readout indicating viral load ; and store the results in the cloud where they can be accessed by a physician . The $ 10 test will be broadly applicable for infectious disease diagnosis at the point-of-care .
Wearable mHealth systems to improve therapy for knee osteoarthritis are also possible . Knee osteoarthritis ( OA ) is a leading cause of disability because of pain , stiffness and decreased range of motion . Studies have shown that too excessive or too limited levels of clinically recommended therapy often increase pain , suggesting that each individual has an optimal treatment level . NIBIB-funded engineers have developed a flexible wearable system with one sensor attached to the knee sleeve and a second sensor under the foot insole . The system will gather and assess a patient ’ s movement biomechanics that affect pain , quality of life , and rehabilitation progression ; this will generate clinical data that will enable the development of personalized OA therapy .
A smartphone-based test to diagnose anemia is also in the works . More than 1.6 billion people have anemia , which increases risk of maternal and infant mortality and impairs cognition in children and adults . Inflammation and iron and B vitamin deficiency each cause anemia , and
Continued On Page 36
Photo : Getty Images / iStockphoto / scyther5
Technological advances such as patient home health monitors and wearable health-monitoring devices have become popular with patients of all ages .
Photo : Getty Images / iStockphoto / oonal
34 COMMERCE www . commercemagnj . com