Occupational Therapy News OTnews February 2020 | Page 24

FEATURE TECHNOLOGY
24 OTnews February 2020
O
ver the last decade there has been a major
change in how technology is used within
health and social care. Working groups
have been investigating these technological
advancements and how they can be utilised to make
better use of resources and help clinicians deliver a more
efficient service. The ultimate goal being to provide better
outcomes, services and support for patients.
With an ageing population and increased numbers
of people living with long-term conditions, services are
becoming strained and teams are looking for innovative
ways to combat some of the challenges they are facing.
Technology is frequently becoming the answer.
The need for assistive technology within occupational
therapy is not new. With an extensive background in older
adults and dementia, I often found family members were
desperate to support their loved ones and manage their
own lives and work commitments.
They were eager to hear about technology that could
help them accomplish this balance and reduce the high
prices paid for home care when they could not be around.
Telecare was and still remains as a ‘go to’ tool for many
reasons, and as our understanding in this area grows so
Kirstie Hughes looks at the potential of
smart watches to support people in taking
control of their own health
The smart watch, a new wave
in health technology?
do the options available to us. This has given us a new
market to explore – wearable technology.
A report by Tech Crunch in 2019 noted that the market
for wearable smart technology grew 54.3 percent in 2018,
with technology giant Apple leading the herd, followed
closely by the FitBit.
Apple’s latest smart watch, the fifth in its series, brought
updates in health tracking ability and monitoring software,
boasting a falls detector as well as an ECG monitor.
The new watches also come equipped with 3G data
options and GPS, therefore they can be worn and used
independently from a hub or smart phone.
As a technology nerd this interested me. As an
occupational therapist it intrigued me and led me to
ponder on its potential and place within the assisted
technology line up.
Depending on the brand and model, wearable devices
can continuously and silently monitor vital health signs,
such as resting heart rate, temperature, arrhythmias and
blood pressure.
They also help to promote increased activity levels of
the wearer by allowing them to become more aware of
their daily routines.