Technology and wearable devices gain ground in home health care

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Patients and healthcare providers around the world have realized that relying solely on hospital systems will no longer be a viable option. Industry experts believe that ongoing advancements in home health care devices and services will help ease the current pressure on the global health care system.

Technology has proven extremely critical to home health care. Current and future advancements in home health care technologies are not only designed for effective disease control, but also encourage and enable people to live independently.

Technological interventions were complex and expensive in the past. However, the growing need and demand for convenient and effective remote patient monitoring, the development of new and innovative technologies, and the availability of sufficient funds have led to greater accessibility to low-cost technologies and devices.

New, affordable home devices aren’t just popular with nursing homes looking to age at home. The customer base has rapidly expanded to include new groups of patients, such as those with chronic diseases, children and diabetics. This will undoubtedly pave the way for a brighter future for both patients and healthcare providers.

Increasing use of biosensors to monitor geriatric health

When it comes to home health care for geriatrics, there are several innovative technologies and devices that have been seamlessly integrated into the assisted living or aging industry, or what is more widely known as geriatric care services. Speaking from a strictly medical perspective, recent technologies for monitoring the health of the elderly include blood pressure monitoring devices, oxygen therapy devices, patient temperature monitoring devices, and cardiac monitoring and heart rhythm monitoring devices. (CRM).

An NBC News article sheds light on the growing adoption of sensor technology in the US, especially for older people. By allowing a better estimate of the metabolic status of a patient or individual in a remote location, biosensors allow constant monitoring of those older people who suffer from a number of different diseases but choose to live independently, outside of hospitals and nursing homes. . The NBC article discusses the use of such sophisticated sensors to track an elderly couple’s walking speed, heart rate, and even sleeping patterns. This discreet technology also sends alerts in case of emergencies, allowing timely intervention by family members or caregivers. Like several medical device companies, research organizations, and medical universities, ElderTech, Missouri has been studying the importance of home sensor networks embedded in the environment and their relevance to detecting changes in adult health. greater.

Development of portable digital devices to remotely track heart conditions

As the medical device industry undergoes a tectonic shift with the advent of telemedicine, the field of cardiology has also felt its attendant benefits. The increasing incidence of cardiovascular disorders and the consequent need for constant monitoring of outpatients have led to a demand for cardiac monitoring and heart rhythm control (CRM). Home health care is a leading end user of these devices, with an ever-increasing demand for ECG and cardiac monitors, Holter monitors, event monitors, and ILR (implantable loop recorder).

When interviewing the founders of Eko Devices, The New York Times talks about the growing competition in the telemedicine business. Eko is one of many cardiovascular care companies that has been capitalizing on the home health care industry.

In a recent development, the company developed a digital stethoscope specifically intended for heart patients at home. This innovative palm-sized device, called the DUO, has the potential to alter the way heart patients are monitored. Combining electrocardiogram or EKG and electronic stethoscope in a single device, DUO provides unprecedented insight into cardiac functions. This includes rapid monitoring and review of heart rhythms and sounds to enable advanced bedside analysis and, if necessary, remote care.

The need for constant glucose control drives demand for diabetes devices

With medical devices increasingly interconnected thanks to the increasing penetration of the Internet, the increasing use of smartphones and a host of other medical devices, and the expansion of hospital networks, detecting and managing diabetes at home has become not only convenient but rather effective. Today, there is a wide range of diabetes devices available that promise quick and accurate results. The user-friendly designs of most devices and increasing levels of awareness among the diabetic population around the world have resulted in a fairly massive market for self-monitoring devices for use at home.

A recent research article sponsored and reviewed by Avantes BV, a leading innovator in the development and application of miniature spectrometers, focuses on the need for non-invasive diabetes diagnosis and monitoring. To detect and treat diabetes before it gets out of control, constant glucose monitoring and maintenance are crucial and, for a long time, existing diagnostic standards and therapies were immensely invasive. Furthermore, the management of this disease outside the hospital setting was extremely difficult. However, advanced medical screening technologies have enabled easy, non-invasive diabetes testing and blood glucose monitoring. The latest innovations have also ensured convenient and easy-to-use insulin self-administration devices.

Wearable technology has been one of the most prominent innovations to benefit and empower diabetics around the world. These devices have allowed diabetics to take charge of their own health outside of the doctor’s clinic and effectively manage the condition. Interestingly, smartwatches have shown immense potential to enable needle-free glucose monitoring over time. Apple Inc. is reportedly working on developing sensors to monitor blood sugar levels, a breakthrough that could turn devices like the Apple Watch into a means of monitoring important vital signs. The goal is to develop sensors that can non-invasively monitor and regulate blood sugar levels to help diabetics treat the condition from the comfort of their homes.

conclusion

Recently, an article in The New York Times shed light on the dwindling community of home health aides or personal care aides in the U.S. According to Paul Osterman of the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, If the number of workers in this home health care field continues to decline, the country will face a shortage of around 350,000 paid care providers by 2040. This alarming fact makes the development of advanced remote patient monitoring devices even more crucial.

With this need in mind, companies are looking to currency technologies that somehow replace human service providers with home healthcare digital assistants. To put this in perspective, home health aides are now testing Amazon’s Echo platform as a home health aide. The researchers hope that the online companion app will increasingly respond to customer needs, keep family caregivers informed at all times, and effectively optimize alerts, reminders, and functions.

This opportunity is sure to capture the interest of tech giants like Google, Apple, and Amazon, giving them the opportunity to emerge as pioneers in home health care.

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