Wearable technology aids patient diagnostics

摘要

For healthcare providers, accurate diagnosis and treatment depends on a clear and continuous picture of an individual's health, something that can't be achieved with infrequent tests carried out in doctors' surgeries. These at best offer just a static snapshot of an individual's ever-changing health. For the patient, regular surgery visits or dealing with medical equipment installed in the home becomes disruptive and too often translates into non-compliance with health treatment plans. The possibility to review health data remotely through wearables promises measurable improvements in healthcare. According to the international Groupe Speciale Mobile Association (GSMA), a study of patients in the USA with chronic heart failure found that remotely monitored patients had fewer and shorter hospital stays than a control group, while a separate study noted that remote monitoring of patients with chronic heart failure could reduce re-hospitalisations by as much as 72%. Like the GSMA, the Continua Health Alliance, a not-for-profit industry organisation of healthcare and technology companies, sees remote monitoring - "telehealth" - as a key enabler needed to address the skyrocketing spending on chronic disease.