Chronic diseases will be better managed
Providing chronic disease patients with interoperable, unobtrusive devices that can be used at home, at work, or on the move allow them to regularly track and share their health status. Improved information systems also enable care teams to make necessary interventions and allow family members to play a greater role in their loved one’s care – including the parents of children with chronic diseases. With these tools, it will be possible to manage chronic diseases more efficiently and cut down on physician office visits and hospital stays.
Benefits include:
- Extend health care into the home
- Improve overall disease management care
- Monitor specific disease progression utilizing biosensors and activity
- Schedule appointments
- Trend analysis and alerts
- Remote consultation: e-mail, chat, video conferencing
Bob, 47 years old - has a chronic asthma condition
Every day, he uses a spirometer, pulse oximeter and blood pressure cuff to monitor his condition. As he uses each device, the data is automatically transmitted to a personal health system in his home and sent on to a monitoring service that helps him keep track of his condition. If the monitoring service notices any abnormal data, Bob's doctor and Bob are automatically notified. When this happens, a health care professional will give him a call to discuss the symptoms and lifestyle recommendations, and occasionally will ask Bob to come in for additional diagnosis.
Ayesha, 12 years old - just been diagnosed with juvenile diabetes
She uses a glucose meter and cell phone to monitor her blood sugar levels. The cell phone reminds Ayesha to check her blood sugar regularly during the day, and her glucose meter seamlessly transmits her measurements to her cell phone after each use. The data is transferred to a diabetic monitoring service that maintains Ayesha's long-term history and looks for abnormal events. If a reading is unusual, or if Ayesha skips a test, the system automatically contacts her mother, who can get in touch with Ayesha immediately through her cell phone.