Commercial Offerings for the Home and Care Settings
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Devices Primarily Available For Clinical Measurements
In this section a cross-section of devices that are available for monitoring both physiological and behavioural markers both in the home setting and also the residential/care setting are reviewed. There are many commercial products available therefore only a representative sample is presented.
Devices Primarily Available For the Home Setting
The most common physiological measurement devices available are devices that measure fundamental parameters such as blood pressure, ECG, glucose and weight. These are the devices that also have seen a ‘service industry’ emerge around them, with the idea being that home monitoring devices are not of huge value unless something useful is being done with the data. By ‘useful’ it is meant that the data is being monitored by a clinician or it is being acted upon in some way so as to bring about a general health benefit. Some of the commercial offerings include;
- Viterion TeleHealth Network [1] - Viterion™ (a Bayer Healthcare Company) offers a range of products for monitoring blood pressure, pulse oxygen, weight, peak flow (spirometer), asthma, blood glucose and temperature. They also have a manual entry system for treatments such as pain management. Viterion offer a ‘full service’ from devices (Panasonic) to the monitoring, to full clinical intervention via their ‘Telehealth Network’. See CAPSIL page Viterion TeleHealth Network for a full treatment.
- The HealthHero Network [2] – The HealthHero™ Network is another ‘full service’ that monitors physiological data from blood pressure devices, blood glucose, pulse oxygen, weight and peak flow. Many different commercial devices can be connected to the HealthHero ‘Buddy’ system including Abbott, Roche, A&D Medical and Microlife. See CAPSIL page HealthHero Network for a full treatment.
- CardGuard [3] - CardGuard is a Swiss based company specialising in providing telehealthcare monitoring solutions to end users. They provide devices to monitor ECG, blood pressure, peak flow, glucose and weight. They provide a ‘full service’ also in that they host a secure network that they administer and ensure its reliability and security. Physicians or other caregivers can be granted access to the patients system and two way communications can happen. They also offer interactive TV and video conference options.
- Philips Telehealth [4] - Philips offer a range of telehealth devices for the home setting also including blood pressure monitor, ECG, glucose monitor, weight scales and pulse oxygen. The devices are wireless using Bluetooth communication and relay data back to a central ‘Telestation’. See CAPSIL page Philips Telehealth for a full treatment.
- Intel's HealthGuide [5]- The Intel Health Guide product is a newly available (2009) suite that contains two parts. Firstly there is a set top device that can be used with approved devices to take vital measurements (it comes with a full list of approved and interoperable devices, including blood pressure, ECG, peak flow etc) There is also the capability to have video calls (Teleconsultations) with the clinician and to manually enter data (medication compliance, pain management etc). The second part is a sophisticated clinician management application that allows the clinician to easily see which of his/her patients’ needs priority of care based on home based test results. See CAPSIL page Intel's HealthGuide for a more detailed treatment
- GE QuietCare system - This system offers ‘proactive’ healthcare monitoring. ‘Proactive healthcare’ is concerned with learning ‘normal’ patterns of daily activity and then determining any deviations from this ‘normal. The GE QuietCare® system uses multiple motion detectors connected to a central ‘learning server’. This server also acts as the gateway to the outside world. see CAPSIL page GE QuietCare system for a more detailed treatment.
Devices Primarily Available For The Care Setting
The physiological measurements discussed in the previous section are still valid here however the emphasis in this environment tends to be more on proactive care, preventing behaviours and activities from becoming medical conditions, and generally supporting the person in their Activities of Daily Living (ADL). For example, preventing pressure ulcers (bed sores) is crucial in this setting as these can be potentially fatal (second highest cause of iatrogenic mortality in the US, behind adverse drug events)
- Motion Detectors – These devices are pretty simple and are usually operated within an area such as a room or corridor to give an alert of activity or inactivity. This may be important for example if a person has not moved from a bedroom to toilet, then bed-wetting may be an issue.
- Bed Sensor Detector - These devices can be used to give an indication of the length of time a person spends in bed and also to alert when the person is getting up from bed (transferring). Many falls occur when a person is transferring from bed to a chair or walking aid. These sensors can also be used in the prevention of pressure ulcers (bed sores) where by the sensor gives an alert that the person needs to be turned or moved in the bed.
- Fall Sensors – Hip breaks resulting from falls account for approximately 10% of all accident and emergency admissions in the UK. It is known that many falls have often been preceded by a near miss event that if detected and the cause of the problem addressed, the acute fall may have been avoided. Fall sensor devices use accelerometers to detect sudden downward motion. They are capable of detecting the difference between a fall and a ‘stumble’ and work very well in practise.
- Enuresis Sensor – This sensor device fits between the top bed sheet and the mattress. It detects moisture as an indication of bed wetting and sends an alarm to the caregiver that the person needs attention. Pride and dignity is preserved by not having to check every two hours or so (which is the alternative).
There are many other standalone sensor devices that can be deployed to aid in assisting a person with their ADLs including
- Excessive temperature monitors,
- Medication trackers
- Carbon monoxide alerts
- Flood detectors.
These devices can be applicable to either the home or care facility as the need dictates.
References
- ↑ www.viterion.com
- ↑ www.healthhero.com
- ↑ www.cardguard.com
- ↑ www.philips.com
- ↑ http://www.intel.com/healthcare/ps/healthguide/index.htm
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