Medical Centre uses smart phones to monitor heart patients at home

Flagstaff Medical Centre, Arizona USA (FMC) has enrolled its first patient into a ground breaking new program, Care Beyond Walls and Wires, an initiative that will extend the care of patients beyond the walls of the hospital or doctor’s office.

In collaboration with Qualcomm Incorporated, through its Wireless Reach™ initiative, Zephyr Technology, Verizon Wireless, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Care Beyond Walls and Wires uses advanced 3G wireless technology and health-monitoring devices to enhance the care of patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) or other related conditions.

“This project launches a model of care that transcends traditional medicine, using state-of-the-art technology to care for patients beyond the walls of the hospital,” said William Bradel, Flagstaff Medical Center president and CEO. “Working with these technology companies and national health agencies will extend FMC’s reach into outlying areas where healthcare is most needed.”

Qualcomm is lending its expertise and donating wireless devices to FMC in support of the project. Zephyr is providing advanced health-monitoring systems to patients and Verizon Wireless is providing 3G-enabled Motorola Droid X2 smart phones. The NIH is assisting FMC with project planning and evaluation.

Care Beyond Walls and Wires uses wireless broadband tools, such as smart phones and 3G technology, to allow in-home daily monitoring of patients with CHF. These tools will collect and transfer critical data, such as weight, blood pressure, activity and other important health indicators, to nurses at FMC who are following patients enrolled in the program. Information will be sent daily for three to six months after the patient’s discharge from the hospital. This daily exchange of information enables health care providers and patients to work together to manage CHF. With the technology, health care professionals can detect a decline in a patient’s health status early and intervene immediately, helping to reduce unnecessary travel, doctor’s visits, costs and readmission to a hospital.

According to the Federal government, 25 to 50 percent of CHF patients are re-hospitalised within three to six months of a hospital discharge. The primary reasons for re-hospitalisation include patients not taking medications as prescribed, failure to follow a dietary plan, not knowing the early signs of CHF and lack of planned follow-up with a healthcare provider after leaving the hospital. Each of these factors can be addressed on a daily basis through Care Beyond Walls and Wires.

Fifty patients discharged from FMC following an admission for CHF or related cardiac condition and who are at high risk for readmission will be invited to participate in the project. Project participants will be provided in-home monitoring equipment, mobile phones and training. Some patients also will receive home visits from outreach staff.

“Our mission is to transform the health of the communities we serve,” Bradel said. “This program will dramatically extend the delivery of healthcare by giving our CHF patients the tools to stay connected to a nurse at FMC, regardless of how close they are to the hospital.”

RECENT ARTICLES

Panasonic and Jasmy unveil Web3 Platform for IoT data control

Posted on: March 28, 2024

Panasonic has joined forces with Jasmy (JASMY) blockchain to introduce a Web3 platform that will facilitate the connection of personal data on the Internet of Things (IoT). The collaboration between the Japanese-based blockchain and Panasonic Advanced Technology was initiated in February, but the official announcement was made on March 26.

Read more

Driving connected personalised user experiences with Generative AI

Posted on: March 27, 2024

As the world continues to rapidly move towards digitalisation, customer expectations are also on the rise. Around the globe, telcos are grappling with meeting these expectations. As well as ensuring connectivity in a secure, seamless, and consistent manner 24/7, to compete and differentiate, operators now need to provide personalised experiences that are as unique as

Read more
FEATURED IoT STORIES

What is IoT? A Beginner’s Guide

Posted on: April 5, 2023

What is IoT? IoT, or the Internet of Things, refers to the connection of everyday objects, or “things,” to the internet, allowing them to collect, transmit, and share data. This interconnected network of devices transforms previously “dumb” objects, such as toasters or security cameras, into smart devices that can interact with each other and their

Read more

The IoT Adoption Boom – Everything You Need to Know

Posted on: September 28, 2022

In an age when we seem to go through technology boom after technology boom, it’s hard to imagine one sticking out. However, IoT adoption, or the Internet of Things adoption, is leading the charge to dominate the next decade’s discussion around business IT. Below, we’ll discuss the current boom, what’s driving it, where it’s going,

Read more

9 IoT applications that will change everything

Posted on: September 1, 2021

Whether you are a future-minded CEO, tech-driven CEO or IT leader, you’ve come across the term IoT before. It’s often used alongside superlatives regarding how it will revolutionize the way you work, play, and live. But is it just another buzzword, or is it the as-promised technological holy grail? The truth is that Internet of

Read more

Which IoT Platform 2021? IoT Now Enterprise Buyers’ Guide

Posted on: August 30, 2021

There are several different parts in a complete IoT solution, all of which must work together to get the result needed, write IoT Now Enterprise Buyers’ Guide – Which IoT Platform 2021? authors Robin Duke-Woolley, the CEO and Bill Ingle, a senior analyst, at Beecham Research. Figure 1 shows these parts and, although not all

Read more

CAT-M1 vs NB-IoT – examining the real differences

Posted on: June 21, 2021

As industry players look to provide the next generation of IoT connectivity, two different standards have emerged under release 13 of 3GPP – CAT-M1 and NB-IoT.

Read more

IoT and home automation: What does the future hold?

Posted on: June 10, 2020

Once a dream, home automation using iot is slowly but steadily becoming a part of daily lives around the world. In fact, it is believed that the global market for smart home automation will reach $40 billion by 2020.

Read more

5 challenges still facing the Internet of Things

Posted on: June 3, 2020

The Internet of Things (IoT) has quickly become a huge part of how people live, communicate and do business. All around the world, web-enabled devices are turning our world into a more switched-on place to live.

Read more