AT&T, other firms test devices to help monitor patients from afar |
Long-term treatments for diabetes, high blood pressure and other chronic killers work only if patients care for themselves properly.
That’s why doctors, hospitals, and high-tech companies such as Dallas-based AT&T Inc. are so excited about a new generation of devices that let medical professionals track patient progress.
These wireless devices automatically send doctors stats that people already measure – weight, blood pressure, etc. – so doctors can intervene at the first sign of trouble rather than waiting till patients feel bad enough to seek help.
The Department of Veterans Affairs already uses such “telehealth” technology on 35,000 patients.
Now, private health groups – working with insurers, universities and technology makers – have begun tests that could lead to widespread deployment over the next couple of years.
“A lot of this is old technology,” said Bob Miller, executive director of AT&T’s communications-technology research department. “But we’re putting it together in ways that will help millions of people live dramatically better lives.”
No Comments »
No comments yet.
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URL