Future of Healthcare

The major trends to be looked at when predicting the futureof healthcare include the aging population, chronic diseases, and urbanization. These trends have brought strains and concerns in healthcare systems as they are already raising healthcare cost issues, quality, and access of healthcare.

With this in mind, you should realize that new techniques and treatment models are needed to integrate elements of automation, prediction, and prevention to make healthcare affordable and efficient.

One of the major advances aimed to change the future of healthcare is the use of connected wearable devices that can help cut the cost of NHS while involving patients in their healthcare and boosting healthier lifestyles.

Smart sensors are devices that have played a great role in detecting physical, chemical, and biological signals in your body. In healthcare, sensors provide the mechanical vision of reading, sorting, and counting health signals that can be used to deliver care directly to patients. Sensors can collect patient information dynamically to stimulate diagnostic and preventive health care and as well measure treatment results.

Smart Sensors and Future of Healthcare

Since everyone is busy, it is likely that they can forget to take care of their own health. Keeping this in mind, connected healthcaretechnology can prove to be an asset for any individual. With healthcare technology advancement, lots of smart medical sensors have come into existence analyzing individual patient activity and automatically predicting diseases before one feels sick. Below are features of medical smart sensors:

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·         Enable neural technologies- Smart neural sensors prove to be an asset for managing a patient’s conditions such as neural bypass, rheumatoid arthritis and Parkinson’s disease. Sensor devices have also been available for paralyzed patients.

·         Give early signs for medical conditions- Many sensors available in the market are aimed to generate data from patients and alert doctors before adverse event occur. Such sensors can indicate signs of stroke, heart failure and kidney failure. Injectable biosensors can also be used to detect early signs of cancer.

·         Automate smart healthcare devices- To help fulfill real-time, patients need several smart devices that combine data analytics, sensor data and adjust medication delivery.

·         Manage chronic diseases- High resolution and tiny sensors have been used by doctors and patients to help manage real-time chronic conditions such as multiple sclerosis, diabetes and heart disease. The sensors also provide real-time recommendations for patients

Types of sensors in healthcare

In the current medical field, patients have taken an active part in collecting and reviewing medical reports. The digital world has allowed development of standard wireless communication sensors that require active or passive patient participation.

Currently, large numbers of passive sensors have been used to monitor vital signs in patients and then store the data or share it wirelessly to healthcare providers. With a combination of sensor data and analytics, reports are made to describe the health conditions of an individual.

Below are types of sensors depending on requirements and areas deployed:

·         Wearable digital watches or clothes

·         Blood-sampling passive sensors e.g. glucose meters

·         Ingestible sensors embedded in medications

·         Tissue-embedded sensors like defibrillators and pacemakers

·         External sensors like blood pressure cuffs and oximeters

·         Epidermal sensors such as patches and digital tattoos

Passive Sensors

Introduction of passive sensors will be a great step that is aimed to make the future of healthcare a success. One good thing about passive sensors is that the sensors assist a patient even outside the hospital. Thanks to the new technology, patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes and congestive heart failure can live safely and healthily with less hospital visits. These sensors can be used to monitor health changes without the need of visiting your doctor regularly. The data generated by the sensors can be used to signal your care team when the need arise.

Below are ways passive sensors can be used without your need to do anything:

·         A patch placed on your arm can help monitor signals such as glucose levels, heart rate, blood pressure and blood oxygen level. Health measurement signals are then sent to your care team (doctor or physician) to help diagnose your health condition.

·         Floorboard Wi-Fi enabled sensors can be used to monitor and record your weight immediately when you wake up.

·         When brushing your teeth, the sensors placed on your bathroom floor can help monitor any pressure points on your feet that may signify any signs of ulcers.

·         Sensors placed on your wall or floor can help monitor your gait to access the risk of falling

·         Tiny sensors placed on your medication can help one know if he or she has taken the whole dose by alerting your doctor

Signals generated by all sensors are automatically sent through a secure wireless connection and stored in a personal health record. You can access the data and allow others to access it as well.

If any health measurement signals fall outside of your predetermined normal range, the data is sent to your doctor or any other member of your care team.

Use of passive sensors will be achieved in the near future, allowing patients to have personalized support from the care teams. In fact the passive sensors can help patients live healthier live at their homes.

Advantages and disadvantages of passive sensors

Different types of sensors are used in healthcare depending on their efficiency and usability characteristics. Below are advantages and disadvantages of passive sensor devices

Advantages

·         They are highly reliable

·         Are easy to design

·         Perform highly

·         Have a scalable flexible system

·         They are small and easy to pack

Disadvantages

·         Calibration of the sensors has to be managed by an external processor

·         They require both sensors and actuators

·         Wired smart sensors are complex and costly

·         To design a sensor, there is need for a predefined embedded function

The Bottom Line

In the past we have never been in control of monitoring our health. From weighing scales that monitor our body fat and heart rate trackers to wristband step, wearable and self-monitoring healthcare technology is changing the way we think about our own biology. You will soon hear of even implants containing sensors that can also measure blood data for patients with diabetes.

According to a recent survey on wearable sensors, 81 percent of respondents said that they would like to see more wearable connected devices used in healthcare. 50% of the respondents said that they are certain that connected wearable devices have a potential of monitoring vulnerable patients.