Providers, vendors alike bullish on wireless patient monitoring

Healthcare providers and technology firms are bullish on a new generation of remote patient monitoring devices and new applications of existing technologies, according to an article in the Dallas Morning News. Thermometers, scales and blood-pressure cuffs have gotten smart and linked to other systems via tried-and-true protocols such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Promising new products include an offering from a company called 24Eight, which has embedded shoe insoles with pressure sensors and accelerometers to monitor how people distribute weight when walking and help reduce the risk of falling.

Of course, compatibility and interoperability issues hamper widespread adoption of smart devices, since these products work best when integrated with electronic medical records. The three-year old Continua Health Alliance is trying to solve this problem, the story says, by developing standards for devicemakers.

For more about the newest generation of wireless home medical devices:
- check out this Dallas Morning News story