Wearable Censors for Remote Health Monitoring
Several countries across the globe have been recording an increase in life expectancy- a situation made possible by improved medicine, public health, and observance of personal and environmental hygiene. However, the increased life expectancy rate is also accompanied by a decline in birthrates with countries like U.S. and Canada that have advanced economies most affected. A recent study by the World Health Organization (WHO) indicated that the elderly population will be more than children below five years. Such a trend is quite worrying given the type of care that the old age individuals require that would endanger the socio-economic set up of a country due to the expensive healthcare and medicines. Therefore, there is a need to devise a plan that will ensure that the aged persons receive quality healthcare without visiting the expensive healthcare facilities and interruption of normal life. Use of wearable sensors for remote healthcare monitoring could be a perfect solution to the problem at hand. The wearable sensors have varied application in measuring body temperature, heart rate, capillary oxygen saturation (SpO2), and body movement. Therefore, it is important to analyze the use of the wearable sensors and their significance as health information technologies.
As more advances are made in the healthcare systems, the use and adoption of health information technology (HIT) is important. The healthcare systems of several countries across the globe are moving from the conventional clinic environment to home-based care. To achieve such a transformation, HITs are important in the transition process. One major HIT that has recently been developed is the wearable sensors technology that can be used to measure physiological parameters of patients with difficulties. Wearable sensors have proven to be vital HITs because of the unique value they present to the healthcare system. Wearable sensors are connected to secondary devices that help in processing and sending primary data obtained from a user to a medical caregiver. A wearable sensor is a unique device and it can be attached to normal textiles through weaving, knitting, and stitching. The ability to embed the sensors on smart textiles eliminates ambiguity and ensures comfort and privacy to the user. The wearable sensors have two special means of relaying the primary data from the user. The first stage of communication involves the transmission of the primary data to the nearest gateway with a server. Smart phones and computers may be used as the nearest gateway nodes and receive information through wireless connection such as Bluetooth. The smartphone or computer then processes the information transmitting it to the nearest health facility through the internet marking the second stage. Once the information is relayed to the healthcare facility, a response protocol is initiated by healthcare givers if there is a situation of concern.
There are numerous wearable censors that have been released into the market and are quite significance to the healthcare system. Biometric shirts and fitness trackers are some of the sensors that have been released into the market by numerous companies. The sensors are used in monitoring numerous physiological conditions in the life of human beings. Body temperature, heart rates, body movements, and sleeps rates are some of the physiological parameters measured by the sensors. Elderly persons in the population can suffer from diseases resulting from interference of the mentioned factors. Stroke, insomnia, and Parkinson’s syndrome are some of the infections that results from incensements or lowering of the levels of the aforementioned parameter beyond normalcy. Mounting of cameras in homes of the elderly has been used as a means of monitoring such conditions. However, such interventions have been termed as expensive and restricts an individually to a specific area.
Therefore, there are a lot of advantages in using wearable sensors as healthcare information technologies in monitoring the health of the elderly. Wearable sensors provide caregivers with real-time information about a patient. For instance, increase in body temperature beyond normalcy has been indicated as the first signs leading to stroke. Attaining such information in real-time will enable a caregiver to initiate immediate medical response before the patient is attacked by stroke. Besides, seeking treatment in the conventional healthcare facilities has proven to be quite expensive. Wearable sensors limit a patient’s regular visit to the conventional clinic as treatment becomes home-based. Therefore, the expenses that were initially incurred in visiting conventional healthcare facilities are saved making the treatment process to be cheaper. Also, the sensors can be embedded in the normal textiles. As a result, the comfortability and privacy of the users of the devices can be assured.
Despite the significance of the wearable sensors in remote monitoring of the healthcare of the elderly, there are some challenges in the system. For instance, a single sensor can only be used to measure a single parameter such as the heart rate. Patients suffering from multiple conditions will therefore require multiple sensors which seems not practical and quite expensive. Therefore, future research should device sensors capable of monitoring multiple conditions.
Precisely, it was essential to analyze the wearable sensors and their significance as healthcare information technologies in remote monitoring of the elderly’s’ health conditions. As discussed above, the wearable sensors relay real-time data to caregivers which is helpful in preventing a disease from attacking. The sensors also provide comfort given their abilities to be embedded in textiles. However, the sensors can also be expensive for patients with multiple health conditions. Therefore, future studies should device a sensor with ability to measure multiple parameters.
References
Majumder, S., Mondal, T., & Deen, M. J. (2017). Wearable sensors for remote health monitoring. Sensors, 17(1), 130.