The Rise of Wearable Technology in Healthcare

Discuss about the Wearable Technologies for Construction Research.

In the past year wearable technology has become a significant trend in user electronics. Last year, tens of millions of these products were bought globally. Buyers seem to love the rising variety of electronic devices they can wrap around their wrist or chest or even wear inside a bra to monitor their health and fitness. These devices are to some extent motivating since it’s easier to measure your progress toward a wellness goal when a digital display tells you exactly how far you’ve walked in a day. The objective of this study is identifying technologies used in the health sector. The study emphasized more on wearable technology which have had high demand in the last year. The paper presents an in-depth review on the use of the wearable technology, its impact on both the patient and the care giver, risks and outcomes of the technology. Qualitative study was carried out. Dramatic progress is being made in continuous monitoring of many importance of this wearable technology that can be of great advantage to patients especially those with chronic diseases.

When a digital gadget can tell you much sugar you have consumed in, how many kilometers you have covered in your walking workout. As much as it marks it easier to track your progress towards your health goal it is also a motivating factor. For this reason consumers seem to love the growing trend in variety of electronic gadget that can be wrapped around their wrist or chest or even wear inside a bra to monitor their health fitness

Wearable technologies are not only about counting steps or the intakes of calories. These devices can be used to monitor glucose level, monitor blood pressure as well as the use of diapers that can test the urinary tract infection. This devices have led t to the lack of need to visit any laboratory collection center.

By use of this wearable technology it would be somehow great to be able to track something like seizures from home. When they happen someone may experience (as an example) being briefly unresponsive causing “awkward silences” in the middle of speaking. If the brain is not in the right mood, one can have five or six seizures in a few minutes, (L. Straus,2008).By use of the wearable technology one has  reliable way to test what does and does not happen, the use of unobtrusive wearable sensor that could detect rapid eye flickering, a sign of having a seizure. “If I had a wearable device, I could do all the experimentation in my real life and not in a laboratory,” (L. Straus, 2008) Just a single blood pressure test in a clinical setting does little to reveal a person’s hypertensive status as they go about their day. “Continuous monitoring allows doctors and clinicians and technologists to really understand a patient’s state of disease, more so than those sporadic measures we take once in a while,”(H. Salah,2015) With the transition to electronic health records, it is even possible that any information tracked by a patient’s wearable scanner could be uploaded directly to their medical file.

Uses and Impact of Wearable Technology in Healthcare

With this advancement in technologies, are the medical lab technologist left out? “I think, with these technologies, it is actually an exciting time to get into the profession,” (Dr. Peter B, 2008). “I think technologists are going to become more of data analysts in the future, understanding what those data points mean,” (W.Salah, 2015). This is not entirely the case, that the MLTs will be left out, as they could be custodians of the information, be responsible for interpreting it and as well as delivering the results hence their visibility would be increased as health care members A more personal relation could be developed between the patient and the MLTs as a result of the MLTs managing the data collected more actively.

These technologies have created other considerable opportunities for the MLTs. Seeing a scenario where test have to be done outside the lab with portable equipment. This mean someone must have expertise to know that an  equipment is performing as per the specifications and that it is reliable.as well. Opportunities are created in rural areas where a patient is prescribed several different wearables hence would need the expertise. 

Innovations in wearable medical devices is being powered at a tremendous pace by advances in wireless technologies, low-power electronics, the internet of things, and domain of connected health(Chiauzzi E, 2015). Regular monitoring of vital signs would help both the professional and users to establish abnormalities showing that further medical attention and care may be required.

Traditionally testing for glaucoma has been for the eye doctor. However luckily SENSIMED developed a contact lens,earlier the patient would visit the eye doctor occasionally which did not help to monitor pressure resulted from glaucoma on a 24hrs basis. However with the deployment of contact lens this has been made possible. Pressure is monitored and later transmitted to a device in the size of an iPod worn around the neck. The patient would then return the device to the doctor to read out the information.

A prototype wearable wristband can as well be used to predict potential heart attacks by use of data collected with this device. A baby sensor worn around the ankle of the baby to monitor heart rate, sleeping position, if the baby is calm, fussy or even angry

Athlete can also use the technology to monitor their head injuries A wearable sensor was developed in the form of mouthpiece can be used to transmit the impact of the force in real time. This device is more accurate since it is inside the head as opposed to around the head. Later on the researcher coordinates the mouthpiece signals with the games event on a videotape. This device is of great importance since head injuries have become of great concern.

Benefits of Personalized Data Collection and Collaboration

There has been development of wearable glasses by the XOEye Technology. These glasses can remotely send the wearer vision to another location and as well as include audio abilities . Their connection and synchronization is provided by WIFI link to a nearby smartphone. This invention can significantly improve security intelligence as well as the forces’ safety by provision of crucial information and sending it to a remote control center (Bower,2015)Scientific researchers can also employ this technology to acquire data in inaccessible areas hence ensuring consistency in their findings and publications (Sturman, 2015).

Another invention that has been as a result of wearable technologies is the making of smart watches. These devices are linked and synchronized by the means of Wi-Fi or Bluetooth of the user’s smartphone (Lubecke,2015) . They have been very useful in cases where the user is not required to constantly have a glance at his or her phone either for ethical purposes or for saving time. The synched data can be clearly observed on the wrist smart watches. Wearable technology has not only lead to improvement of health systems but also easing lifestyles and accessibility of information promptly (Shahhaidar, 2015). 

The wearable technology has led to healthcare services to be more collaborative as compared to overprotective and hence become more patients approachable, this is because both parties play a role in acquiring data. Also the patient is centered which lead to patients being motivated in monitoring and understand their health. The technology has led to low healthcare cost since most of the major task is done by the device, as well as cost is shares and hence healthcare investment is minimal. The technology enables collecting of reliable and personalized data hence that could schedule for a treatment plan and hence this leads to more improved services by the healthcare giver. 

The use of wearable technology enhances the quality of life of the patient since. The patient is in a position to carry out constant monitoring, as he or she carries  on his  daily routine as compared to being confined in a hospital setting .Wearable also provide the opportunity to be used in the rehabilitation center, following the tools for tracking daily information related to activities being performed (C.Nohr, SK.Andersen 2013)

Communication between the patient and the health care giver is improved, considering they both play a huge role in the health of the patient, this is as a result of consultation and tailored treatment and hence this leads to a shared decision. In the position that a patient is solely able to monitor their condition it makes them feel they can  provide accurate data to their healthcare provider in an objective manner which channels to a specific need as much as much as a personalized one (AH McGregor, AF Henley, TP Morris. 2012)

Improving Patient-Centered Care

The use of this wearable technology enables the patient to feel in control over their condition thus managing it effectively. Also the patient being aware of their condition helps the patient to adhere to the very need of changing certain behaviors as much as being in control of their health and managing it effectively (K.Jack, SM McLean, JK Moffett.2012).This feeling of being in control helps the patient to accept their health condition fast which would to quick recovery that is contributed by day to day monitoring that enable the patient to know what is good for their condition

It would be of no use to be an athlete who does not know the progress  and how forward towards the goal one is making and hence the wearable technology has come to fill in this gap. Energy expenditure, full understanding of the energy progression will determine a successful training to the coaches’ trainers and players. Using this devices success can be scrutinized. 

According to Beiderman, (2011) researchers collaborated to invent a device that could biometrically detect a speckle effect of glucose and the level of hydration in the blood. The level of dehydration can also be observed using this device. Deficiency of body fluids will change the strength of the signal hence the device can be applied to monitor the patient‘s hydration levels. Improvement in research will finesse the calibration levels and this will minimize the effect of motion on the readings in this biometric device thereby increasing its accuracy. Commercialization of this device will improve the quality of life of the patient since they can monitor their glucose levels in the bloodstream at a personal level; thus they can adopt a healthy lifestyle to mitigate negative effect of diabetes.  

The use this wearable technology can also aid in surgery by provision of prompt information about the patient without necessarily having to undergo physical diagnosis. This will minimize physical contact that happens during surgery hence increasing the probability of surgery success 

Though not openly discussed, information is frequently passed on non-secure mobile devices. Many health care givers have resorted to texting picture of radiographs, computed tomography scans, pertinent findings to higher level residents or their on call attending (P Bonato 2010). This has overshowed the concern of privacy violation

Advance in wearable technology does not require the patient to get frequent visits from the MLTs, as the patient is in a position to monitor his condition on a daily basis. In contrast with a busy hospital such practices are impossible since the practioners especially those on nightshift tend to issue overtreatment or under treatment due to the overwhelming number of patients.

Conclusion

Conclusion

The many benefits that have been realized due to the invention of  wearable technology  including improved health care and monitoring systems, can only be utilized  by the citizens if the governments have willingness to incorporate them in their healthcare  systems and subsidizing them for the people to afford. Failure to this, the inventions would only be accessible to the high class citizens leaving out the middle and low class, who also deserve an equal treatment. This would mean the quality of life would be low, services provided by the healthcare practioners would be at low levels and also this would deprive the country of the technological opportunities that come along with wearable technology 

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