Wearable technology occupies an important position in the field of digital health, but in the future, non-contact sensor technology may play an increasing role.
The growing interest in population health may also promote the adoption of digital health technologies, such as non-contact fever monitoring in public spaces.
Based on the traditional workflow of acute care of inpatients.
The surge in the adoption of telemedicine has helped to promote the transition of many common diseases to virtual medicine, which medical observers have long promised.
But Frost&Sullivan said that advances in non-contact sensor technology may drive more progress. The company predicts that from 2019 to 2023, the entire field of remote patient monitoring will grow at a compound growth rate of nearly 20% per year.
In the first wave of digital health, many traditional medical devices have the ability to wirelessly communicate patient data. At the same time, the rise of wearable devices has commercialized pulse monitoring and other indicators. Although wearable devices (such as smart watches) have become popular, they are not mainstream. According to Pew Research, only one-fifth of Americans use this device. Wearable devices can be uncomfortable and relatively expensive, especially those that include more than just step count and pulse count.
The advantages of non-contact technology
Frost&Sullivan said that non-contact technology has advantages over wearable devices. First, since the patient or clinician is not required to physically interact with such systems, non-contact sensors simplifies health monitoring and can unobtrusively detect health problems. Think of the sensor technology installed under the mattress, which can detect vital signs in a hospital or a seizure in a patient's home. Video-based technology is equipped with machine learning to monitor patients or track their medications after surgery. A start-up company has developed a vital signs monitor that analyzes the blood flow in the cheeks through a smartphone camera.
Frost&Sullivan senior research analyst Ashish Kaul (Ashish Kaul) predicts that as medical professionals seek new ways to curb infectious diseases, non-contact technology presents a bright future. Kaul said that non-contact patient monitoring technology has shown promise in tracking patients infected with COVID-19.
Many non-contact sensors for patient monitoring can also be easily integrated with smart phones to provide applications for patients or medical staff. According to data from the Pew Research Center, more than 80% of Americans have smartphones and disease awareness is increasing. Kaul said that the maturity of remote patient monitoring technology may begin in the next two to four years.
Other factors driving non-contact patient monitoring technology include advances in Doppler radar, infrared and sound analysis, and machine learning. The surge in interest in non-contact monitoring technologies for detecting fever and cough symptoms, and the enforcement of social distancing measures in public places, may also promote awareness of non-contact technologies. Libelium CEO Alicia Asín said: “After this pandemic, we will continue to use these technologies.” “Traditionally, many people get the flu in the workplace. If you can get people with fever to work from home, the number of people who get sick every year It will decrease."
change old habits
Consulting company Betten Systems Solutions president Bill Betten (Bill Betten) said that despite the optimism about the progress of non-contact sensors and people's interest in telemedicine, the scope of medical reform depends on incentives and changes in behavior. Most healthcare ecosystems in the United States put inpatient care first. Betten said: "The healthcare system is largely response-based." A large part of the promise of remote patient monitoring is to prevent negative outcomes. But the reality is that clinicians are usually motivated to prioritize the quantity of care over quality. "Think of the hospital as a factory," Betten said. "They want their machines to keep running and let patients run over with money."
Although the "Affordable Care Act" (Affordable Care Act) strengthens support for preventive medical services and imposes penalties on patients who are re-admitted to hospital, the U.S. healthcare industry still prioritizes treating patients. Only 3% of US medical expenditures are used for prevention. Betten said that other digital technologies, such as electronic health records, also “frequently emphasize financial issues rather than caring for patients.
Expanding the coverage of preventive health care and remote patient monitoring will depend on the wide-ranging changes in the entire health care ecosystem.
In the end, Kaul believes that contactless remote technology is an efficient gospel for medical professionals. He said: "There will be some problems at the beginning, such as an increase in false alarms, but the use of advanced sensors and communication technology to improve equipment accuracy will help alleviate these problems in the future."
Kaul said: "The healthcare industry has slowly begun to understand the importance of digital technology, such as telemedicine and remote patient monitoring in the current pandemic situation." Kaul added that digital technology is increasingly being embedded in clinicians "This is likely to be a turning point for doctors from traditional medical technology to digital medical technology."
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