Students at Brigham Young University in Utah have developed a prototype ‘smart sock’ for babies that alerts for low levels of blood oxygen, irregular heartbeat and stopped breathing during sleep. This is to help detect for early signs of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) or other dangerous situations. The information is sent to a smartphone app that serves as the alert monitor. The Owlet Baby Monitor won first place and crowd favorite awards, with cash prizes totaling $6,000, at the Student Innovator of the Year competition. The inventors have filed for a patent (pending), more prototypes and testing, and undoubtedly FDA, but if you’re an angel looking for a highly marketable telehealth item–and with adult uses in hospitals and nursing homes–a trip to Utah may be in order. “Smart Socks” Helps Parents Sleep Easier (Smart Phone Healthcare) BYU news release (video)
Forthcoming telecare/telehealth UK newspaper supplement
The Independent is planning a major supplement on telecare and telehealth in late January 2013. Any supplier companies interested in promoting themselves in the available remaining space in the supplement should contact Dominic McWilliam, Project Manager at Mediaplanet by email.
Birmingham’s Supporting People funding cuts to affect alarm users (UK)
There are a complex set of issues buried under the obvious angles on which the newspaper concentrates. They concern historical patterns of provision, changed technology and people’s expectations. ‘Too expensive’ 999 cords axed from sheltered homes The Mirror.
Health Service Journal: Telehealth Supplement (UK)
TA readers will wonder whether the Health Service Journal (HSJ) can deliver anything fresh or worth reading in its 19-page supplement We have the technology ? an HSJ supplement on telehealth. Well, it’s a comprehensive roundup of what’s happening in the UK and an in-depth introduction if the recent Canadian piece is too lightweight. More interestingly, it contains two articles on an often overlooked topic; telehealth in prisons and in offender management.
3millionlives: Newsletter and video (UK)
November was a busy month for the 3millionlives (3ML) team, as reported in their November newsletter (PDF). They have also released a video, below. (7½ minutes) The video contains interviews with doctors, patients and a nurse. It was made to be shown at the Making Sense of Commissioning conference held on 27 November 2012 at the Royal College of General Practitioners, London, which may explain the focus on telehealth and the absence of any references to the contribution telecare technologies can play in supporting people at home.
3ML is also showing up alongside the Digital First initiative as one of six ‘high impact innovations’ on the NHS innovation website. Coverage of the Digital First launch seems to have confused many commentators. Not just the UK press, but in the US too, e.g. FierceHealthIT: U.K. telehealth model, smartphone prescribing unlikely to take hold in U.S. mHiMSS: Adoption of mHealth technologies: UK vs. USA.
Are you a Supra Hero?
“Doris has had her telecare equipment, including her Supra KeySafe, successfully installed around her home. But now she is in danger! Our Heroes need you to direct them safely from their secret headquarters to Doris’s house. Along the way they must collect as many of Supra’s service packages as possible. Every week Supra UK is giving a C500 KeySafe to one player.” Play the Supra Heroes game here. (Editor Steve’s score? Don’t ask!)
The point of this game may baffle non-UK readers…in short, it is an online game to introduce people to some of the resources that are around for making better use of key safes which, if fitted at a property, allow people responding to a telecare alarm call to enter someone’s house without having to batter the door down. It follows on from Supra UK’s game ‘Save Doris‘, released last year.
Modern technology allows users to take charge of their health (Canada)
From Dr. Kendall Ho, Director of the eHealth Strategy Office, University of British Columbia, there’s a balanced overview of – and good introduction to – technology in personal health/wellbeing, with some sensible tips at the end. Modern technology allows users to take charge of their health. Vancouver Sun.
StickNFind system uses your phone and coin-like tags to find lost items
Haven’t we all wanted to invent THE killer lost key/purse/anything system? But it looks like the designers of StickNFind have beaten us to it. Another Gizmag piece: StickNFind system uses your phone and coin-like tags to find lost items.
Scientists successfully treat Alzheimer’s symptoms in mice
A pointer to the future? Scientists successfully treat Alzheimer’s symptoms in mice Gizmag item.
Telehealth over satellite broadband confronts the issue of latency
Pulse IT carries excellent coverage by Kate McDonald of a report presented at the Australian Global Telehealth conference* concerning the effect of satellite transmission latency for videoconferencing via broadband. As one of the commenters points out there are also coder/decoder latency issues too. The point of the report by Dr Sarah Dods and colleagues from CSIRO was, it seems, a plea to take these matters into account when designing systems and not to assume that because a system works over a landline it will be equally good by satellite. Telehealth over satellite broadband confronts the issue of latency.
Most Recent Comments