How connected health tech is set to save lives

The wearable technology market is likely to reach $4 billion in 2017, and Fitbit continues to reign in the health and wellbeing market; in 2016, they sold more devices than Apple, Garmin and Samsung combined. Yet movement trackers deliver far greater benefits than simply counting how many steps per day we do. For the telecare or assisted living market, this technology is a game changer.

Despite its critical nature, telecare technology is generally outdated and often woefully inadequate for its core demographic (i.e. the elderly). Solutions often consist of a pendant or remote trigger, which the user needs to activate in case of an emergency, such as a serious fall. But what happens if the patient is unconscious either before or after their fall? Activating a trigger in these circumstances is not an option.

Not too long ago, my wife's grandmother had a serious fall in her flat, breaking both her back and wrist; at 89 years-old and living independently, she was critically at risk. Thankfully, she managed to get up and call her son for help. A few months earlier, her sister was not so lucky and tragically died before she could get the assistance she needed. These are two cases just from within my own family, where traditional emergency tech would be useless.

In contrast, wireless fall detection will have a dramatic impact on preventative care - life-saving, in fact. Such is the application for technology like “WiGait”, a movement tracking system developed by MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab. WiGait uses wireless signals which are sent out by router-like devices within the home. These signals track walking speed and stride length over time, differentiating between different types of activity (e.g light housework or general movement). The game-changing aspect of WiGait is that the user doesn’t need to remember to put on a wristband or charge their device; neither do they need to activate any kind of emergency trigger. It’s the next iteration in pro-active services, where care providers can prevent accidents like these from happening. For example, the walking speed of individuals are known to decrease a few weeks before a fall; technology like WiGait can track and report these changes and help people live independently - and safely - for much longer.

Building an eco system of monitoring devices provides even stronger insights into the user's conditions and behaviours. There are projects, for example, integrating Google Voice and the MySignals development platform, which assists users in collecting vital health information themselves. Care providers then have an up-to-date view of the user’s condition, enabling them to provide more precise, tailored care.

Redgear Solutions are working on ways to bring new technology to the health service industries, providing better care for people to live independently for longer. And this is the truly exciting aspect of IoT - not technology for technology’s sake, but innovations that improve the quality of life for all. That’s the world we want to help shape.