Improvement in technology over the years has led to the expansion of the wearable market, thanks to research which has revealed their great value. The future of pharma is to prevent health issues even before they begin. Medical wearables are no more a thing of the future. It has become the hottest trend in 2015 and now 2016. They have revolutionised the way people connect to the digital world in order to improve their lives and become healthier.
Improvement in technology over the years has led to the expansion of the wearable market, thanks to research which has revealed their great value. The future of pharma is to prevent health issues even before they begin. Medical wearables are no more a thing of the future. It has become the hottest trend in 2015 and now 2016. They have revolutionised the way people connect to the digital world in order to improve their lives and become healthier.
Over the years, people have become used to conducting certain activities that they have not realized how inconvenient, costly and inadequate they are. According to research conducted in 2009, more than 75% of health care costs are actually linked to chronic conditions and half of the adults alive have at least one chronic condition. This shows how important wearable technology will play a vital role today and in the future especially in prescription medicine.
The following is a small look at examples of wearable techs and the role they will play in healthcare.
Helius
This is a product that is developed by Proteus Digital Health, a company operating in Redwood City, California. Helius is a revolutionary product that was developed to improve the health care in prescription medicine. The company described it as a consumable pill and a digital health feedback system.
Patients will use a small patch that is worn on the body which will work together with 1mm sensor enabled pills and a backend cloud service. This helps to provide real time information regarding a user’s medical adherence. It is Bluetooth enabled therefore it can easily transmit data to smartphones.
The company has built the patch around wearable technology which helps to monitor the status of the ingestible sensors as well as collecting data about the user’s heart rate, temperature, activity and rest patterns all day. In prescription medicine, this piece of technology will not only provide the much needed information to physicians but it will allow physicians to monitor how patients are taking their prescription drugs.
“The need for better and efficient healthcare is increasing, and healthcare professionals need to leverage the power of technology to for positive social change in our communities” – DrFelix, Medical Director at a digital healthcare startup changing the way people access doctors and prescription medicine online.
Smart Stop
This is another piece of amazing technology that will revolutionise prescription medicine. Smart Stop is the world’s first programmable and wearable smoking cessation therapy device. It is designed to leverage algorithms in order to anticipate and preempt powerful nicotine cravings finally delivering the much needed medication at the right time in the right quantity.
It is able to provide individual coaching support which helps the user to manage their personal, emotional and behavioral aspects of quitting. It is adaptable as it helps to match medication and behavioral support to the smoker’s daily rhythms.
The wearable has the capability of anticipating the user’s cravings for smoking therefore it provides a higher dose of nicotine when the cravings are strongest and a lower dose when cravings are not strong. The wearable can be worn on different occasions at several locations to match the smoker’s preferences and routines.
Freestyle Lite
This is a glucose meter developed by Abbot Diabetes Care and helps to provide accurate results in approximately 5 seconds. It has a clear backlit display which makes it easy for the user to view the results on the screen even when lights are not available.
It is designed with a small body which helps to ensure maximum portability for the user. The test strip port light at the rear end of the device allows the user to know they are inserting the test strip in the right direction and testing has also been completed.
The wearable requires test strips which are designed for ease of use and accuracy. They are tiny in size and allow up to 60 seconds to re-apply blood which means fewer wasted strips. With the FreeStyle family of wearables, you will get to ensure you stay at the top of your health thanks to the user friendly data management software.
The wearables have contributed greatly to the world of prescription medicine especially in treating chronic conditions like diabetes. While FreeStyle allows you to test your glucose levels, it also helps you to know when to take your insulin. This is helpful especially when travelling since changes in time can affect how one is taking their medicine.
2016 is poised to be the year when more upcoming and existing wearables are available in the market. The technology is very innovative and the devices are receiving quick approval from federal organisations and regulatory boards across the world. This is very good news for the public.
Some of these technologies are still under development while others have been around for a couple of years. The public is becoming aware of these wearables and the important role they will play in prescription medicine. Developers of these products need to hasten the development process and make 2016 the year of wearables for prescription medicine.
Image Source: Coolwearable.com