Wireless Rx

Posted: 04/08/09 by Mobile Future Team

With its instant, mobile, and two-way capabilities, wireless technology is at the forefront of improving many facets of healthcare.  That's why this recent announcement from General Electric and Intel on what The New York Times calls "telehealth" is so encouraging:  

The companies, in a partnership announced on Thursday, plan to spend $250 million jointly in the next five years on research and development of health technologies to let doctors remotely monitor, diagnose and consult with patients in their homes or assisted-living residences. 

G.E. has a business unit that sells wireless sensors that can monitor older patients, mostly in communities for the elderly, so caregivers can be alerted to unusual patterns of activity, or inactivity, that might signal a health problem or emergency.  Even beyond the health benefits, there's the financial consideration: Nursing homes cost up to $200 a day while wireless monitoring can cost $100 a month.