A decade ago when a patient visited your office complaining of chest pain, your first response was to run tests to determine whether the pains were heart related, and — if they were — where in the heart the problem occurred. While patients were worried about their health, they were also unlikely to be well versed in specific cardiac symptoms. Patients were often left with vague symptoms such as “pain,” “racing heart,” or “a feeling of tiredness.” Now, thanks to the Internet of Healthcare Things (IoHT), cardiologists can supply patients with a portable cardiac monitor from ReactDx and physically see the patient’s heart rate, rhythm, morphology, and P-wave analysis in real time or over a length of time for a running record of symptoms.
First, let’s clarify a few terms: the Internet of Things (IoT) links devices that stream data — cars, monitors, home appliances — to their owners or to others who monitor these devices. The IoHT is specific to the healthcare field and includes wearable monitors, such as cardiac monitors, fitness bands and watches, diabetic sensors, et cetera.
One of the driving factors in the marketing and sale of IoHT is the decision by Medicare in January 2018 to partially reimburse physicians for collecting and interpreting digital data transmitted via patient devices. Numerous studies have documented a decrease in readmission rates, better use of resources, empowerment of patients as they monitor their own health, and improvement in patient care with the advent of remote patient monitoring.
What are the main components of IoHT? A few in each category are listed below:
- Biosensors: Wearable cardiac monitors such as ReactDx’s TelePatchTM Cardiac Monitoring System, eye pressure gauges, glucose level trackers, brain wave trackers, and blood pressure monitors
- Cell phone attachments: Turn your phone into a mobile lab, stethoscope, ophthalmoscope, otoscope, imaging device, or biometric sensor
- Equipment: Automatic medication dispensers and compliance monitors, bedside monitors, GPS trackers for Alzheimer’s patients, smart beds
- Imaging: Miniaturization of imaging technology, such as CT scans, PET scans, ultrasound, MRIs, and X-rays
- Nanochips: Sensors are implanted or ingested to detect tumors, track genomic signals, activate immune response, or check tumor DNA appearance
Contact ReactDx today at 800-23-HEART to learn how their vast array of IoHT portable cardiac monitors provide you with your patients’ latest cardiac readings whether you are in the office or relaxing at home.