TELE -HEALTH- TECH : ACCESS NEWS

At CES - companies reimagined telehealth. Telehealth has made accessing health care easier and more convenient, especially for patients with mobility issues and other obstacles. But some types of care and monitoring are difficult to do remotely.

Health care companies at the 2022 CES tech convention tried to bridge that gap, all while gathering new sources of patient health information and potentially improving care.

Patient's using Abbott's NeuroSphere Clinic app, for instance, can access complex treatments remotely.

While a patient sit in their living room, clinicians can connect to an implanted medical-device via wi-fi and perform treatments for chronic pain and movement disorders like Parkinson's disease, including deep brain and stimulation therapy.

Many new telehealth tools require patients to interact with a device, but EarlySense InSight+ asks them only to sleep in their own bed.

A sensor placed under a person's mattress collects data overnight about breathing patterns, heart rate, body movements and more; providers can access that information and review issues like an irregular heartbeat or breathing rate.

Wearable devices are also being tweaked to better serve remote doctor-patient relationships.

The disposable BioSticker and BioButton by BioIntelliSense can record skin temperature, respiratory rate and other vital signs, and transmit them straight to providers.

When UCHealth in Colorado first vaccinated health care workers against Covid-19, it used the BioButton to track vital signs and detect any adverse reactions.

OTHER innovations, like the Jasper digital oncology platform, help make treatment regimens more seamless and keep them connected to care.

It records appointments and medications to keep patients organized and lets them easily track any symptoms, connecting them to clinical care and case management when needed. [Tara Law]