A Glimpse of Future Health Care Apps and Devices | WPN World People News

The world’s aging and increasingly overweight population is likely to want new health care apps and devices to help monitor and control serious conditions that are not life threatening. That’s the conclusion drawn from a recent IBM study on the future of connected health devices.

In the near future, large groups of people will demand apps and devices to help manage their potentially serious conditions.

Currently, there are two general classes of health care app and device users. IBM calls one class the chronically monitored. This group includes people who are in poor health and may be dependent on a caregiver. They use devices to constantly monitor specific health conditions (such as heart rates or blood sugar levels). And their devices are typically prescribed by doctors and often covered by insurance.

IBM calls the second group the motivated healthy. This group includes people who voluntarily seek out and pay for monitoring solutions that can help them achieve specific goals. They tend to like gadgets and are willing to invest the time required to set up and learn how to use their selected devices. Examples in this group include joggers who use sophisticated heart rate monitors or amateur athletes who routinely monitor their body fat.

Between these two extremes, IBM has identified another much larger segment. Called information seekers, this group has conditions that are not currently life-threatening. However, they are seeking some measure of control over a potentially serious health risk or a condition that is difficult to manage. They represent a willing – but currently underserved – market for health device makers, according to IBM.

This group includes people who:

● Want to break destructive habits or addictions (for example, overeating or smoking);

● Are frail or elderly and need assistance to live independently;

● Have difficulty complying with prescribed treatment regimens;

● Struggle with high blood pressure, migraines, mood swings, asthma, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other conditions that require significant trial and error to develop an optimal, individualized treatment approach.

One reason IBM expects this group will demand apps and devices has to do with health care costs. It seems very likely that, going forward, consumers will pay a higher share of their own total health care costs. IBM believes the average person may become more motivated to manage his or her health to help contain health care expenses and reduce insurance premiums.

As the general population grows older and heavier, more people will be impacted by conditions (like obesity, diabetes and hypertension) that could greatly benefit from monitoring and the sharing of information.

And finally, what makes these new apps and devices possible is the technology that will allow for the collection and delivery of information. “Recent advances in technology are enabling smarter, connected personal health care “systems” that can supply crucial information to significantly improve diagnosis, treatment and condition management,” according to IBM.

To that end, health care experts envision a number of new devices to help individuals cope with a number of challenges and tasks including blood monitoring, dieting, elder care, independence and mobility, and communications.

Source : Smarter Technology