We live in an age of live updates. Be it notifications from your email inbox, alerts from your social network, broadcasts from news portals or reminders from your banking and payment apps— you rely on real-time connectivity to navigate every aspect of your life, and health should be no exception. MedTech devices that keep track of your health parameters and give you valuable, actionable information, are helping you take charge of your life and make better healthcare decisions.

Medical technology has evolved rapidly over the last few decades. With the COVID-19 pandemic deepening the need for self-care, self-tracking is now a fundamental part of life. Remote patient monitoring, too, is becoming a norm. From chronic conditions like diabetes to cardiovascular disorders, health technology is making way for innovations that strengthen the communication between you and your healthcare providers, empowering you to be on top of your health, at all times.

Remote & miniaturized tech

Medical wearable and insertable devices are designed to improve the monitoring and management of issues linked to chronic conditions like diabetes, heart failure, or arrythmia. Mobile-compatible continuous glucose monitors are readily available today. Data collected from such devices enable doctors to analyze blood glucose fluctuations effortlessly and accurately and change treatment plans accordingly.

Remotely managed devices can enable doctors to have by-the-minute reports on their patients from anywhere. This data can help during pre- and post-treatment observation periods, assessment of response to therapies, and predictability of previously unforeseen health events.

AI, ML help interpret health data intelligently

AI and ML can enhance the effectiveness of innovations like biosensors. Biosensors study the composition of body fluids to help monitor patient wellbeing and provide data for early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of chronic diseases. For instance, cardiac biosensors can detect specific biomarkers such as myoglobin, cardiac troponin, interleukins, and interferon to analyze heart health.

It supports medical practitioners in delivering a timely diagnosis and medical attention, helping save more lives. In 2019, Dr David Spindell, divisional vice president of medical and clinical affairs for Abbott's diagnostics business, spoke at the Wall Street Journal’s Tech Health conference in San Francisco. He said, “Using machine learning, we've found that in combination, patient demographics plus hematological measures and blood proteins are much more accurate in diagnosing heart attacks as well as heart disease than current methods.”

Making sense of your own health

The ability to plan your day without having to worry about painful glucose tests can be life-changing for people with diabetes. Sensor-based glucose monitoring systems have revolutionized the way people measure glucose and manage Type 1, Type 2 as well as gestational diabetes. Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) technology painlessly records your glucose 24x7, with a small, discreet wearable sensor and conveys your reading to your doctor remotely. It gives you more data and insights, more conveniently and in a pain-free manner. It identifies patterns in your glucose levels and predicts trends, telling you when your blood sugar tends to rise or fall through the day and night, so you can plan your meals and daily activities, and your doctor can tailor your medicine dosage and treatment plan to help your blood sugar stay within the normal range. You don’t have to wait for an appointment with your healthcare providers for an assessment of your glucose levels. Your physician is always updated with your health data and can prescribe an informed, personalized intervention, whenever needed.

Pacing yourself

According to the American Heart Association and the European Heart Journal, remote patient monitoring can lower the risk of heart failure related hospitalizations and mortality. Implantable cardiac devices help in the early detection of abnormalities and irregularities in the functioning of the heart, enabling physicians to take timely action to prevent the occurrence of undesirable episodes. What has been a real game-changer for people with cardiac conditions is the enhanced ease and convenience involved in the use of advanced insertable cardiac monitors, remotely managed defibrillators, and pacemakers, in the last few years. Unlike cumbersome recording mechanisms of the past, modern health management devices are compact, minimally-invasive and can be integrated with the latest mobile and digital technology to proactively track patients’ heart rhythm and transmit information wirelessly to their physicians. Besides, you can also sync your data with your clinic using your smartphone app, record your symptoms like palpitations or fainting spells, view your health history without having to contact your clinic, to take control of your health like never before!

Charting a course for the future of healthcare

Health technology has made it possible for people to benefit from continuous, real-time connectivity, while enjoying the things they love doing. You could be working, working out, hanging out with friends, or sleeping— your readings are recorded continually, to not just help you, but this information will also contribute to a vast pool of data that can be used to analyze specific medical conditions, advance scientific knowledge, and develop innovations that can impact the future of healthcare.

You can only live your life fully when you are in control of it. Healthcare technology hands the reins over to patients and empowers human lives. Human powered healthcare puts you at its center, allowing you to take charge of your health and unlock limitless possibilities. 

Disclaimer: The information mentioned in this document is only suggestive /for patient education and shall not be considered as a substitute for doctor’s advice or recommendations from Abbott. Please consult your doctor for more information.