The success of the smartphone has largely been driven by the capabilities offered on an easy-to-use platform. The device has successfully incorporated GPS technologies, digital cameras and web browsing; can it also streamline the use of home medical devices?
This was the question posed in this Gadgetwise
article and the answer may be available at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas later this week. On Wednesday night,
iHealth Labs plans to unveil the iHealth Blood Pressure Dock. This attachment for iOS devices is designed to measure and record heart rate and blood pressure.
At a cost of $100, the kit comes with a blood pressure cuff and a battery-powered dock that also serves as a charging station for the iPhone, iPod Touch and
iPad. The hardware will be available for sale in
Apple retail stores, on Apple.com and on iHealth Labs’ website. An added mobile app is required to log the results, but is available for free through iTunes.
iHealth spokesman Dr. Andrew Brandeis, a practicing doctor in San Francisco and a medical consultant, shared that while the device is primarily targeted to people with hypertension or other chronic health conditions, it could also serve to be helpful for anyone focused on living a healthier life.
“I can give someone a pill for their blood pressure, but what I really want to do is educate them about their habits that cause high blood pressure,” he said in the Gadgetwise
article. “If you can see your blood pressure is going up, you can try to get an idea about what you’re doing that is affecting it. You start to see correlations between your blood pressure and your life.”
iHealth has positioned its solution as advantageous over a stand-alone blood pressure machine – which is much less expensive – due to its ability to be incorporated into the patient’s daily routine of waking up and checking their cellphone.
Brandeis noted that the patient can easily charge their iOS device at night and when they awake in the morning, the blood pressure cuff is resting right next to it. He also highlighted that taking daily readings at home could offer more accurate and consistent results than those taken at a doctor’s office.
Results can be easily e-mailed to a physician, or users can push readings to
Twitter and
Facebook to generate positive reinforcement, said Brandies.
The company hopes to eventually release other home health kits, including blood glucose monitors and a connected scale.
Susan J. Campbell is a contributing editor for HealthTechZone and has also written for eastbiz.com. To read more of Susan’s articles, please visit her columnist page.
