So-called wearables, including wrist devices and skin patches, are continuing to have a major impact on the delivery of healthcare (see: Is Healthcare Ready to Embrace the Consumer "Wearable" Revolution?). One key aspect of the adoption of wearables is uploading data from the consumers' devices to a network where is can be monitored and analyzed with subsequent notification of health professionals about the status of the patient. Part of this process was referred to in a recent article (see: AT&T’s new smartwatch will drive transformation in healthcare). Below is an excerpt from the article:
AT&T is connecting the first medical wearable certified for its LTE-M low-powered network. The carrier teamed up with OneLife Technologies Corp, a mobile healthcare software and data-collection company, to develop the OnePulse smartwatch, which is designed with telehealth and remote patient monitoring capabilities....Here's why AT&T's collaboration with OneLife Technologies Corp is important: The AT&T LTE-M connection offers medical providers increased versatility and a number of key advantages.
* The LTE-M network is an IoT-specific low-powered network variant that supports long battery life with limited power draw. This allows for the OnePulse smartwatch to have five days' worth of battery life, an always-on feature, and lightweight design. And the network connectivity enables clinicians to improve patient outcomes since they're able to monitor and cater to their patients in real time.
* These advantages will likely enable AT&T to drive up adoption of the device, especially given the healthcare market's continued embrace of connected wearables....
* ....AT&T's move to introduce a medical-focused smartwatch to its network will enable it to diversify its revenue streams and expand its wireless subscriber base....In January, the carrier landed a partnership with Chicago-based Rush University Medical Center to become the first US hospital to leverage 5G.
For me, the most important point in this article is that the internet-of-things (IoT) network developed by AT&T is low-powered and supports long battery life for wearables on the basis of low power draw. The data uploaded to the LTE-M network will be stored in the cloud for screening and analysis. Initially, the majority of people with watches like OnePulse will be wellness-oriented consumers but some of the next set will be patients post-hospital-discharge who are being monitored by hospital personnel while at home (see: Some Details about Hospital-at-Home (HaH) Services for Selected ER Patients; Reducing the Cost of Care; Provide Home Care for Sicker Patients with Remote Monitoring). This idea is not far-fetched because one of the most common types of hospitals being built now is bedless (see: The Case of the "Disappearing Hospital Beds"; Implications for Pathologists). This combination of wearables plus network plus surveillance software will serve as a substitute for hospitalization in the past.
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