Future Healthcare Informatics Technology - Research Paper Example

Future Healthcare Informatics Technology Affiliation: Identify the technology Thetechnology in discussion is a wearable sensor which is able to relay the data and provide a wireless report about the health of an individual without requiring a third party to be physically present 24 hours a day to carry out physical monitoring of an individual’s health (Marschollek, et al. 2012). Describe the technology and its useThese wearable sensors are purposed for the older generation which is constantly on the increase and will monitor and provide reports on the health changes such as cardiovascular, pulmonary diseases or respiratory diseases or changes which may indicate a problem and require immediate health attention.

Most elderly people do not want to be kept in institutions for the old and having a person constantly employed to taking care of them may prove costly in the long run. These groups of aged people are also at high risk for serious health conditions such as those mentioned above and hence their caregiver should have medical background and if not may then require also a health worker nearby.The technology in discussion will be wearable and hence not a burden to the elderly individual and will monitor the health changes in the body such as the heartbeat, pulse rate, blood pressure, temperature among others which will assist in detecting the changes that may indicate onset of the serious conditions and hence immediate health care will be provided.

It is an example of a preventative mechanism.Describe the impact (positive and negative)The most obvious of the positive impact of this technology is the reduced cost of providing care to the elderly in the long run. In a family where there are several elderly people all requiring attention and do not wish to go to an institution, the device will prove cost effective as there will be no need of hiring helpers of nurses to monitor their health condition. By just having the device, the family can be able to monitor their changes in health and immediately a problem is detected, then help can be sought.

The other positive impact is that the old people will be able to wear the sensor device anywhere and it therefore cannot hinder them from carrying out their daily routine. The advantage to this is that wherever the person is, they can be tracked and hence will also act as a monitor of movement in case of those who might have memory problems. The elderly are also able to remain in the confine of their homes even those with health conditions such as heart conditions without having to spend all their time in hospitals being monitored.

This will however require self-discipline from the user of the technology not to remove it at all times. The negative impact is that this technology will require technological experts to develop it and remodel it to perfection in which case they may not be readily available. It will also require healthcare personnel to constantly check the report that the sensor is relaying in order to detect any changes or an emergency. The staff to do so may be limited unless the device comes with (alert alarms) and be connected to a nearby hospital with the wearer of the sensor.

Since developing the sensor will be a highly costly affair, the cost of purchasing the sensor (at least initially) may be high and which may prove to a problem to lower class or some medium class families who may not afford it right away. Implementation for the futureCost of production and distribution should be reduced by seeking sponsors of the technology. Connection of the report from the sensor to a nearby hospital should be made for effective results and especially in emergency cases. The other is making the sensor use available power like solar power and reducing the chances of it being frequently removed to recharge it or use rechargeable power like batteries (Chan, et al, 2012).

ReferencesChan, M., Esteve, D., Fourniols, J., Escriba, C. and Campo, E. (November, 2012). “Smart wearable systems: current status and future challenges.” Artificial Intelligence in Medicine, vol. 56(3), pp. 137-156. Marschollek, M., Gietzelt, M., Schulze, M., Kohlmann, M., Song, B. and Wolf, K. (June, 2012). “Wearable Sensors in Healthcare and Sensor-Enhanced Health Information Systems: All Our Tomorrows?” Healthcare Information Research, vol. 18(2), pp. 97-104. Retrieved from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3402561/