A study published in the January issue of The Annals of Neurology reports that vibrating insoles allow diabetics with numb feet and stroke victims with uncertain balance to stand quietly without swaying and losing their balance. The random vibrations were so subtle that people did not have any conscious awareness of them. They provided their wearer’s wobbly balance system with missing information about how their stance was changing moment to moment. “Anything that decreases the risk of falling even by a few percent will have a tremendous impact on society” Professor Milton said.
Archive for the ‘Pointers to the future’ Category
Vibrating insoles reduce chance of falling
Monday, February 13th, 2006Will smart homes come in from the cold?
Monday, February 13th, 2006The author of this commentary on The Application Home Initiative (TAHI) conference (last November?) thinks so. The article also flags up that THAI is setting up working groups focusing on key areas: Energy, Conservation and Green issues; Social, Wellbeing and Community; Health and Telecare; Entertainment; Building; and Home Systems. Also invites companies to link up to ‘create world-beating market solutions…The opportunities and the rewards could be enormous.’
Read more.
Japanese views of future of technology
Monday, January 30th, 2006Two Japanese telecare-related stories.
Smart socks
Friday, January 20th, 2006In cases of poor blood circulation, imagine having socks with built-in pressure sensors that would alert you to put your feet up for a while. And bandages that warn of the beginnings of an infection and identify the responsible bacterium and the appropriate antibiotic needed to treat it. A future trend.
“Dad, will you keep an eye on my diabetes while I’m clubbing in Ibiza?”
Monday, December 12th, 2005The evolution of ‘telecarers’ and the ‘cyber divide’ worries many policy makers. People with lower educational achievement or income have worse health. They also make less use of the internet. If more healthcare services are shifted to new media, will health inequalities worsen? Given some of these concerns, people may rise up en masse and reject the use of such technologies in health care, leading to a ‘great revulsion’ analogous to the anti-genetically modified foods campaign. These are some matters raised in a wide-ranging reflection on ehealth possibilities and issues by Jeremy C Wyatt, Professor of Health Informatics and Frank Sullivan, NHS Tayside Professor of Research and Development in General Practice and Primary Care (University of Dundee). Also of significance to people interested in telecare. Read here.
Key to future living
Wednesday, November 23rd, 2005Greater technological empowerment is the key to living arrangements for older people in the not-too-distant future. US article with ‘assisted living guru’ Craig L. Smith. Read here.
Alzheimer’s trial points way to RFID telecare
Monday, October 3rd, 2005The Finnish company combines RFID and cellular phone technology to help make sure Alzheimer’s patients take the drugs they need. Cool.
IT accessibility could become a legal requirement
Monday, September 19th, 2005The accessibility of websites, software, digital TV and 3G phones could become a legal requirement across the EU if plans announced today by the European Commission fail to improve accessibility for elderly and disabled people within two years.
By the end of 2005, public procurement rules may also change, to demand that authorities award contracts only to bidders providing accessible services. Read more.
Weightless heart monitoring has down to earth implications
Wednesday, August 31st, 2005NASA’s conducting clinical tests on the ground version of its system for monitoring astronauts. This includes GPS to track the patient’s location. In an emergency, the hospital will know where to find the patient. “Doctors will be able to check on their patients using any cell phone, handheld digital device, laptop or desktop computer with a Web browser.” According to NASA its Embedded Web Technology could help monitor patients with diabetes, wounds, pulmonary problems and other conditions. “This technology can be used to control or monitor any device that contains a computer, software, input sensors and output actuators…In other words, you could use it with a car, DVD player, fax machine or kitchen appliances.” Read more.
Intel wants a healthy you
Wednesday, August 24th, 2005“Most people in the [healthcare] system work with tools from the 1990s. They need our help…The system has to change.” said Louis Burns, vice president and general manager of Intel’s digital health group. Read more about Intel’s future plans for healthcare monitoring.