Patient Wristbands

[fiveworlds]

Normally around here a patient when they go to hospital etc is given a wristband to identify them. These are generally printed each time a new patient is admitted. Would it be possible to create a re-usable wireless wristband given to patients to monitor their blood pressure, heart rate, Spo2 etc which would essentially lock so the patient couldn't remove it?

[Prometheus]

If they can't remove it, you have essentially enforced a technology that records health details. Not sure people would take kindly to that, plus you'd have to get it passed into law.

[swansont]

If they can't remove it, you have essentially enforced a technology that records health details. Not sure people would take kindly to that, plus you'd have to get it passed into law.

 

Details that are going to be recorded anyway, and ones that a patient implicitly agrees to have monitored by going to the hospital in the first place.

[Prometheus]

Well if that's all, then we are moving to something comparable (in the UK, other countries might already be there). Patient details are held electronically on a national database and are updated (theoretically) in real time, including the observations listed plus a load else and is accessible to all health professionals with access to the database - which should be the vast majority of them. I guess the difference is that with the wireless wristband data is stored locally (i.e. in the wristband)?

 

Why the need to lock it - are you worried about confused patients?

[iNow]

Could likely just use a Fitbit or Apple watch equivalent.

[MonDie]

There could be privacy concerns. It would have to make the data unretrievable by overwriting it several times. Whoever controls the locking mechanism mustn't abuse it, e.g. underhandedly making you wear your psychiatric wristband outside the hospital.

[swansont]

There could be privacy concerns. It would have to make the data unretrievable by overwriting it several times. Whoever controls the locking mechanism mustn't abuse it, e.g. underhandedly making you wear your psychiatric wristband outside the hospital.

 

These are not new concerns. Portable monitoring devices have existed for years, and disclosure rules have existed for even longer. The relatively new one is security, specific to the device, to comply with the existing rule of people who aren't allowed to access it can't do so.

[fiveworlds]

e.g. underhandedly making you wear your psychiatric wristband outside the hospital.

 

hospital equipment (telemetry) often uses frequency bands that are normally not available anywhere else.

Edited June 22, 2015 by fiveworlds

[zapatos]

A recent healthcare trend is remote technology to allow seniors stay at home longer before requiring assisted living, and allowing family to monitor from a distance. Examples include wearable devices that transmit health data, track the location of people, and even whether or not they have fallen. There are also small devices which can tell you if door are being opened, and even if someone has opened their pill box.

 

http://www.hl7standards.com/blog/2014/09/18/trends-aging-wearable-tech/