Your next health care provider could be your cell phone. At least, that’s the hope behind the marriage of wireless phone devices and health care.
I’m a hopeless romantic about the whole partnership of technology and health care.
In fact, I’m so attached to my cell phone, if I could marry it I would—and after this week’s Wireless Health Conference in San Diego, I believe my sci-fi nuptials will be to “doctor” cell phone.
Because, new cell phone technology uses dot-sized sensors to create a virtual doctor’s office in your pocket.
Don Casey, CEO of West Wireless Health Institute in La Jolla says this new wireless technology is poised to lower health costs and radically change medical care.
“We think that the new cell phone will be able to do blood pressure, blood glucose, your weight, and your respirations, determine when you’ve fallen. So by the time you get to your doctor, your doctor won’t have to spend all that time doing the diagnostic work.”
Much of the global scientific community seems to agree. At least 300 international scientists, entrepreneurs, investors and biotech companies are at the conference.
One of the attendee’s is UCSD graduate student Yu Mike Chi—he built a wallet sized wireless device to track heart activity through layers of clothes.
Now that’s a doctor I’d like to meet.
