South Canterbury DHB is going to pilot wearable devices with groups of at-risk older people living in the community.
The DHB has selected a coin-sized wearable device that sticks on a person’s chest and can monitor a range of clinical parameters such as; heart rate, sleep, activity, gait analysis, body position, fall detection, skin temperature and activity level.
The aim of this pilot is to improve the ability of clinicians to detect patient deterioration early and support proactive clinical intervention to reduce non-admitted ED attendances for patients at risk of deterioration. Also, to give the person and their whanau/family greater confidence to keep them well in the community.
Patients and their whanau and primary care providers will all be able to access the data (if the patient consents) and alerts will indicate if something is potentially wrong.
https://www.hinz.org.nz/news/581339/South-Canterbury-trials-wearables-for-at-risk-older-people.htm