The Bluetooth Special Interest Group announced a new drive to develop a medical device profile that could make medical, health and fitness devices interoperable with wireless consumer electronic products-namely cell phones, laptops and PDAs. The Bluetooth SIG said it expects its Medical Devices Working Group to begin work immediately, drafting a specification this year with a new profile available for use by mid-2007.
If the group’s development-to-launch timeline seems a bit ambitious, especially when you consider the vast array of mobile devices the group has vowed to include in its quest for interoperability, consider that industry big-wigs like IBM Corp., Intel Corp. and Motorola Inc. are on board, working with 16 other SIG members to see the project through.
“Health-related devices in the home, such as weight scales, blood-pressure monitors and exercise equipment, which implement the new standard will be able to send information wirelessly to Bluetooth-enabled PCs or cell phones so that users can monitor their health information or share this information with a doctor or fitness coach anywhere in the world,” said Robert Hughes, chair of the new working group and senior wireless standards architect with Intel’s Digital Health Group. “The working group believes it can make a difference in the lives of people, especially those with chronic conditions or those striving to improve their fitness, by creating a Bluetooth profile that enables medical, health and fitness devices to better connect patient with provider. In addition to helping people lead healthier lives, it represents a powerful business opportunity for companies creating Bluetooth-enabled devices in a large and growing market segment.”
The medical, health and fitness use cases the working group plans to support with the Medical Device Profile fall into the following primary categories:
- Health and wellness management. By using a Bluetooth enabled device such as a blood-pressure cuff, weight scale or cholesterol monitor, the user can regularly collect health data that can be wirelessly transmitted to another Bluetooth device such as a mobile phone, PDA or health appliance and can then be sent to the patient’s caregiver for remote monitoring and health management of the patient.
- Chronic disease management or patient recovery. Using a Bluetooth sensor, a chronically ill patient can measure their vital health indicators on their own or with their caregiver via a Bluetooth-enabled mobile device such as a PDA, laptop or cell phone.
- Medication management. A patient can receive reminders to take medication using a Bluetooth medication dispenser. If the patient doesn’t take their medication after several reminders, an alert with the time and information about their prescribed medication and dosage recommendation can be sent to their caregiver, who can then respond to the problem and help the patient.
- Fitness and workout tracking. The user is able to monitor fitness goals by tracking health-related data during a workout with a Bluetooth-enabled device such as a calorie counter, weight scale or heart-rate monitor. Data can be wirelessly transmitted to a Bluetooth-enabled mobile device where the user can track their progress relative to their fitness goals.
- Remote biosensor measurement. With a Bluetooth medical kit connected to a set-top box or PC, patients can have their health status checked from home by conducting a phone or video visit with their caregiver. Once the information is gathered, it can be transmitted to the caregiver so that the patient’s health can be monitored.
The Bluetooth SIG said additional use cases may include remote monitoring of multiple patients, seamless device replacement and support for clinical trials. And as with any medical and health application, the medical device profile will be compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act as well as international privacy requirements regarding health data.
“With the price of healthcare continually rising, the need exists to cut medical expenses,” said Michael Foley, executive director of the Bluetooth SIG. “Many of the use-cases supported by the medical device profile will minimize the need for costly hospital visits and enable early detection of potential health problems, reducing expensive treatments.”
The Bluetooth SIG also points out that although Bluetooth-enabled medical devices already exist, the method of Bluetooth communications used is proprietary, thus the devices usually are not interoperable with other manufacturer’s devices.
Though the SIG’s efforts seem timely, Spyglass Consulting says its recent studies indicate that while the healthcare industry is highly interested in remote patient monitoring, investment in RPM is low.
“Sixty-five percent of organizations interviewed were making limited investments in remote patient monitoring solutions focusing on high-risk, high-cost patients with multiple chronic diseases,” stated the Spyglass study. “Organizations are resistant to further investments until RPM solutions can be proven clinically and financially effective.”
The study cited high costs and the need for integration with existing support infrastructure as reasons why use of RPM gear is not more widespread.
