A new and popular wave of technology used in healthcare in the last decade or so is personal remote-care devices such as fitness trackers. This started an increase in the development of wellness apps and more involvement by persons in their health and well-being.
Since then, the healthcare IT industry has grown exponentially, and types of remote-care devices have been on the increase and incorporated into hospital and practice- management systems to create more holistic healthcare, with access from anywhere. This also enabled health professionals and organisations to be able to serve more people, including those who are immobile or can be better monitored through at-home care.
Remote-care devices span a large variety of health categories for which indices can be checked and monitored, including diabetes, heart conditions, blood pressure, mental health, and much more. They are a good way of keeping medical professionals abreast of the progress and constant condition of a patient even when they are not actively consulting.
Most hospital and practice-management systems can incorporate these indices into patients’ electronic medical records so that a history of their condition can easily be seen and used to track their progress, make decisions as to how best they should be treated, and assist them with prevention initiatives.
It is also a good way for people to self-track and make the lifestyle changes required to maintain good health. With the increased adaptation of e-health globally, there has been another push for remote=care devices to be used by individuals, but now also through their healthcare provider to promote individual responsibility, self-care and increased involvement in their ongoing health and well=being.
Self-care with respect to health, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), “is the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and cope with illness
