If you’re a high risk patient, your doctor needs to know as much as possible about your health…if  you’re a diabetic, what your insulin levels are throughout the day or if you’re a heart patient, when your blood pressure rise and by how much.  But short of following you around with a clipboard, your doctor can’t know in real time when and how your health changes.

That is until now.

Doctors are currently testing personal data trackers for high-risk patients.  For example, an electrocardiogram is placed in the patient’s smartphone to monitor the patient’s heart as he or she goes about his or her day. That real-time data is then downloaded by the doctor who can then use it to determine the best treatment for the patient.

Information is a doctor’s best friend and these emerging technologies maximize the amount of information a doctor has to make the right decisions about your care  Right now, mobile apps, scales, and activity trackers gather all kinds of data that you can use to live a healthy life.  The next generation of devices will allow healthcare providers to to take that to the next level.

As with all new technology, a few hurdles will have to be overcome before these devices become commonplace:

1)  Patient Ability:  These next-generation devices will have to be “patient friendly.”  If it’s overly complicated or requires too much time or work on the part of the patient, the device won’t be successful.

2)  No FDA Approval:  Many of these new technologies are not approved by the FDA, which  monitors medical devices.

3)  Privacy:  There is always a concern that any device that utilizes the internet may not be secure and meet the necessary privacy standards.

These concerns among others are being addressed as the various technologies are being developed.  What’s more, you may soon be able to automatically download your health-monitoring data directly into your medical record at your doctor’s office.

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