BusinessWeek Logo
Health Care November 5, 2009, 5:00PM EST

Elder Care by Remote

 

By Arlene Weintraub

For three months early this year, 63-year-old Ronald Lang was one of the most plugged-in patients in America. Lang, who suffers from congestive heart failure and multiple sclerosis, was pilot-testing the Intel (INTC) Health Guide, a device that lets doctors monitor his health remotely. Each day after he woke up, he'd step on a scale and strap on a blood pressure cuff that was attached to the Health Guide. The device collected his vital signs and zapped them to his doctor's office. From there, Nurse Marie DiCola scoured the data, and if she noticed anything amiss, she dialed Lang and chatted with him over Health Guide's videophone.

Health Guide is at the leading edge of a new technology trend called "aging in place," designed to help seniors stay longer where they're most comfortable—at home—rather than having to move into nursing or assisted-living facilities. Aging-in-place equipment is installed in a person's home, monitors symptoms on the spot, and sends reports to doctors or family members in real time.

As 77 million baby boomers race toward their golden years, the world's leading tech innovators are unveiling a range of futuristic gizmos. There are beds that can monitor patients' vital signs as they sleep and stoves that can turn themselves off when owners forget. Besides Intel, the aging-in-place market has attracted companies such as General Electric (GE), Philips Electronics (PHG), Honeywell (HON), Bosch, and dozens of tech startups. The companies say these products, just now being deployed by a handful of health plans and home-care agencies, can drastically cut the rate of medical complications that force seniors into hospitals and other intensive-care facilities.

Health Guide epitomizes the kind of in-home gear that can reduce the hassle factor for patients and clinicians, especially those dealing with chronic but easy-to-monitor diseases. Heart failure patients, for example, must measure their weight and blood pressure frequently because changes in either metric can signal the type of trouble that requires emergency intervention. But distinguishing between a minor setback and a serious situation depends on being able to figure out how the patient is feeling.

In the program Lang was a part of, Nurse DiCola was able to assess symptoms both by talking to patients and examining them visually. She downloaded real-time data for as many as 25 patients every day and spoke to many using Health Guide's videophone. "I could make decisions about treatment," she says. "If they needed to see the doctor, I got them in to see a cardiologist right away." For Lang, desktop access to DiCola was comforting. "I used to have to get dressed, go to the doctor's office, wait, and pay my $10—just for them to take my blood pressure," Lang says. "Then the doctor would say: 'Everything is fine. Take your medicine.'"

Executives at Intel envision a suite of products that can give any house the characteristics of an assisted-living facility, but without the sterile environment many seniors despise. A survey taken late last year by AARP revealed that nearly 80% of baby boomers expect to stay in their homes as they age.

Intel has enlisted a big ally to help position itself in this market. In April, Intel and General Electric announced they would spend $250 million over five years to co-develop products that will help seniors manage chronic conditions from home. As part of the deal, GE will sell the Intel Health Guide. The partnership will give Intel access to monitoring technology, which ultimately could enhance Health Guide's capabilities. GE already has a product, QuietCare, which uses sensors stationed throughout the home to keep an eye on seniors as they go about their day-to-day lives.

Reader Discussion

 

BW Mall - Sponsored Links