Saving Lives by Remote Control

Glasgow, Scotland – A joint effort from medical tech company e-San and mobile giants O2, the experiment has demonstrated how the current wave of phones equipped to carry data has given physicians the ability to enjoy two-way, real-time contact with patients together with advanced personalisation features — critical elements in successful disease management.

Stuart McWilliam, head of product development at Oxford-based e-San claimed, “It’s better healthcare, it’s cheaper healthcare and it’s healthcare that fits into sufferers’ lives, working around the way they want to pass their time rather than allowing illness to dictate the pace and set their timetables.”

These are bold claims, but if the initial results from e-San’s recent trial are anything to go by, they may not be far wide of the mark. Conducted in conjunction with Bristol University, the study tested the company’s disease-specific hardware modules, each of which attach to mobile phones and take relevant measurements from CF and asthma patients, such as peak flow measurements and other measures of breathing strength.

Source: “Saving lives by remote control: The mobile phones carried by millions could potentially have huge healthcare benefits, according to a recent trial”, The Herald (Glasgow), August 9 2005.