Bluetooth SIG Aims to Improve Healthcare Experience Through Interoperability23 May 2006
Hundreds of millions of people worldwide who suffer with chronic illnesses, from diabetes to high blood pressure and heart disease, could benefit from a Bluetooth SIG effort aimed at allowing health-related devices to work with consumer electronics products.
The Bluetooth SIG today announced the formation of a Medical Devices Working Group. This team, made up of 19 member companies including IBM, Intel, Motorola, Nonin Medical, Philips Electronics and Welch Allyn, will work together to create and ratify a Bluetooth Medical Device Profile that will expand the use of Bluetooth technology into the medical, health and fitness markets. The new profile will ensure a comprehensive, yet easy, user experience and optimized interoperability between health-related devices and personal consumer electronics products such as mobile phones, PCs and PDAs where Bluetooth technology is already common.
"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 Bluetooth SIG Medical Devices Working Group and a senior wireless standards architect in 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 Working Group will begin work immediately, drafting the specification this year with the new profile available for use in devices in the first half of 2007. The completed profile will run on all current versions of Bluetooth technology including the future high-speed version. Although Bluetooth enabled medical devices currently exist, the method of Bluetooth communications used is proprietary and therefore not usually interoperable with devices from other manufacturers.
"With the price of healthcare continually rising, the need exists to cut medical expenses. 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," said Michael Foley, Ph. D., executive director of the Bluetooth SIG. "Because of its worldwide availability, existing pervasiveness in mobile phones and laptops along with low power, low cost and security features, Bluetooth technology is ideally suited for medical devices that will provide a better quality of life for patients while reducing the cost of healthcare."
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 regularly collects health data that is then wirelessly transmitted
to another Bluetooth device such as a mobile phone, PDA or health
appliance and could 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
computation engine (PDA, PC, mobile phone, etc.).
* Medication Management -- A patient can receive reminders to take
medication using a Bluetooth medication dispenser. If the patient has
not taken medication after several reminders, an alert with the time
and the medicine missed can be sent to their caregiver who can take the
appropriate action.
* Fitness and Workout Tracking -- The user is able to monitor fitness
goals by tracking health data during a workout with a Bluetooth sensor
such as a calorie counter, weight scale, or heart rate monitor. Data is
then wirelessly transmitted to a Bluetooth computation engine (PDA, PC,
mobile phone, etc.) where the user can track his or her 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 the comfort of their own home by conducting a phone or video visit
with their caregiver. Once the information is gathered it is then
transmitted to the caregiver in order for the patient's health to be
monitored.
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 (HIPAA) and other international data privacy requirements.
About Bluetooth Wireless Technology
Bluetooth wireless technology is the global short-range wireless standard for personal connectivity of a broad range of electronic devices. The technology is now available in its fourth version of the core specification and continues to develop, building on its inherent strengths -- small-form factor radio, low power, low cost, built-in security, robustness, ease-of-use, and ad hoc networking abilities. Three new Bluetooth enabled products are qualified every day and 9.5 million Bluetooth units are shipping per week. The installed base of Bluetooth devices was over 500 million products at the end of 2005 and is projected to surpass one billion by the end of 2006, making it the only proven choice for developers, product manufacturers, and consumers worldwide.
About the Bluetooth SIG
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), comprised of leaders in the telecommunications, computing, consumer electronics, automotive and network industries, is driving development of Bluetooth wireless technology and bringing it to market. The Bluetooth SIG includes promoter group companies Agere, Ericsson, Intel, IBM, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia and Toshiba, along with over 5000 Associate and Adopter member companies. The Bluetooth SIG, Inc. headquarters are located in Bellevue, Washington, U.S.A. For more information please visit http://www.bluetooth.com .
The Bluetooth word mark and logo are registered trademarks and are owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc.
PRESS CONTACTS:
Americas
Starr Million
INK Public Relations for the Bluetooth SIG
+1 (512) 382-8981
starr@ink-pr.com
Asia-Pacific
Eddie Chan
Hill & Knowlton Asia Ltd. for the Bluetooth SIG
+852 2894-6214
eddie.chan@hillandknowlton.com.hk
Europe, Middle East, Africa
Danny Devriendt
Porter Novelli for the Bluetooth SIG
+32 475353465
danny.devriendt@porternovelli.be Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click appropriate link. Dr. Michael Foley http://profnet.prnewswire.com/ud_public.jsp?userid=511276
Source: prnewswire
All trademarks and copyrighted information contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
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