Self-management of health: What tools are available to us?
The term “self-managed health” might sound like a foreign concept from the distant future. However, this is not always the case. There are already a large number of tools and devices that allow us to actively monitor our health or various aspects of our pathologies, and it is more than likely that you have used one or more of them without paying much attention to them. Who hasn’t taken a Covid self-test during the pandemic? Have you ever used your smartwatch’s step or heart rate monitor when you go for a run? These are just two examples of the possibilities that new technologies provide us with, always hand in hand with health professionals, who can contribute to an active role within our wellness. Let’s take a closer look at them.
Covid-19: the revolution in self-diagnostic testing
Covid-19 represented a turning point in patients’ involvement in their own health. Faced with a health crisis of this magnitude, and with overcrowded hospitals and health centres, a tool was needed to help citizens self-manage the situation. Thus, the sale of self-diagnostic tests in pharmacies meant that each of us could confirm or rule out a possible infection at home, thus facilitating preventive measures and helping, in many cases, to break the chain of infection.
Specifically, by following the test instructions, we were informed with a high degree of reliability whether our symptoms corresponded to those of Covid-19 or not and, from there, we followed the protocol corresponding to each autonomous community when notifying the corresponding administration, waiting for the treatment recommended by our doctor and following certain actions when it came to quarantine or not. It was a way to avoid overburdening health centres and health professionals, waiting for patients to be tested, and avoiding patient travel.
Wearable devices: a revolution in self-care and prevention
Wearable technology is a type of technology that collects a constant stream of personal data without any effort on the part of the user. It is specifically this feature that has awakened consumers’ interest in ascertaining their physical condition and the effect it will have on their current and future health. There are now devices that measure our body’s vital signs when we exercise, and others that diagnose sleep disorders or diseases such as Alzheimer’s through algorithms. These devices will be increasingly integrated into our daily lives and medical practices.
IoT to speed up workflows and provide greater transparency
Likewise, the Internet of Things (IoT) will revolutionise healthcare, allowing, among other things, hospitals to be more time-efficient; healthcare professionals to have relevant information faster; and individuals themselves to have more data (and more transparency) at their fingertips. This digitisation will span several areas of medical technology, including the monitoring of medical device metrics, to monitor, for example, the patient’s medical data at their bedside; or mHealth, the ability to provide the individual with tools for them to be a steward of their own health.
Open innovation in health self-management
Although there are still many challenges ahead, including regulatory, security and patient data protection issues, many start-ups and other entrepreneurs are already looking for self-management healthcare tools.
At CinfaNext, we are looking for innovative solutions or projects along these lines, to continue empowering patients and healthcare professionals. Do you have an idea that might fit in with our way of doing things? Contact us and we would be delighted to hear from you.
