Although it may be a requirement for persons to take life saving medications on a daily basis, this undertaking could, at times, be difficult for some people to adhere to. This essentially can result in them missing doses or even overdosing which could have a negative impact on their health.
But there may be a solution to this dilemma. This is in light of a recent medical breakthrough which scientists believe can greatly help persons with wanting medication-taking memory.
According to the World Economic Forum, the International Organisation for Public-Private Cooperation, slated to improve patients’ ability to always ensure that they are adequately medicated is “a pill that lets you know you have taken it.”
The Forum, which was established in 1971 as a not-for-profit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland and is an independent, impartial and not tied to any special interests, engages the foremost political, business and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.
In highlighting the innovative creation, the Forum informed that it was developed against the backdrop of patients finding it difficult, on a regular basis, to remember if they have taken the right dose at the right time. In order to address this shortcoming, the new pill has been created with a tiny sensor embedded in it which records when it is taken.
Once taken, it enables information to be transmitted to a patch worn by the patient and then sent on to a smartphone. Patients and doctors can ensure the medication is being taken as needed. According to the forum though, a similar innovation is already being used in the treatment of schizophrenia and other mental illnesses.
“That is just one idea making up the ‘internet of medical things (IoMT)’ – using networks of connected devices to sense vital data in real time,” the World Economic Forum has noted.
IoMT means it is now possible to join the dots between personal digital devices, connected medical devices, implants and other sensors.
Other applications include: “telemedicine – where health care can be provided at a distance via phones and IT.” Added to this, “Patients can use devices to measure blood pressure, monitor glucose levels and test for conditions from blood samples – and send the results in real time to their doctors.”
Technology-inspired medical breakthroughs are unfolding on a daily basis and the Guyana Standard will seek to share developments in this regard with you on a weekly basis.
