Accreditation proposals target telehealth. The Joint Commission has proposed changes to its accreditation standards related to telehealth, which would apply to all accredited hospitals and organizations offering these services as well as their telehealth contractors. The proposals, Nathaniel Lacktman of Foley & Lardner LLP writes, require hospitals to confirm patients’ locations when assigning providers; discuss the modality that will be used to provide care; and provide patients will additional information about their options, expenses, and provider.
Sharing health records through an app. Electronic health record company Epic is launching a program that will allow patients the ability to share health records using a smartphone app. Through Share Anywhere, which will be available to Epic users in November at no cost, any provider with internet access can receive data at the patient’s discretion, even if that patient doesn’t have an electronic health record.
Long-distance sensors for wearables. University of Washington researchers have demonstrated a small, low-power sensor able to transmit data as far as 2.8 kilometers. At the low cost of ten to 20 cents each, the researchers say the sensor shows promise in medical wearables, such as epidermal patch prototype built for the study.
Wearable shipments climbing in 2017. IDC’s latest forecast predicts that vendors’ wearable shipments will increase from 104.4 million units in 2016 to 121.7 million units in 2017 — a 16.6 percent increase. While watches and wrist bands are expected to comprise the bulk of this increase, the market intelligence group also anticipates growth in the quickly developing clothing and earwear markets.
Prototype microchip transmits in vivo. California Institute of Technology researchers have prototyped a microchip 250 times smaller than a penny and capable of relaying its location while within the body. Currently tested in mice, researchers said that the exceptionally low-power chip could help practitioners track ingestibles and, someday, monitor the body.
