Monday November 10, 2008 --
Intel, the computer chipmaker
like many other organizations wants to have some business in the health care
industry. It has reportedly begun testing pilot programs including a home
health laptop, application and database that allow patients to communicate with
their health providers.
The Intel Health Guide, a system that includes a laptop
for patients to use at home and an online interface for health care
administrators, already received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration in July.
A few health care providers including Aetna, Scan Health
Plan, Erickson Retirement Communities, and the Providence Medical Group in
Oregon have now been testing the pilot programs to have a feel about how the
system works.
To promote use of its Health Guide, Intel have enlisted
two major health organizations the Mayo Clinic and the American Heart
Association as medical information providers of evidence-based medical content.
The medical advice from the organizations is dispersed
through the system. Patients can read advice on treatment guidelines, and
educational multimedia content for diseases like blood pressure and diabetes so
they can better communicate with their health care providers and take better
care of themselves.
It was reported that the Intel Health Guide PHS6000
device is more user-friendly than early thought. No experienced clinicians are
required to be present at patients' home for them to use the system.
The health guide may be used as it is or health
administers may choose to program their own treatment guidelines into the
Intel's system and administer and monitor the system remotely through an online
interface.
The kind of laptop can activate at any time every day and
sound a reminder chime.
Once the patient
responds, the device can automatically run through a program giving a series of
questions or advice. This device is not just a medical information portal.
It has actually been equipped with some tools
like glucose-measuring tools that diabetes patients can readily use, media
reported.
The Intel health guide can also be used as a tool to
educate patients on how best to take care, of course.
But users will have to input their medical
data themselves so that nurses and doctors and administers can intervene when necessarily.
"That should help nurses or case managers move to
more of a management by exception approach," Mariah Scott, head of sales
and marketing for Intel's Digital Health Group was quoted as saying.
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