All of us know that the famous idiom, “wear your heart on your sleeve” can be traced back to the Shakespearean times, where it meant making an obvious display of your love and affections. While this definition still holds true, no one may have ever guessed that today, we can quite literally wear our hearts on our sleeves to monitor our health vitals — something that has been made possible by modern medicine and technology’s wearable devices.
Your heart on your sleeve? Quite literally so.
In the last decade, IoT, Edge and mobility solutions have been critical in propelling the power of technology in various industries to new heights. In the healthcare industry, smart watches, heart monitors, and ovulation monitoring bracelets are just some examples of wearable devices that enable continuous health monitoring and data at your fingertips and for your doctor’s actionable insights. This eliminates the need for recurring hospital visits and doctor consultations.
However, the efficacy of such high-end technology is questionable in places with limited networks, connectivity issues and inadequate access to healthcare professionals and medical services. This is further worsened by the shortage of healthcare professionals in rural areas. How then can we pave the way for accessibility in such a medical desert?
Charting a route through the medical desert
Simply put, medical deserts are areas with limited access to healthcare services and facilities. Despite the concept of a global village powered by technology and socio-political advancements, there are still many regions that are difficult to reach and may not have the top notch access to the medical facilities of metropolitan cities. This is further complicated by the fact that patients may have existing health conditions and require frequent follow-ups.
Consider this. From the population of existing patients in a medical desert, many may range from newborns to elderly people, unable to travel to hospitals for their appointments.
Shifting from mobility solutions to mobile solutions
Yes, mobility solutions have made leaps and bounds in the way we live and work. We may argue that we have never been in better shape. Healthwise, we have mobile apps and devices to count our steps, monitor our heart rate, track our oxygen levels and so much more. But can we do more? Of course, that’s what every healthcare and IT conglomerate is striving to deliver.
Accessibility lies at the heart of all these efforts.
It’s not just enough to have IT solutions, it is crucial to have access to well-trained doctors, nurses and technicians at hospitals and pharmacies; in short, access to medical professionals who are adept at optimizing IT solutions anytime and anywhere. In the digital age that we live in, accessibility is the key to redefining healthcare for better patient- and consumer-centricity. To be truly successful, we need to take advantage of our interconnected world and new capabilities that allow for continuous health measurements through secured devices that ensure patients’ data privacy.
Imagine a healthcare van (let’s call it a health pop-up, shall we?) bolstered with the latest medical facilities and technical equipment, like electric cardiograms, and the opportunity to have access to a GP or medical specialist if needed, that can provide mobile and tailored healthcare services to patients in remote regions. This doesn’t just ensure medical assistance on the go and at your doorstep, but can also reduce health risks and the chance of hospitalizations.
How so?
By providing on-the-spot patient checkups and data analysis. This health pop-up may also scan for doctors and nurses nearby, thereby ensuring it is optimally placed to reach patients as well as medical professionals.
Mobile solutions on the go, right?
Healthcare monitoring and vitals checked in 3 simple steps
Here’s a quick look at how this type of a mobile health pop-up solution can deliver faster services in medical deserts or any type of neighborhood:
- Innovative technology to allow ~85% of medical tests to be completed in situ by a human medical professional / technician
- Advanced AI analysis and interconnectivity for faster quality reports, allowing doctors and specialists to make a medically precise and efficient diagnoses on the spot
- The latest 3D enabled remote consultation so that patients can interact with their practitioner
Going for a checkup or scheduling a medical appointment has never been easier. Yet, the long-term effects of this solution go beyond the obvious: an improved quality of life, reduced time and stress, and medical resources in areas that would perhaps not be able to get such services and freeing up pressure on hospitals and doctors.
Open innovation for future-ready ecosystems
In the last 2 years, I have been associated with the Software République, an open innovation ecosystem dedicated to intelligent, secure, and sustainable mobility. We aim to build collective business projects focused on tomorrow’s mobility. How? Well, we are focused on delivering market products/services to meet the ever-growing challenges of the connected vehicle, the smart city and energy — in short, the challenges of tomorrow. And we are already doing this by leveraging the latest technologies as well as powerful collaborations with communities and organizations on the ground and at the heart of our projects.
In May 2024, we launched U1st — a beautifully innovative idea that decentralizes access to health specialist services. If deployed by governments and other players in the healthcare ecosystem, it can transform healthcare accessibility for patients by taking health mobility services to where it is needed the most.
This innovation marks a paradigm shift from mobility services to services being mobile. And this is just the beginning. For one, I am excited to see what the next few months hold in store.
I would love to hear your take on innovations and projects that make a difference, so connect with me to share your opinions. Let’s discuss how U1st is poised to transform societies, governments and the world at large, and how this impacts your business.
