Qualcomm through its Wireless Reach initiative, and Life
Care Networks, along with the Community Health Association of China, announced
the launch of the Wireless Heart Health project for the prevention and care of
cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in underserved communities in China.
Using China Telecom’s 3G EV-DO wireless network, this
project aims to explore a new health care solution to enhance the CVD diagnosis
and prevention capabilities of community health clinics in China.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), chronic
diseases, such as CVDs, place a grave economic burden on countries.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in China,
responsible for about 3 million deaths a year.
With a grant from Wireless Reach, the Wireless Heart
Health project is deploying a 3G-enabled cardiovascular screening and monitoring
system, developed by Life Care Networks, for resource-scarce community health
clinics in Shandong, Anhui and Sichuan provinces, as well as the Chongqing
municipality.
Community Health Association of China is assisting in
clinic selection, project implementation and impact analysis.
The new 3G system includes smartphones with built-in
electrocardiogram (ECG) sensors; web-based, electronic medical record software;
and 3G wireless workstations located within the clinics.
Each workstation includes a computer terminal with
Internet access, providing health care workers with instant access to
electronic patient records, including ECG data. The project also includes
training sessions for all participating community health center clinicians.
In this project, smartphones automatically send patient
data, over China Telecom’s 3G network, for real-time analysis to a cardiac
specialist in the Beijing Life Care Networks Call Center.
Doctors provide real-time feedback to patients and clinic
staff via SMS or a phone call. The call center is staffed by 30
physicians and provides round-the-clock services, including remote monitoring,
diagnosis, clinician consultation and treatment.
For patients with simple cases, physicians in the call
center can provide services remotely, while patients with more complex cases
are referred to specialty hospitals for further testing or to receive
treatment.
Patients also have the opportunity to rent the
cardiovascular-sensing smartphones to take home for monitoring their heart data
whenever and wherever symptoms arise.
“3G wireless technologies offer new channels for
improving access to health care, particularly within underserved
communities,” said Shawn A Covell, vice president for Qualcomm Government Affairs.
“The Wireless Heart Health project will enable
health workers in China’s community clinics to treat more patients efficiently
and effectively and improve lives. This project is a clear example of how
3G can extend the reach of medical specialists into underserved areas,”
Covell added.
“We are very pleased to collaborate with Qualcomm on
this project to deploy advanced remote health care monitoring systems for
resource-scarce community health clinics,” said Meng Yu, president of Life Care Networks.
“With the development of 3G technology, remote
health care solutions are expected to enable China’s basic medical services to
achieve significant development and benefit patients with cardiovascular
disease,” Yu added.
Qualcomm recently announced that it has acquired
certain assets from GestureTek, a developer of gesture recognition technology.
GestureTek has more than 25 years of experience implementing gesture-based
technologies in mobile devices, entertainment facilities, healthcare systems,
retail locations, and public and private venues.
The acquisition gives Qualcomm ownership of certain
intellectual property assets related to gesture recognition, as well as key
engineering resources. GestureTek is retaining other assets in
continuation of its gesture-controlled public display and digital signage
business.
By Telecomlead.com Team
editor@telecomlead.com
