Personal medical devices and applications are hot right now and all indications are they will grow in use. Part of the growth will be due to the growing universe of smartphones in the world. The smartphone revolution has really just begun. There are about 2.5 billion smartphones in the world today, and projections are that by 2020 the number will reach 3 billion. These projections are easily under estimates, since the price of entry level smart devices are dropping like a rock.
Still, not every connected medical device will be a success. Devices need to be well thought out, serve needs and come at a price point that makes them affordable.
This is one reason we single out the Kardia Mobile device as an exemplar. It works in the domain of heart health tracking. We cannot attest to whether or not it really helps, we are not medical professionals, but noted that they are FDA approved so we have to assume there is validity to their claims. Here is how they describe themselves:
- FDA-cleared, clinical grade mobile EKG monitor: Kardia is the most clinically-validated mobile EKG used by the world’s leading cardiac care medical professionals
- With Basic service, know instantly if your heart rhythm is normal or if atrial fibrillation is detected, and email the last single EKG recording to yourself or your doctor
- Premium service, available for purchase through the Kardia app for $9.99 per month or $99 per year, includes unlimited history and storage of your EKG recordings, a monthly EKG summary report to share with your doctor, along with the ability to track your blood pressure, activity and weight
It can be used with your smartphone app and the data can be stored in the cloud for access by medical professionals.
For more see: AliveCor Kardia Mobile EKG Monitor