Israeli smartwatch monitors health from afar amid COVID-19 pandemic
The watch will remotely monitor patients' medical conditions and provide immediate assistance in emergency situations.
By Tzvi Joffre, Jerusalem Post, January 1, 2021
A smartwatch developed
in Israel will monitor the health of the elderly, Parkinson's patients,
and multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and help alleviate loneliness amid
the continuing coronavirus pandemic which has many isolated from
essential care and loved ones.
Owlytics, an Israeli company that won the Health Ministry's "Challenge" tender, has signed a three-year agreement with the Sourasky Medical Center
to conduct advanced neurological research with Parkinson's patients and
MS patients. The research will be led by Prof. Jeffrey Hausdorff,
director of the Laboratory for Gait & Neurodynamics in the Neurology
Division at Sourasky.
The watch will remotely monitor patients' medical
conditions and provide immediate assistance in emergency situations.
Patients will also be able to call a hotline to alleviate loneliness, an
especially important feature as many elderly citizens remain isolated
at home to remain safe during the pandemic.
An
additional joint study led by Hausdorff and Dr. Efrat Yatziv from
Owlytics is being conducted at the gait lab and aims to examine
predicting falls using unique insoles that monitor the gait and
stumbling of patients and allows for advanced warning of specific falls
for that patient based on the data.
The
watch provided by the Owlytics is adapted to the personal metrics of
each user using a special algorithm developed by the company.
"Falls
have been shown to be one of the most common problems among the adult
population," said Prof. Yehonatan Sharabi from Sheba Medical Center.
"The fall endangers the bones of those who suffer from it, can cause
injuries, fractures and illness and even secondary death.
"Over
the age of 75, only about 50% of those who fall are able to get up
immediately after the fall, without help," said Sharabi. "This fact
further increases the feeling of fear and dependence that adults
develop. The service of continuous monitoring of patients has important
potential in the field of prevention. The WATCHER provides security for
seniors and prevents further deterioration by immediate alert in case of
distress."
Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this article.
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