Connected health and chronic diseases : for a better follow-up of the patient

What’s the relationship between connected smart health and chronic diseases ?Whether one suffers from osteoarthritis, whether one is diabetic or hypertensive treated. Whether one is cardiac, operated on or not for coronary heart disease, connected health should be prescribed to all people who are followed by health professionals for their long-lasting, non-curable, ie, chronic diseases. Indeed, when we consider that connected health is a set of websites information and medical advice, connected objects measuring the vital functions of our organs and applications associated with these objects, it seems obvious that connected health is an indispensable accompaniment tool for patients with long-term and disabling diseases.

Connected Health: From Understanding to Chronic Disease Monitoring

For example, a person with diabetes will be able to learn about his illness by consulting a specialized site offering reliable and validated information. He will also be able to watch a tutorial video to learn how to measure his blood sugar level. On a daily basis, he can use a connected glycemic meter that records all the information related to his illness. The information collected by the blood glucose meter may be transmitted to the patient’s doctor. This specialist, informed of the balance or not of diabetes, can then react quickly and suggest changes in dosages, or even drugs.

During the initiation of a treatment, following the diagnosis of a chronic disease such as for example arterial hypertension, a migraine disease, the use of a pillbox to take his medication at the recommended times is interesting. Especially if the pill is associated with a blood pressure monitor to verify that the tension is normalized with the treatment or with a digital newspaper to record the frequency of migraine attacks, their circumstances of occurrence and reduction of migraine episodes following the application of recommendations issued by a health professional. During a control visit to the doctor, the analysis of the results collected by the connected objects will help to assess the control or not of the newly discovered chronic disease.

As part of the monitoring of a long-term and treated pathology, such as rheumatoid arthritis, HIV seropositivity or Parkinson’s disease, connected health also has its place in patient care. For example, drug therapy for pain or to combat insomnia or depression episodes may benefit from connected health support that will help people to continue to take their pills regularly through a management aid application. painful manifestations and use of the pillbox. For insomniacs, in addition to smartphone applications to help manage their fatigue, their cognitive impairment related to lack of sleep, the use of light therapy will help improve sleep, night awakenings.

Connected health and chronic diseases

Connected health is therefore currently involved in the initial management of chronic diseases but also for their medical follow-up. It allows patients to learn more about the functioning of their bodies, to support them in their efforts to better control their pathologies and to facilitate their dialogue with the healthcare professionals who accompany them by analyzing their physical and psychological data together.

What is smart health?

Click here to read more about connected health