Chapter 17 - Future Monitoring Technologies: Wireless, Wearable, and Nano

New technologies permit monitoring of an increasing number of physiological parameters in real time by multiple stakeholders in diverse environments. Combined with dramatic improvements in data analytics, this allows us to glean boundless information from our monitors. Miniaturization and nanotechnology make monitors more portable and also let us measure previously unobtainable parameters. The convergence of these factors moves us toward a seamless connection of providers to patients who are free to ambulate while monitored continuously and accurately. Smartphones, smartwatches, e-textiles, and consumer wearables have expanded the reach of physiological monitoring beyond the hospital and produced an explosion in the quantity of data produced. The convergence of all of these technologies allows tracking, analysis, and the production of predictive analytics. As these technologies improve and become more accurate and reliable for healthcare use, they present a myriad of integration challenges that include privacy, dependability, cost, infrastructure maintenance, and even ethical considerations.