By Stacy Lawrence
Keeping track of patients once they leave the hospital is no easy task. But that could soon become a whole lot easier. The FDA has cleared HealthPatch MD, a small, wireless biosensor patch worn on the chest that can track a number of vital signs and biometric measurements. The sensor connects to a smartphone to relay data to a healthcare provider.
The patch rolls several devices into one, including a heart rate monitor, pedometer, thermometer and fall detector. The FDA cleared the patch to function as a single-lead ECG as well as to monitor heart rate, heart rate variability, respiratory rate, skin temperature, steps taken and body posture (including fall detection that rates severity).
