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Diabetes monitoring through cellphones

Nikita Ramkissoon
By Nikita Ramkissoon
Johannesburg, 16 Sep 2010

Diabetes monitoring through cellphones

In the near future, individuals will be able to better manage their diabetes through a mobile phone and get better access to diagnosis and treatment of various ailments, experts said, writes Gulf News.

Speaking at a conference on m-health, experts said advances in mobile technology will transform the way healthcare is delivered and help improve people's lives. M-health, or mobile health, is a recent term for medical health and public health practice supported by mobile devices as smartphones.

"This is the dawn of a new era for healthcare," Dr Karim Taga, MD of Arthur D. Little said in his opening address.

Clotting monitor developed

A North Wales company which has developed a handheld device to monitor the blood-clotting status of patients taking the drug Warfarin has been boosted with a new £2.5 million oversubscribed fundraising round, says Wales Online.

Microvisk Technologies has raised the finance through a rights issue to existing investors Finance Wales Midven, Oxford Technology Management, Porton Capital, New Hill, the Rainbow Seed Fund and private investors. In January Microvisk secured a further £2 million from new and existing investors.

A spin-out company from the Science and Technology Facilities Council, Microvisk is developing the world's first medical diagnostic strip based on a micro-electro mechanical system that was originally created as a movement system for nano-robots.

Flexible programmes needed for rural communities

The Telecommunications Industry Association has shown support for the Federal Communications Commission's efforts in reforming its universal service healthcare support mechanism, reports Beckers Hospital Review.

However, it strongly urges the FCC to implement flexible broadband programmes for healthcare providers in rural communities, according to a TIA news release. The FCC created two programmes, the Healthcare Infrastructure Programme and the Health Broadband Services Programme, which aim to provide broadband connectivity for healthcare providers in un-served or under-served communities.

In response to this, TIA has voiced support for the newly formed programmes but also urged the FCC to focus on flexibility and practicality when deploying applications and technologies under the programmes.

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