Healthcare going mobile

Hospital patients (and hospital staff) no longer have to grow weary of the constant due diligence of power cord avoidance (in fear of tripping on or becoming tangled in cords from the patient monitoring devices). Now, thanks to wireless medical devices, such as portable patient monitors and infusion pumps, more attention can be centered on keeping the hospital gown closed.

As medical telemetry expands, more and more doctors are finding themselves able to wirelessly monitor patients. However, with the increased use of such medical devices, better wireless safeguards need to be in effect. Recently, the Federal Communications Commissions (FCC) has decided to give certain health technologies their own radio spectrum. You may find yourself asking, “Why is the FCC doing this? What does this mean for wireless medical devices?” Now, the FCC and the FDA may not initially seem to have related interests, but the underlying goal of this decision is for mobile health to grow. The FDA will still regulate these medical devices, while the FCC will regulate these devices as a communications device (since they use the electromagnetic spectrum). MBAN will not interfere or be compatible with existing mobile medical devices, since they are developed to work on a certain spectrum. However, new mobile health devices may be MBAN ready, if they get FDA approval to market their device and the FCC determines that the device can use the MBAN spectrum.

In 2011, a joint proposal by representatives from medical and aerospace industries was submitted that proposed the use of a shared wireless spectrum. On 24 May 2012, the FCC approved a Report and Order creating the Medical Body Area Network (MBAN) service, which can be used in the 2360 to 2400 MHz radio spectrum. The main purpose of MBAN is to provide wireless patient monitoring that may help reduce the costs of healthcare and streamline the delivery of healthcare. MBAN technology could replace corded data transmitting devices with sensors that are either worn by or implanted into the patient.

The key to expanding medical telemetry is in how such technologies can be developed and utilized in the clinical setting. If this expansion is successful, then more patients will be able to be monitored wirelessly by their health care provider, due to a greater availability of wireless medical devices. However, with more data being wirelessly transmitted, there is an increased need for safeguards against potential threats to privacy.

What are your thoughts? I want to know!

^_^ Rebecca
Links:
1. http://mobihealthnews.com/2960/understanding-mhealth-regulation-fcc-and-fda/
2. http://www.gsblaw.com/pdfs/MBAN_FCC_Press_Release.pdf