High-tech gadgets track our health

Kaiser Health News took a look recently at some of the possibilities of remote monitoring by high-tech health gadgets. These devices can fit into your cellphone and allow your doctor to keep track of your health, even if you’re not in his office.

For example, if your heart rate accelerates while you’re doing your daily errands, the doctor will know it when he reads the information. Some devices can tell whether we’re taking pills on time. Others fit under the mattress on our bed to check breathing and heart rate. Still others can check our glucose levels or blood pressure.

That’s not to say most doctors are jumping on these devices as being the latest and greatest. While they like the information that can be gathered, some doctors are concerned about patient privacy. The information doesn’t go straight into patient records, but the day eventually will come when it will.

At this point, patients must give permission for their information to be taken and must go into the doctor’s office to have the data transferred. Soon patients will be able to send it themselves over the Internet.

In a preview of coming events, one device developer is already hooked up with advertisers and labs. Insurance companies are encouraging patients to upload their information from other devices. Many of the devices are not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

Are you nervous about this yet? What if you knew your information would go over the Internet, or if you knew it wasn’t always covered by health privacy laws?

If you’re asked to wear one of these new gadgets, ask questions about where the information goes ... lots and lots of questions.

Matilda Charles regrets that she cannot personally answer reader questions, but will incorporate them into her column whenever possible. Send email to [email protected]. © 2014 King Features Synd. Inc.