Digitising health

Abstract

Medical diagnosis relies on data. A physician observes and analyzes a patient’s vital signals to assess their condition and prescribe adequate treatment. The more accurate and reliable the data, the better the treatment. Through the use of technology, digital health allows both physicians and patients real-time access to medical data. For the Faculty of Information and Communication Technology at the University of Malta (UM) digital health is the future of health care. In this regard, newlyprocured sensors, namely the Shimmer3 ECG and MySignals, deserve attention and a deeper insight. Dr Conrad Attard (Faculty of ICT, UM) claims that the faculty has mainly focused on activity recognition sensors such as the Zephyr and Shimmer ECG. These devices allow the team to measure the heart’s electrical activity and activities such as walking. Shimmer ECG is able to measure ECG (electrocardiography) on all 4 limbs, which provides a more accurate reading. The leads are connected to the measuring site through the use of the supplied electrodes, which are attached to the skin at the desired site. The small size of the device (65 x 32 x 12mm), allows people to move freely during data collection. [excerpt]