The Covid 19 pandemic has definitely shaken world economies and global industries … and healthcare was no exception.
With increased awareness of the possible signs and symptoms of the viral infection, patients and communities at large began looking for quick and easy ways to screen themselves as well as possible contacts for increased temperature, decreased oxygen saturation, heart rates, and rhythms. Before Covid 19 spread, people took these readings only if they were unwell, during routine appointments with their doctors, or as part of their yearly preventive health checkups. With social distancing norms in place, for hospitals and healthcare clinics catering largely to emergency cases, compounded with patient’s trepidation about increasing contact points and thereby the risk of infection, this method of health monitoring was hardly accessible.
Remote patient monitoring and portable, compact, user-friendly devices that could easily measure and monitor these essential parameters became more popular.
The Avidhrt Sense is a handheld, mobile electrocardiogram, pulse oximeter, and infrared temperature sensor which claims to provide clinical quality results and readings. It is linked via Bluetooth to its IOS and Android friendly application, which can store a large number of readings as medical data. It has patented technology that records, and analyses ECG waves and interprets them using its algorithm to detect normal sinus rhythm, tachycardia, bradycardia, and atrial fibrillation. Records can also be sent by the patient to a treating physician as a secure, password-protected document, which makes it easy for monitoring and advising faster interventions if required.
Range of Applications
In addition to personal use, or use with the guidance of a treating physician, it can also be used to help caregivers looking after patients with chronic ailments.Its use can be scaled up to provide organizations an easy way to screen employees frequently and maintain a log of the records, complying with safety protocols to reduce transmission of infections. Patient or employee personal health information is shared through secure encrypted channels, maintaining HIPAA compliance.
Personal Experience
We used the device for a period of two weeks, for monitoring at specific points during the day, including five minutes after a 30-minute cardio workout to check for changes in the parameters.
The readings were easy to take as the device powers up pretty fast and it syncs seamlessly to the app on the smartphone. The heart rate and ECG leads are fairly forgiving and will capture a reading in nearly all circumstances, as long as the fingertips have good contact on the sensor pads. The pulse- oximeter sensor is very sensitive to colder temperatures, so it is important to remember to warm the hands and fingertips adequately before taking a reading.
All in All ....
The Avidhrt Sense delivers what it promises in terms of user-friendliness and portability. It has tremendous potential as a remote patient monitoring device especially with general practitioners who treat patients with chronic conditions. When it comes to ECG monitoring, things are usually complicated as they require experts to analyze and interpret the results. While the algorithm does a great job distinguishing normal sinus rhythm, tachycardia, bradycardia, and atrial fibrillation, the ECG should be examined by a trained professional if abnormal.
This is why the feature to share the reading taken as a secure PDF that can be sent through the app, via WhatsApp or email, and as a versatile shareable link, is advantageous. It gives the best of both worlds- a quick and easy remotely measured ECG which can be evaluated quickly and accurately by the treating specialist.
With an attractive price point, it caters well to people who want to regularly evaluate their heart health, due to the increased focus in fitness over the last year. It can also serve as an all in one solution for employee screening at offices or workplaces, with the automated data recording.
This is why the Avidhrt Sense is a welcome addition in the market for remote monitoring devices, with its aim to improve the delivery of care to both patients and the community.
Disclaimer: The above information is for awareness and education purposes only and cannot be used for diagnosis or treatment of any condition. Please consult with a physician for any concerns or questions. The views expressed are based on the author's personal experience only.
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