Tech firm readies for rollout of online med-monitoring system
CRYSTAL LAKE, Ill. An online technology and communications firm says it is ready to take a new alert and communications system for medication adherence to the next level by testing its widespread application among everyday users.
The system, called eMedonline and developed by Leap of Faith Technologies, relies on cell phone technology and barcode scanning technology to help patients remain safe and compliant with their medication therapy. The system—which can also be harnessed for clinical trials and other uses—includes a wireless device for use in a patient’s home, along with Web-based services that collect and distribute information between the patient and clinician, according to the company.
“eMedonline can be thought of as a ‘smart service’ that leverages the inherent abilities of wireless technologies like cell phones and radiofrequency identification to facilitate medication compliance and remote patient monitoring,” noted Leap of Faith in a report on the product. “It functions as a system that includes a cell phone, RFID, and Web-based services that collect and distribute information between the patient and clinician.
The system works via smartphone technology and either barcode scanning or RFID technology to track and record the medication package. The eMedonline system automatically collects and transmits specific data for individual patients—including dosing times, missed doses, and outcomes data—in real time from a single device. “Medication data read from an RFID tag is collected in real time and helps patients verify that they are taking the correct medicine at the correct time, while helping caregivers and clinicians appropriately intervene in the case of missed medications or adverse events before they become a significant health risk,” Leap of Faith stated.
“The data can be analyzed through the eMedonline clinical interface, or exported for use in other clinical monitoring systems,” noted the company. “It provides important information on the medication and health status of an individual patient, and on the patient population as a whole.”