acm-header
Sign In

Communications of the ACM

Research highlights

Technical Perspective: eBP Rides the Third Wave of Mobile Health


eBP device on mannequin

Credit: University of Colorado, Boulder

Imagine, for a second, that you suffer from hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes, have a family history of heart disease, or have long battled with asthma. Unfortunately, most of you won't have to imagine this; according to the World Health Organization, over two billion people worldwide live with one of these chronic health conditions, so likely you or a close family member are afflicted. Treating these conditions requires frequent doctor visits and physical checks, both in and out of the clinic. Careful health maintenance and preventive care can lead to a happy and long life but is a lifelong burden on the patient and the doctor. Without it, however, these conditions can be deadly.

Why do they become deadly? The key problem, even in developed, rich countries, is access to continuous care; this can happen in a variety of ways, from inequitable healthcare systems, lack of trained professionals, distance from hospitals, lack of access to data, or patient non-adherence. These problems are now compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has overloaded hospital systems and reduced health infrastructure's ability to prioritize preventive care. The bitter pill here is that preventive care is the best way to reduce this load long term, but it is just not feasible with available resources and exhausted clinicians.


 

No entries found

Log in to Read the Full Article

Sign In

Sign in using your ACM Web Account username and password to access premium content if you are an ACM member, Communications subscriber or Digital Library subscriber.

Need Access?

Please select one of the options below for access to premium content and features.

Create a Web Account

If you are already an ACM member, Communications subscriber, or Digital Library subscriber, please set up a web account to access premium content on this site.

Join the ACM

Become a member to take full advantage of ACM's outstanding computing information resources, networking opportunities, and other benefits.
  

Subscribe to Communications of the ACM Magazine

Get full access to 50+ years of CACM content and receive the print version of the magazine monthly.

Purchase the Article

Non-members can purchase this article or a copy of the magazine in which it appears.
Sign In for Full Access
» Forgot Password? » Create an ACM Web Account