title: Do we need new personalized emergency telehealth solutions? A survey of 100 emergency department patients and a first report of the swiss limmex emergency wristwatch: an original study.
abstract: Development of new personal mobile and wireless devices for healthcare has become essential due to our aging population characterized by constant rise in chronic diseases that consequently require a complex treatment and close monitoring. Personal telehealth devices allow patients to adequately receive their appropriate treatment, followup with their doctors, and report any emergency without the need of the presence of any caregivers with them thus increasing their quality of life in a cost-effective fashion. This paper includes a brief overview of personal telehealth systems, a survey of 100 consecutive ED patients aged >65 years, and introduces "Limmex" a new GSM based technology packaged in a wristwatch. Limmex can by a push of a button initiate multiple emergency call and establish mobile communication between the patient and a preselected person, institution, or a search and rescue service. To the best of our knowledge, Limmex is the first of its kind worldwide.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, CH-3010 Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Malek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tabbara
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hodel
authors.forename: Urs
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Gabi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Briner
authors.forename: Heinz
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
authors.forename: Aristomenis K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Exadaktylos