Chips with everything

Health-monitor microchips for the elderly
By Nicole Martin,
Digital and Media Correspondent

Elderly people could in the future be fitted with microchips so that their doctor can monitor their health from miles away, according to a study by the communications watchdog.

They could also no longer have to rely on their memory to take their medication thanks to new "intelligent pill boxes" that would send automatic reminders to patients via their home computer.

A glimpse into the "granny flat of the future" is given today by Ofcom in a report that predicts how wireless - or wi-fi - technology might be used within 10 years to improve the lives of the elderly.

It says that older people will be able to live more independently in their homes by harnessing the same wi-fi technology that currently allows people to access the internet without their computers being physically connected to a socket.

The watchdog, which is working closely with the Department of Health, predicts that "in-body sensors" will be implanted inside a patient's body to pick up dangerous health signs such as high blood pressure or an irregular heart beat.

An automatic alert would then be sent wirelessly, via a home computer, to a GP, who would be able to contact the emergency services or make a home visit if they believed that a person's life was at risk.

Ofcom also predicts that sensors will be fitted on pill dispensers that would sound an alarm or send a message to a home computer if a patient forgot to take their medication.

If the patient ignores the alarm, an automatic message would be sent by email from the home computer, or by text from a mobile phone, to their GP, family or carer.

"Wireless devices are now an essential part of our everyday lives," says the report, Tomorrow's Wireless World. "The use of [wireless] technology could empower the individual to take more responsibility in maintaining their health, freeing up resources within the NHS for other, higher priority uses.

It adds: "Some of the technologies described could be deployed for use within the next 10 years."

Ofcom is also in talks with the Department of Transport to use wireless technology to improve the response of the emergency services in the event of a serious car crash.

Proposals to fit cars with sensors that automatically alert paramedics to an accident via a text message sent by a mobile phone are already being considered by the European Commission and could be on the market by 2011.

The watchdog predicts that "intelligent bracelets", worn by drivers, would enable the emergency services to access their medical records and alert hospital staff to allergies or any serious conditions.