More and more (and with alarming frequency), I find myself shaking my head and asking, “What’s the world coming to?”
And this is not necessarily a bad thing.
Technology changes our world on an almost daily basis, and my friend Rick has recently become a beneficiary of one cutting-edge and fabulous advancement. He is now able to “phone in” his routine doctor visits by using a Telehealth Monitor (brand name “Cardiocom Commander”).
It’s a truly amazing machine. It records Rick’s daily blood pressure, pulse oxygen, and weight, then immediately sends the report in to his doctor, where it is monitored and added to his data bank. If there’s a concern, or if his medications need adjusting, the doctor will call to tell him what to do to stay healthier. If it were necessary, this machine could be programmed to check his blood sugar and peak oxygen flow for COPD.
The home monitor comes with a 52-page, 8×10 manual, but after getting the machine all set up, the manual is only needed in the unlikely event you have to do any troubleshooting.
The voice prompts for following the step-by-step process sounds much more “human” than the original computer-generated voices, and asks such yes/no and multiple choice questions as “Have you taken your medication this morning?” and “Are you feeling at all lightheaded today?” and “Is your fatigue more or less or about the same as yesterday?” The prompts also appear in large print on the screen.
Every morning Rick goes through the entire process, which takes 10-15 minutes, ensuring that his health stats are current, consistent, and he remains (medically) stable without leaving the comfort of his home. The monitor is able to use both telephone lines or cellular connections.
I’ve watched him go through the procedure a couple times, and I’m still shaking my head. Technology will forever continue to baffle me.
And that definitely IS a good thing!