Smart T-shirt keeps tabs on chronically ill

EU-funded researchers have developed the innovative system to measure heart rate, breathing and physical activity, which is backed up by in-home monitoring devices and intelligent data processing technology. It may even help in training regimes for elite sports like rugby.

As Europe's population ages, chronic diseases are becoming increasingly widespread. Characterised by gradually deteriorating health and recurring incidents often requiring immediate medical attention, chronic illnesses have a severe impact on patients' autonomy and life quality and are putting increasing strain on over-stretched healthcare systems. 
'Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease' (COPD), for example, is expected to be the third leading cause of death worldwide by 2030, whilst chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects one quarter of people over the age of 65. Patients suffering from those and many other incurable chronic illnesses require long-term care to ease their symptoms and slow the deterioration of their health. 
“Currently, treating such diseases requires patients to visit their doctor or specialist frequently for check-ups to monitor their progress. This is inconvenient for patients and doctors, it's costly for healthcare providers, and the treatment may not always be optimal because of insufficient or inaccurate data,” explains Roberto Rosso, R&D manager at telehealth provider TESAN in Italy. 
Innovative healthcare technologies based on sensor networks, ambient intelligence and remote monitoring address many of those problems and are eliciting interest from healthcare providers worldwide. 
A new system, developed in the Chronious project* with the support of €7.25 million in research funding from the European Commission, provides a comprehensive remote monitoring solution for the chronically ill. Developed by a consortium of 14 partners in eight European countries coordinated by Mr Rosso, the smart wearable system is designed specifically for COPD and CKD patients, although it could easily be adapted for patients suffering from a variety of other long-term disorders. 
The system uses wearable heart, respiratory and activity monitoring sensors fitted to a light-weight T-shirt, alongside external devices such as a digital weight scale, glucometer, blood pressure monitor, spirometer and air quality sensor in the patient's home or room to measure vital, physical and environmental signs. These are connected to a mobile device such as a smartphone or PDA which in turn transmits the patient's data to their care provider where it is analysed with intelligent data processing software. 
The open, modular and flexible approach means different types of sensors can be used depending on the individual patient's condition, making the system particularly adaptable to cases of comorbidity in which patients are living with two or more kinds of disorder such as CKD and diabetes. For CKD patients in particular, the Chronious team developed an innovative food intake program with a simple-to-use user interface so their diets can be closely monitored. 

More accurate data, more accurate treatments 
“For doctors one of the big advantages of this approach is that the data is highly accurate. Patients are being monitored every day as they live their nKobe 11 Mentality