The system makes it easier for senior citizens to benefit from telemedicine, and has also achieved better results in treating diabetes compared to conventional treatment. (Image : Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan.28 (Korea Bizwire) – A telemedicine system that has voice recognition features has been revealed for the first time in Korea. The system makes it easier for senior citizens to benefit from telemedicine, and has also achieved better results in treating diabetes compared to conventional treatment.
The U-Healthcare team at the Seoul National University Bundang Hospital tracked 99 patients with diabetes over a period of six months. The results showed that the patients who used the U-Healthcare system with voice recognition had an 8.5 percent lower hemoglobin glycation index than the comparison group.
The hemoglobin glycation index represents a measure of an individual’s average state of blood sugar. Levels are usually between four and six percent among healthy individuals.
U-Healthcare is a disease treatment system which provides personalized medical services using IT technologies.
Through the U-Healthcare service, patients measure their blood sugar levels and blood pressure and send the data to the hospital. The hospital then provides personalized medical services based on the data, allowing patients to receive treatment without having to set foot in a hospital.
However, until now, there were limitations in the service as most of the patients are seniors who are not accustomed to mobile devices or the internet.
Doctors at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital noticed the problem, and developed a system that recognizes voices. Seniors can call and record their blood sugar levels and amount of exercise verbally, and the system will save the data. The technology was developed for the first time in the world.
The system increases efficiency in managing patients’ blood sugar levels, and lowers the gap between high and low blood sugar levels, preventing complications from developing from low or high blood sugar.
The research team also added that the voice recognition system lead to improved blood pressure and steatosis indexes.
The study was recognized as the first example of the application of the U-Healthcare system with voice recognition directly to clinical usage. The results were published in the recent internet issue of ‘Scientific Reports’.
By Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
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I found a helpful review at http://zappohealth.com/dep2
I would recommend anyone who suffers from Type 2 or even pre-diabetes to take a look at it. The key to living a long healthy life is understanding the effects of what we put into our bodies.