Intelligent clothing for the prevention of disease and the reduction of the burden of health care resources

Abstract

Health care systems in the world are most burdened with the treatment of chronic patients. Chronic diseases are mainly associated with the older population. As the life expectancy of people is continually prolonged due to better living conditions, this problem increases. More developed countries are trying to find an appropriate solution for the health care system. It is sought in connection with continuous monitoring of disease by using intelligent clothing, containing miniature-sized sensors capable of detecting different types of disease symptoms. They can often replace analyses and lab tests. In addition to the wearer, the data is also sent to the personal physician who evaluates the required hospitalization and additional examinations. Besides intelligent clothing for monitoring and preventing diseases, smart houses are also used for the same purpose. It is estimated that this approach and equipment will reduce the burden on healthcare systems, which are now burdened with chronic patients, from 80 % to 15 %.