A smartwatch developed in Israel will monitor the health of the elderly, Parkinson's patients, and multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and help alleviate loneliness amid the continuing coronavirus pandemic which has many isolated from essential care and loved ones.
Owlytics, an Israeli company that won the Health Ministry's "Challenge" tender, has signed a three-year agreement with the Sourasky Medical Center to conduct advanced neurological research with Parkinson's patients and MS patients. The research will be led by Prof. Jeffrey Hausdorff, director of the Laboratory for Gait & Neurodynamics in the Neurology Division at Sourasky.
The watch will remotely monitor patients' medical conditions and provide immediate assistance in emergency situations. Patients will also be able to call a hotline to alleviate loneliness, an especially important feature as many elderly citizens remain isolated at home to remain safe during the pandemic.
An additional joint study led by Hausdorff and Dr. Efrat Yatziv from Owlytics is being conducted at the gait lab and aims to examine predicting falls using unique insoles that monitor the gait and stumbling of patients and allows for advanced warning of specific falls for that patient based on the data.
The watch provided by the Owlytics is adapted to the personal metrics of each user using a special algorithm developed by the company.
"Falls have been shown to be one of the most common problems among the adult population," said Prof. Yehonatan Sharabi from Sheba Medical Center. "The fall endangers the bones of those who suffer from it, can cause injuries, fractures and illness and even secondary death.
"Over the age of 75, only about 50% of those who fall are able to get up immediately after the fall, without help," said Sharabi. "This fact further increases the feeling of fear and dependence that adults develop. The service of continuous monitoring of patients has important potential in the field of prevention. The WATCHER provides security for seniors and prevents further deterioration by immediate alert in case of distress."Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this article.