A new device that attaches to a standard stethoscope is able to send a patients' heartbeat information directly to a providers' smartphone or other mobile device for review and analysis.
The adapter, from health IT startup Eko Devices, integrates with an app that aids in the analysis of the heartbeats, for example, helping providers differentiate between Class I and Class III murmurs. The heartbeat recordings can also be stored or sent to another provider for a consult.
App users log in with a password and all data sent is encrypted, making the device HIPAA-compliant.
The device is relatively inexpensive (it will retail for between $100 and $150), and, unlike other digital stethoscopes, the adapter does not change the appearance of the traditional stethoscope. "No one wants to be the doctor wearing the weird-looking stethoscope," Eko founder and CEO Connor Landgraf told CIO magazine.
More Articles on mHealth:
Mayo's App Helps Cut Cardiac ED Visits, Readmissions, Study Finds
Who's Wearing Wearables? 10 Statistics
How Oncologists Use Technology: 7 Statistics