MIT project examines wireless impact in ED

Wireless technology could revolutionize the hospital waiting room, MIT Technology Review reports. Doctors at Brigham and Women's Hospital and a team at MIT are experimenting with a system dubbed SMART (Scalable Medical Alert and Response Technology). The approach equips emergency department arrivals with a fanny pack linked to sensors as well as a wireless transponder. That will allow doctors to monitor the condition of patients as they wait and intervene if problems develop. The news is potentially a boost for Hewlett Packard which manufactures the PocketPC technology used for SMART. The pilot is funded by $3 million grant from the National Library of Medicine. Patients will be equipped with the technology at peak hours starting this summer.

- read this Wall Street Journal article (sub. req.)

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