Abu Dhabi healthcare sector is ensuring all possible efforts to take care of high-risk COVID-19 patients at their homes using a hi-tech device that helps in tracking their body temperature, oxygen saturation, and heart rate. The device is connected to the patient's phone via Bluetooth.

The hi-tech gadget is trapped to the wrist of the patients and its easily removable, unlike other tracking watches. It checks the vital signs of the patient, including the respiratory rate on an hourly basis.

After monitoring the patients' data on dashboard, healthcare staff inform the patients about any abnormalities, including drop in the oxygen level, rise in temperature or quicker pulse. In case of a concerning change, the patients are advised to call hospital for further assessment.

Over the past three weeks, the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (Seha) conducted successful trials of the gadget before launching it across all assessment centres in the emirate. It is will used among high-risk patients eligible for the home isolation programme, including people over the age of 60 and those suffering from conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes or lung conditions such as asthma. These illnesses make them highly vulnerable to developing complications from COVID-19.

Dr Marwan Al Kaabi, acting group chief operations at SEHA, expressed confidence in the device that will provide huge advantages to patients and healthcare professionals.

“We can intervene timely,” he added.

Donnah Sasing, a nurse with Abu Dhabi Telemedicine Centre, explained how the device helped in timely admission of COVID-19 to the ICU after his health deteriorated. She stated that the condition of the patient deteriorated quickly and saturation lower below 90 per cent.

“Sometimes that happens with the activities they are doing. But this time he was just resting. The nurse called him but he was then complaining of chest pain. So what happened was, it was very quick, in 20 to 30 minutes. The family was advised to call the ambulance. The paramedics tried stabilising him, but he was brought to the hospital and admitted to the ICU," she said.

Yousif Alhammadi, a senior SOS officer with SEHA, further confirmed that his condition has since improved after receiving treatment in hospital.

Dr Al Kaabi also underlined that patients are at times reluctant to get discharged and isolate at home due to anxiety. In such cases, such devices help in reassuring the patients that their health is being monitored regularly.

“Having such a device gives them the reassurance they need to go home knowing someone is monitoring them and someone can intervene if they need that," he added.

Dr Al Kaabi is also expecting the device to be used outside COVID-19, such as booking and checking in patients for appointments electronically.

“For now, it is available in all our Covid assessment centres. And we think by next year, this technology will have wider uses outside Covid-19," he said.