Healthcare Technology Featured Article

October 04, 2011

Meridian Health and iMPak Health Deploy Near Field Communication Technology for Mobile Health Application


To provide consumers and patients with effective and intuitive tools to better manage their health, Meridian Health, a not-for-profit health care organization, and iMPak Health, a joint venture of Swedish-based chip developer Cypak A.B., have introduced SleepTrak sleep monitoring solution on T-Mobile’s nationwide 4G network.

According to a press release, It utilizes T-Mobile’s Nokia Astound devices in combination with the SleepTrak card, a credit card-sized wireless device that is worn on the upper arm, and the free downloadable SleepTrak application, users collect and transfer valuable data about sleep patterns and symptoms associated with inefficient sleep via near field communication (NFC).

“With this deployment, we successfully combined the expertise of a health care organization, a telemedicine technology company, and a wireless operator to deliver cost-effective, easy-to-use tools that allow users to take control of their own health and act on the information provided,” said Sandra Elliott, Director, Consumer Technology and Service Development, Meridian Health.

NFC, a two-way communication technology based on radio frequency identification (RFID), allows for simplified data exchange and wireless connection between devices over a short distance. The technology is seeing increasing use in the emerging mobile healthcare field as it provides healthcare professionals an ability to collect clinical data while connecting with patients seamlessly no matter their location. NFC also allows individuals new ways to keep track of their own health through innovative solutions like the SleepTrak offerings.

“In today’s digital age, the lack of quality sleep is one of the main health concerns of both men and women,” said Carol Ash, M.D., board certified sleep expert at Meridian Health. “Linking the SleepTrak offerings to a NFC-capable device on T-Mobile’s network will increase the user’s access and visibility to critical health-related information in a convenient and unobtrusive way.”


Mandira Srivastava is a HealthTechZone contributor. She works as a full-time writer, ghostwriter and blogger, and has more than two years of experience in print and Web media. She has also worked on company brochures, website content and product descriptions, as well as proofreading and editing content. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Rich Steeves
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