It's a day in the life of a person, and it may become a very common reality in the near future.
A health-care home is being built in Durham, N.C., that will feature a "smart bathroom" that analyzes urine samples, a "smart medical room" that dispenses medication on a person-by-person basis, and energy-saving and safety measures that utilize high-tech tools. safety measures.
Shortly into the next century, middle-income families will have access to some of the following health services:
Waking up in the morning and going to the bathroom, where a urine sample is analyzed and the information transmitted to the doctor's office.
Then stand on the scale, which tells you the percentage of fat in your body, tells you how much weight you've gained or lost, and can remind you of your doctor's instructions to watch your diet. It can also ask if you'd like to go over recipes. A printer in the kitchen prints out a recipe for you to choose from, based on what's left in the refrigerator and what's fresh in the pantry. The computer is connected to the store and can order any food you run out of, and the order is delivered to your door in the afternoon.
If you're still in the bathroom, you can press the display to instruct you to take your thyroid medicine dose. It can also remind you that it's time to buy your medication, as well as remind you of your doctor's appointment this afternoon.
In the afternoon, you contact the doctor's office through a desktop computer, and the doctor sees you face-to-face through the computer. The doctor has access to your entire medical history on another monitor, so you can talk about your treatment; about your progress with the recipes and exercise regimen the doctor has instructed you to follow, and about any other concerns you have.
You tell your doctor that you feel discomfort in your throat. After you describe your symptoms, the doctor schedules an appointment with a nurse in your office building for an hour from now. During that hour, the doctor is going to review your chart, access the charts of other patients with similar histories, and browse through the computer for the latest research findings.
After an hour, you arrive at the nurse's station as scheduled, and after the nurse lady contacts the doctor through the computer, she places a digital stethoscope on your chest, through which the doctor listens at his own terminal. The doctor is also able to obtain other physiological indicators. The nurse lady then picks up a small video camera and feeds it into your mouth so the doctor can see down your throat.
The problem is minor, just a little inflammation. The doctor e-mails a prescription to the pharmacy and the medicine is delivered to your home along with the food you ordered in the morning.
You return to your desk and keep a work log. Your computer shows that you spent 45 minutes at two doctor's appointments today and sends that information to the personnel department's computer.