MARC Technologies featured in Best Practices Jan/Feb 2003 Issue
At the University of Virginia’s Medical Automation Research Center (MARC), a suite of low-cost, noninvasive sensors form an in-home monitoring system that links to a data management system and the Internet. The system is designed to monitor ADLs, general health and activity levels, instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) and declines in abilities. The benefits are clear: constant contact with remote caregivers, including emergency alerts by phone or e-mail; software-generated reports of health indicators and overall well-being; constant confirmation of activity; and information presented in ways seniors can easily comprehend.
MARC’s “gait monitoring” system uses sensors to record footfalls, then creates a profile, or “signature,” for each individual, including weight, type of gait, length of stride and average pace. Over time, changes in gait—indicating a variety of possible health problems—can be detected, since new readings are compared against the established benchmark for that person.