Researchers have tested medical devices in animals which connect directly to the nervous system, transmitting data to external wireless health monitors without invasive procedures. Other advancements include bionic devices which, by plugging into the body's nerves, can receive orders from the brain and muscular system: "Once the device is inserted into the nerve, nerve fibres grow through it. Nerve signals associated with particular movements are then selected, and these signals transmitted wirelessly to a receiver in the prosthetic."

Another step...

So I put the sensors right on the man's chest," he continues, "and I could tell he was having a heart attack. I said to the pilot: 'Get this guy off the plane, this is the real deal.' And they made an emergency landing. My understanding is he did very well.

A vivid story about a device that has been mentioned here that suggests what will soon be possible (Now Eric Topol has now written a book that calls for the "creative destruction" of the current medical paradigm, which he believes has failed to keep up with the digitized world of interactivity, social media, computers, apps, and advanced engineering and electronics. In the book, written in that same half-smile style of good humor and authority, Topol blasts current-day medicine as being archaic and wasteful, making his case with a compelling blend of statistics, anecdotes, and barbs aimed at health care's Ancien Régime.) and some of the barriers that exist to moving to a new model.

It doesn't take much imagination to figure out that this is a game changer in health monitoring-or that it might create a legion of e-hypochondriacs or cyberchondriacs. While many individuals who surf the Web start believing they may have the diseases they are reading about, continuous monitoring of one's vital signs takes this concern to a new level. Nevertheless, the upside of having such information available is considerable. We know that people who weigh themselves each day rather than once per week are more successful at losing weight and maintaining their weight. Similarly, mobile phone apps that count calories have facilitated weight loss for some people.

Telemonitoring of blood pressure, likewise, has been shown to have a positive impact on management. We also know that controlling blood pressure and especially avoiding marked shifts or variability are central to reducing the risk of stroke and heart attacks. Remote monitoring also avoids "white coat hypertension"-elevated blood pressure brought on by anxiety about a doctor's appointment. Such data can provide the best guidance for titrating medications, helping reveal the right doses of the right drugs for the right patient. It can also help a patient discern how changes in diet, such as a high salt load, and exercise can affect the blood pressure.

You really need to read this whole post, which is the first I've seen to extend the benefits of telemonitoring beyond a purely medical setting. The source that's cited is The Creative Destruction of Medicine: How the Digital Revolution Will Create Better Health Care by Eric Topol, M.D. Available from Basic Books, a member of The Perseus Books Group.

For now, this telemedicine scenario is in the future. But in a small pilot program, researchers from the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have created technologies that will ultimately enable cellphones to automatically detect and intervene when a person suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or substance abuse problems needs support...Sensors in a wrist or ankle band and a smartphone would not supplant the critical role of a psychiatrist or therapist, Fletcher said, but augment their ability to deliver care and even give doctors a wider window into their patients’ suffering and progress. It could also increase the patient’s engagement in their treatment program.

Talk about rapid response, Seen via @bigthink.