Tech & Innovation in Healthcare

Question: We have several senior patients who live in rural areas far from our clinic. Their relatives have asked the practitioners about medical alert systems that can connect the patients to healthcare services. Are there systems that are made with rural patients in mind?

Montana Subscriber

Answer: Several medical alert systems exist on the market to connect patients with healthcare services.

One example that is designed for rural patients that comes to mind is Medical Guardian’s MGMini Medical Alert Necklace System. The necklace is similar to other medical alert systems that put the patient in touch with emergency services with a single button. One difference is that the MGMini system remains connected to 4G LTE signals by switching between cell service carriers.

This continuous cell service coverage makes the system a great option for senior citizen patients who live in rural areas or areas with minimal emergency services. The 4G LTE connection helps deliver GPS location updates every hour, which healthcare providers and caregivers can use to ensure the patient is in a safe location.

Mike Shaughnessy, BA, CPC, Development Editor, AAPC