Could This Device Bring Us One Step Closer to Predicting Illness?

HHS funds further research of a wearable device that could warn of early illness.

It’s a device the size of a key fob that measures breathing, heart rate, sleep, and movement. It can be attached to clothing such as undergarments, requires no recharging, and will survive cycles through the washer and dryer.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is hoping that one day this easy-to-use monitor will issue early warnings that the individual wearing it is about to become sick. The implications for health systems managing population and chronic health initiatives is obvious: early detection and treatment of illnesses such as the flu could prevent hospitalizations, improve outcomes, and lower costs.

San Francisco-based Spire received a...