Juxtopia® Imhotep Open-Wear Platform: Consumer Wearable Telehealth for Preventing and Managing Health Disparities through Early Chronic Condition Diagnosis in the Context of Regular Fitness and Healthy Nutrition

1.      Background

   Health disparities remain prevalent among minority populations in the United States (e.g., African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander) who disproportionately suffer from preventable conditions ranging from asthma, heart disease and stroke, to hypertension diabetes, obesity, periodontitis, fetal/infant mortality, HIV, and colorectal cancer. Eliminating health disparities for minority populations may reduce direct medical care expenditures by $229.4 billion.

   To help prevent and manage U.S. health disparities, the Juxtopia Group, Inc., a non-profit organization located in Maryland, created the Juxtopia® Imhotep (JI) Open-Wear Platform from which various types of wearable telehealth interventions may be developed and evaluated to prevent health disparities by providing early condition diagnosis in the context of promoting regular exercise and healthy nutrition behavior.

2.      Objective/Purpose

    The objectives of this session are to: 1.) Discuss how to develop low-cost and easily accessible consumer wearable telehealth interventions that prevent and mange health disparities; and 2.) Demonstrate how wearable telehealth interventions, derived from the JI Platform, provide early condition diagnosis while promoting regular physical fitness and health nutrition.

3.      Methods

    Investigators evaluated health disparity conditions that adversely impact minority U.S. populations and unique markers to early detect these conditions. Investigators also evaluated physical fitness activities and health nutrition habits desired by populations at risk for health disparities.  Investigators then improved the JI Open-Wear platform so that wearable telehealth interventions may be created to address various health disparities.

4.      Results

Results of the study indicated that populations at risk for health disparities desire low-cost, easy to use, and easily accessible technology interventions to continually identify and manage conditions that may lead to further morbidity or mortality while also promoting physical fitness and health nutrition behaviors.  

5.      Discussion/Conclusion

Advanced Wearable telehealth interventions have capabilities to significantly decrease health disparities it affordable, culturally relevant, and easily accessible.