Paradigm Shift In Healthcare Research Articles

Will the Meikirch Model, a New Framework for Health, Induce a Paradigm Shift in Healthcare?

Over the past decades, scientific medicine has realized tremendous advances. Yet, it is felt that the quality, costs, and equity of medicine and public health have not improved correspondingly and, both inside and outside the USA, may even have changed for the worse. An initiative for improving this situation is value-based healthcare, in which value is defined as health outcomes relative to the cost of achieving them. Value-based healthcare was advocated in order to stimulate competition among healthcare providers and thereby reduce costs. The approach may be well grounded economically, but in the care of patients, “value” has ethical and philosophical connotations. The restriction of value to an economic meaning ignores the importance of health and, thus, leads to misunderstandings.We postulate that a new understanding of the nature of health is necessary. We present the Meikirch model, a conceptual framework for health and disease that views health as a complex adaptive system. We describe this model and analyze some important consequences of its application to healthcare.The resources each person needs to meet the demands of life are both biological and personal, and both function together. While scientific advances in healthcare are hailed, these advances focus mainly on the biologically given potential (BGP) and tend to neglect the personally acquired potential (PAP) of an individual person. Personal growth to improve the PAP strongly contributes to meeting the demands of life. Therefore, in individual and public health care, personal growth deserves as much attention as the BGP. The conceptual framework of the Meikirch model supports a unified understanding of healthcare and serves to develop common goals, thereby rendering interprofessional and intersectoral cooperation more successful. The Meikirch model can be used as an effective tool to stimulate health literacy and improve health-supporting behavior. If individuals and groups of people involved in healthcare interact based on the model, mutual understanding of and adherence to treatments and preventive measures will improve. In healthcare, the Meikirch model also makes it plain that neither pay-for-performance nor value-based payment is an adequate response to improve person-centered healthcare.The Meikirch model is not only a unifying theoretical framework for health and disease but also a scaffold for the practice of medicine and public health. It is fully in line with the theory and practice of evidence-based medicine, person-centered healthcare, and integrative medicine. The model offers opportunities to self-motivate people to improve their health-supporting behavior, thereby making preventive approaches and overall healthcare more effective.We believe that the Meikirch model could induce a paradigm shift in healthcare. The healthcare community is hereby invited to acquaint themselves with this model and to consider its potential ramifications.

An Ethical Perspective on Palliative Care

Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Information The Continuing Professional Education (CPE) quiz for this article is available for free to Academy members through the MyCDRGo app (available for iOS and Android devices) and via www.eatrightPRO.org. Simply log in with your Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics or Commission on Dietetic Registration username and password, go to the My Account section of My Academy Toolbar, click the “Access Quiz” link, click “Journal Article Quiz” on the next page, then click the “Additional Journal CPE quizzes” button to view a list of available quizzes. Non-members may take CPE quizzes by sending a request to [email protected] There is a fee of $45 per quiz (includes quiz and copy of article) for non-member Journal CPE. CPE quizzes are valid for 1 year after the issue date in which the articles are published. A multi-dimensional paradigm shift in health care continues to spread as palliative care grows into an overarching concept integrated throughout the field. Once thought of in terms of hospice and long-term care units, research indicates that the concept can improve not only quality of life and patient satisfaction, but perhaps extend life as well in patients who might otherwise suffer less-desirable outcomes. 1 Temel J.S. Greer J.A. Muzikansky A. et al. Early palliative care for patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer. N Engl J Med. 2010; 363: 733-742 Crossref PubMed Scopus (5031) Google Scholar , 2 Kelley A.S. Meier D.E. Palliative care—A shifting paradigm. N Engl J Med. 2010; 363: 781-782 Crossref PubMed Scopus (116) Google Scholar , 3 Dionne-Odom J.N. Azuero A. Lyons K.D. et al. Benefits of early versus delayed palliative care to informal family caregivers of patients with advanced cancer: Outcomes from the ENABLE III Randomized Controlled Trial. J Clin Oncol. 2015; 33: 1446-1452 Crossref PubMed Scopus (296) Google Scholar , 4 Greer J.A. Pirl W.F. Jackson V.A. et al. Effect of early palliative care on chemotherapy use and end-of-life care in patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2012; 30: 394-400 Crossref PubMed Scopus (402) Google Scholar , 5 American Academy of PediatricsPolicy Statement: Pediatric palliative care and hospice care commitments, guidelines, and recommendations. Pediatrics. 2013; 132: 966-972 Crossref PubMed Scopus (291) Google Scholar These quantitative results, added to strong anecdotal support, help build a compelling case for the shift, particularly as it appeals to a heightened sense of ethics in terms of beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice. This brings a multi-dimensional dynamic to the discussion of wellness and improved outcomes, and registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) accustomed to the concept report it’s completely in line with the profession’s traditional model of optimizing patient health through nutrition. The objective of the present article is to first explain the concept of palliative care, consider it from the perspective of ethics, and offer examples of challenges faced in the field of nutrition, as well as resources for the practitioner’s benefit. The Continuing Professional Education (CPE) quiz for this article is available for free to Academy members through the MyCDRGo app (available for iOS and Android devices) and via www.eatrightPRO.org. Simply log in with your Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics or Commission on Dietetic Registration username and password, go to the My Account section of My Academy Toolbar, click the “Access Quiz” link, click “Journal Article Quiz” on the next page, then click the “Additional Journal CPE quizzes” button to view a list of available quizzes. Non-members may take CPE quizzes by sending a request to [email protected] There is a fee of $45 per quiz (includes quiz and copy of article) for non-member Journal CPE. CPE quizzes are valid for 1 year after the issue date in which the articles are published.

Implementing a Method for Evaluating Patient-Reported Outcomes Associated With Oral Oncolytic Therapy.

The paradigm shift in health care toward value-based reimbursement has brought emphasis to providing better quality of care to patients with chronic diseases, including patients with cancer. In accordance with providing better quality of care to patients, there has been a growing interest in evaluating quality of life through patient-reported outcomes (PROs). The revised Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS-r) is a tool that can be used to assess PROs and has been validated for use in patients with cancer. This initiative sought to use this standard assessment tool to acquire PROs concerning symptom burden from patients prescribed oral oncolytics. Eight oncology practices in the state of Michigan used a modified ESAS-r to evaluate symptom burden of patients prescribed oral oncolytics before each outpatient visit. Thirteen symptoms were categorized as mild (0 to 3), moderate (4 to 6), or severe (7 to 10). A total of 1,235 modified ESAS-r surveys were collected and analyzed; 82.5% of symptoms were categorized as mild, 11.9% of symptoms were categorized as moderate, and 5.6% of symptoms were categorized as severe. PROs can be evaluated through the use of a standardized tool, such as the ESAS-r, in oncology patients receiving oral oncolytic therapy. Implementing such a tool in both community and academic practices is feasible and may facilitate improvements in the quality of care.

A Systems Medicine Approach: Translating Emerging Science into Individualized Wellness.

In today's aging society, more people are living with lifestyle-related noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cancer. Numerous opinion-leader organizations recommend lifestyle medicine as the first-line approach in NCD prevention and treatment. However, there is a strong need for a personalized approach as “one-size-fits-all” public health recommendations have been insufficient in addressing the interindividual differences in the diverse populations. Advancement in systems biology and the “omics” technologies has allowed comprehensive analysis of how complex biological systems are impacted upon external perturbations (e.g., nutrition and exercise), and therefore is gradually pushing personalized lifestyle medicine toward reality. Clinicians and healthcare practitioners have a unique opportunity in advocating lifestyle medicine because patients see them as a reliable source of advice. However, there are still numerous technical and logistic challenges to overcome before personal “big data” can be translated into actionable and clinically relevant solutions. Clinicians are also facing various issues prior to bringing personalized lifestyle medicine to their practice. Nevertheless, emerging ground-breaking research projects have given us a glimpse of how systems thinking and computational methods may lead to personalized health advice. It is important that all stakeholders work together to create the needed paradigm shift in healthcare before the rising epidemic of NCDs overwhelm the society, the economy, and the dated health system.

A Handheld and Textile-Enabled Bioimpedance System for Ubiquitous Body Composition Analysis. An Initial Functional Validation.

In recent years, many efforts have been made to promote a healthcare paradigm shift from the traditional reactive hospital-centered healthcare approach towards a proactive, patient-oriented, and self-managed approach that could improve service quality and help reduce costs while contributing to sustainability. Managing and caring for patients with chronic diseases accounts over 75% of healthcare costs in developed countries. One of the most resource demanding diseases is chronic kidney disease (CKD), which often leads to a gradual and irreparable loss of renal function, with up to 12% of the population showing signs of different stages of this disease. Peritoneal dialysis and home haemodialysis are life-saving home-based renal replacement treatments that, compared to conventional in-center hemodialysis, provide similar long-term patient survival, less restrictions of life-style, such as a more flexible diet, and better flexibility in terms of treatment options and locations. Bioimpedance has been largely used clinically for decades in nutrition for assessing body fluid distributions. Moreover, bioimpedance methods are used to assess the overhydratation state of CKD patients, allowing clinicians to estimate the amount of fluid that should be removed by ultrafiltration. In this work, the initial validation of a handheld bioimpedance system for the assessment of body fluid status that could be used to assist the patient in home-based CKD treatments is presented. The body fluid monitoring system comprises a custom-made handheld tetrapolar bioimpedance spectrometer and a textile-based electrode garment for total body fluid assessment. The system performance was evaluated against the same measurements acquired using a commercial bioimpedance spectrometer for medical use on several voluntary subjects. The analysis of the measurement results and the comparison of the fluid estimations indicated that both devices are equivalent from a measurement performance perspective, allowing for its use on ubiquitous e-healthcare dialysis solutions.

Engagement Sensitive Visual Stimulation.

Stroke is one of leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Early detection during golden hour and treatment of individual neurological dysfunction in stroke using easy-to-access biomarkers based on a simple-to-use, cost-effective, clinically-valid screening tool can bring a paradigm shift in healthcare, both urban and rural. In our research we have designed a quantitative automatic home-based oculomotor assessment tool that can play an important complementary role in prognosis of neurological disorders like stroke for the neurologist. Once the patient has been screened for stroke, the next step is to design proper rehabilitation platform to alleviate the disability. In addition to the screening platform, in our research, we work in designing virtual reality based rehabilitation exercise platform that has the potential to deliver visual stimulation and in turn contribute to improving one’s performance.

New research in outcome management using apps and DSM-5 measures. Preliminary results

The presentation is about the use of outcome measurements in combination of a newly developed app that enables psychiatrists and patients track the progress of their treatment process and adjust it if needed in an shared decision fashion.In 2013 the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders was introduced. Around the same time there was the start of a paradigm shift in healthcare which increased the focus on patient involvement in individual health care decision-making and on measuring and improving outcomes of care (Sederer et al., 1997; Sperry, 1997; Hermann, 2005). If outcome measures are psychometrically sound and able to measure clinical change, treatment progress can be made transparent for both patients and clinicians.In this presentation the presenter will update the audience on a research project were the DSM-5 Field Trials, patient-reported dimensional measures and the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS) (Clarke et al., 2013; Narrow et al., 2013; Mościcki et al., 2013) are secured and placed in a newly developed app.Disclosure of interestThe author has not supplied his declaration of competing interest.

Cuidados centrados na família: do discurso à prática

The family-centered care is a philosophy of care with more than half a century of existence. This philosophy has its origin in the pediatric care, being expanded to all types of care and opening a perspective of paradigm shift in healthcare. This shift requires that the patriarchal and paternalistic model (which is centered on the knowledge and power of health professionals) be discarded and another model (which is characterized by partnership, dignity, and respect) be adopted, in which information is [...]

Educating the Psychology Workforce in the Age of the Affordable Care Act: A Graduate Course Modeled after the Priorities of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI).

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) represents a paradigm shift in the U.S. healthcare system, which has implications for psychology programs producing the next generation of trainees. In particular, the ACA has established the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), which has been tasked with developing national priorities and funding research aimed at improving healthcare quality by helping patients and providers to make informed healthcare decisions. PCORI's national priorities span five broad domains: person-centered outcomes research, health disparities research, healthcare systems research, communication and dissemination research, and methodologic research. As these national priorities overlap with the knowledge and skills often emphasized in psychology training programs, initiatives by training programs to bolster strengths in these domains could place trainees at the forefront of this emerging research paradigm. As a part of a new Masters program in behavioral health, our program developed a health psychology course modeled around PCORI's five national priorities, and an initial evaluation in a small sample supported student learning in the five PCORI domains. In summary, the current report has implications for familiarizing readers with PCORI's national priorities for U.S. healthcare, stimulating debate surrounding psychology's response to the largest healthcare paradigm shift in recent U.S. history, and providing a working model for programs seeking to implement PCORI-related changes to their curricula.

Expert Patient Programme Catalonia: a person-centered community perspective

Introduction: We are facing a paradigm shift, evolving from a paternalistic model to a deliberative model in which the person —as a patient, relative or carer— takes a protagonist, active, dynamic and directional role, encouraging responsibility, empowerment and shared decisions. In addition, we must consider the tendency to promote a focus on the individual and their environment, which is committed to a partnership between the health and social world and comprehensive care from a population and integrated vision. This change of role implies a link between the community and health systems. In this sense, it has been implemented the Expert Patient Program CataloniaTM (EPPC), an initiative committed to taking responsibility for people with chronic health problems and to promoting self-care. The EPPC is a multidisciplinary initiative based on patient-healthcare professional collaboration and team work. In EPPC, Expert Patient (EP) leads the process and transmits knowledge about their disease to other patients who suffer from the same health problem. The healthcare professional becomes an observer, and only intervenes if it is necessary. The Expert Patient is a 15th International Conference on Integrated Care, Edinburgh, UK, March 25-27, 2015 1 International Journal of Integrated Care – Volume 15, 27 May – URN:NBN:NL:UI:10-1-117086– http://www.ijic.org/ person suffering from a chronic disease who is able to take responsibility for their disease and selfcare, identifying symptoms, and acquiring the skills to manage the physical, emotional and social aspects of the disease. This program, launched in 2006, is a community activity that belongs to the Prevention and Chronicity Attention Programme. It is one of the 32 projects identified as strategic in the Catalonia Health Plan 2011-2015 of the Department of Health of the Catalan Government. Objective: Implementation of a community activity focused on people with chronic diseases in order to promote changes in habits and lifestyles to improve their quality of life. Methods: The EPPC consists of nine 90 minute sessions over 2.5 months, specifically designed for each chronic disease. Sessions are divided in two blocks, a theoretical and a practical one. The number of patients is limited to 10 to 12 per group, and the aim is to guarantee effective and freeflowing communication between the participants. The evaluation of the EPPC is qualitative and quantitative. It is divided in two stages: the first stage is carried out during group sessions and at the end of the session. The quantitative evaluation is performed at the 6th and 12th month after the group sessions have ended. The improved knowledge, the change in lifestyles, the degree of self-care and the satisfaction of participants were estimated. During the second stage, there has been assessed the use of health care services related to doctor and community nurse of the emergency departments and emergency hospital admissions, making a comparative study from of one year before the intervention until one year after the end of it. Results: Period 20062014 (1st semester) Number of patients participating: 4000, from which 276 have been Expert Patients who have led a group. Coverage: 212 Primary Health Teams in Catalonia and 3 Hospital Units within Catalonia and with the involvement of various Healthcare providers of the Catalan Health System. Health providers : 21. Diseases: Chronic Heart Failure, COPD, Diabetes Mellitus type 2, Fibromyalgia, Oral Anticoagulant Therapy, Breaking the tobacco habit, Anxiety and Chagas disease in its chronic stage. Number of groups: 390. Number of healthcare professionals participating: Total number as observers 800: 538 nurses, 215 family doctors and 47 social workers, Conclusions: After completing the program, a continual improvement in time, respect knowledge, habits and lifestyles, self-care and quality of life have been observed. In heart failure provoked by decompensation and COPD, compared to a year before the start of the intervention, a more than 40% reduction and 30% reduction, respectively, in the average of visits per patient (primary, emergency and hospital admissions) is observed. In oral anticoagulant treatment, there is, on one side, a five percentage points improvement in disease control and, on the other side, a reduction in average of visits to the doctor and nurse, and a reduction of about 10% of the average complications. Lessons learned: Peer learning in community performances shows that the active participation of the members of a community are key to promote and create a paradigm shift in health care by building a model of integrated and holistic person-centered care. Limitations: The different speed of Programme implementation in terms of territory, healthcare provider and the community to which each group belongs. Suggestions for future research: Measuring the effectiveness of the Programme through a trialand-cost effectiveness. 15th International Conference on Integrated Care, Edinburgh, UK, March 25-27, 2015 2 International Journal of Integrated Care – Volume 15, 27 May – URN:NBN:NL:UI:10-1-117086– http://www.ijic.org/

Shifting Paradigms in Women’s Health Care: From Informed Consent to Informed Choice

Context: This article discusses the paradigm shift in health care and bioethics from the concept of informed consent to informed choice. Evidence Acquisition: Informed consent is linked to the concept of respect for autonomy-one of the four pillars of bioethics. This concept requires health care givers to share information with patients so they can make appropriate health care decisions. However, the concept of informed consent has been critiqued as being paternalistic and not attentive to the complexities of modern health care decisions. Results: As a result of a paradigm shift in health care and ethics, favoring autonomy over other principles-informed consent evolved to the more patient-centered concept of informed choice. Even so, feminist bioethicists critique the mainstream model of informed choice as being inattentive to inherent power dynamics within health care and society which may influence decision making. Drawing on the model of midwifery in Canada, this paper outlines an approach to health care that incorporates feminist definitions of informed choice. Conclusions: This paper reviews the necessary criteria for informed choice to be attentive to the individual needs of women. Using the model of midwifery in Canada as an example, this paper demonstrates how feminist approaches to informed choice should be preferred in modern health care settings.

Informing physicians using a situated decision support system: Disease management for the smart city

We are in the midst of a healthcare paradigm shift driven by the wide adoption of ubiquitous computing and various modes of information communications technologies. As a result, cities worldwide are undergoing a major process of urbanization with ever increasing wealth of sensing capabilities – hence the Internet of Things (IoT). These trends impose great pressure on how healthcare is done. This paper describes the design and implementation of a situated clinical decision support (SCDSS) system, most appropriate for smart cities. The SCDSS was prototyped and enhanced in a clinic. The SCDSS was then used in a clinic as well as in a university hospital centre. In this article, the system’s architecture, subcomponents and integrated workflow are described. The systems’ design was the result of a knowledge acquisition process involving interviews with five specialists and testing with 50 patients. The reports (specialist consultation report) generated by the SCDSS were shown to general practitioners who were not able to distinguish them from human specialist reports. We propose a context-aware CDSS and assess its effectiveness in managing a wide medical range of patients. Five different patient cases were identified for analysis. The SCDSS was used to produce draft electronic specialist consultations, which were then compared to the original specialists’ consultations. It was found that the SCDSS-generated consults were of better quality for a number of reasons discussed herein. SCDSSs have great promise for their use in the clinical environment of smart cities. Valuable insights into the integration and use of situated clinical decision support systems are highlighted and suggestions for future research are given.

A Paradigm Shift: Healing, Quality of Life, and a Professional Choice

In his most recent publication, Dr. Balfour Mount, the father of palliative care in North America, highlights the necessity of a paradigm shift in health care from the diagnostic and therapeutic models to a model of care that also embraces whole person care, a model in which attention to quality of life, healing, and attention to the lived experience of the whole person and their family are foundational. Dr. Mount challenges each of us to consider this paradigm shift as a personal and a professional choice. In this article, I take the next step in sketching a picture of what Dr. Mount is possibly challenging us all to choose.

P5.058 A Review of the Landscape of Mobile-Phone Applications For Information, Education, Diagnosis, Care and Self-Management of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)

BackgroundMobile phone applications (apps), which offer a paradigm shift in healthcare, have potential to transform sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention and management. Currently, few sexual health related apps exist for...

Healing, quality of Life, and the Need for A Paradigm Shift in Health Care

Healing, quality of Life, and the Need for A Paradigm Shift in Health Care

Biomedical Imaging Instrumentation and Design in Neurological Disorder Data Acquisition

The recent introduction of high-resolution molecular imaging technology is considered by many experts as a major breakthrough that will potentially lead to a revolutionary paradigm shift in health care and revolutionize clinical practice. This paper explores the challenges and strengths of the current major imaging modalities, as well as the biophysics engineering their repertoire of capabilities. Advancements in the mechanical aspects of both PET and SPECT imaging will advance molecular imaging diagnostic capabilities and have a direct impact on clinical medicine and biomedical research practice. A better understanding of the strengths and limitations of functional imaging modalities in the context of their particular hardware and software mechanics will shed light onto how we can advance their diagnostic capabilities on a biological level. Herein, this paper demonstrates the fundamental biomechanical differences between PET and SPECT imaging, and how these fundamental differences translate into clinically relevant data acquisition for brain disorders.

Addressing the gap between genetics knowledge and clinical practice: a pilot study to implement genetics education among physicians in Italy

As a result of large investments in basic science, the genomic discoveries have brought outstanding advances in understanding the molecular basis of human health. Hundreds of genes whose variations contribute to human diseases, or patients’ responses to drug treatments or even to vaccination have been discovered, laying the foundation for a paradigm shift in healthcare...

Clinicians Prepare for Shared Savings Program

Clinicians Prepare for Shared Savings Program

Is the development of a diabetes care system important for quality care? An analysis in Taiwan.

A good community‐based or hospital‐based program involving physicians and nurses is deemed useful for the management of chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, as this program would reduce health‐care costs, admission rates and emergency room visits1. Therefore, establishment of a health‐care system for the management of diabetes in a highly cost‐effective way is important from the viewpoint of public health. In 1990, the first government‐subsidized diabetes center with educators in Taiwan was founded at the National Taiwan University Hospital, wherein an integrated clinic for screening diabetic complications (retinopathy, microalbuminuria, peripheral neuropathy and ankle‐brachial index) was set up to monitor the outcomes of individuals with diabetes. Because of the increasing rate of diabetes prevalence and its associated chronic complications, the Department of Health commissioned the Diabetes Association of the Republic of China to help set up more diabetes centers in 1991, and 2 years later, the name was changed to Center for Health Promotion of Persons with Diabetes. As smaller units were set up in the regional hospitals and clinics, they were called Classroom for Health Promotion of Persons with Diabetes, and Clinic for Health Promotion of Persons with Diabetes, respectively. To date, 167 small and large units of Health Promotion of Persons with Diabetes have been set up with aid from the Taiwanese Association of Diabetes Educators (TADE), which was established in 1996 to train health professionals. The Bureau of National Health Insurance (BNHI) offers free Health Check‐Up for Adults every 3 years for persons aged over 40 years, and every year for persons aged over 65 years. To improve the quality of care for diabetic patients, a pilot program called Improvement Plan for Diabetes Medical Benefits was launched in November 2001. The pilot program was replaced by a formal program with introduction of a pay‐for‐performance (P4P)2 scheme in 2007. For the first time in the history of diabetes education in Taiwan, the program reimbursed the cost of patient education by a certified nurse and dietitian included in the case management fee, in addition to the usual physician’s fees and the medication fees. To be eligible for this program, the patients must undergo a baseline assessment, and an annual check‐up for a complete biochemical examination and screening for complications. The data of these assessments have to be uploaded to the BNHI website. To date, approximately 30% of diabetic patients in Taiwan have been covered by the improvement program.

Telemetry and Telestimulation via Implanted Devices Necessary in Long-Term Experiments Using Conscious Untethered Animals for the Development of New Medical Treatments

Effective countermeasures against explosive increase in healthcare expenditures are urgently needed. A paradigm shift in healthcare is called for, and academics and governments worldwide are working hard on the application of information and communication technologies (ICT) as a feasible and effective measure for reducing medical cost. The more prevalent the disease and the easier disease outcome can be improved, the more efficient is medical ICT in reducing healthcare cost. Hypertension and diabetes mellitus are such examples. Chronic heart failure is another disease in which patients may benefit from ICT-based medical practice. It is conceivable that daily monitoring of hemodynamics together with appropriate treatments may obviate the expensive hospitalization. ICT potentially permit continuous monitoring with wearable or implantable medical devices. ICT may also help accelerate the development of new therapeutic devices. Traditionally effectiveness of treatments is sequentially examined by sacrificing a number of animals at a given time point. These inefficient and inaccurate methods can be replaced by applying ICT to the devices used in chronic animal experiments. These devices allow researchers to obtain biosignals and images from live animals without killing them. They include implantable telemetric devices, implantable telestimulation devices, and imaging devices. Implanted rather than wired monitoring and stimulation devices permit experiments to be conducted under even more physiological conditions, i.e., untethered, free-moving states. Wireless communication and ICT are indispensible technologies for the development of such telemetric and telestimulation devices.