By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

ELDERLY patients in The Bahamas could receive continuous care through a new artificial intelligence platform that tracks their health and reminds them to take their medication.

One hundred elderly patients will participate in the Remember 2 Platform Pilot Project, which introduces remote patient monitoring for seniors. Over the next eight weeks, participants from the Geriatric Hospital’s gerontology clinic will use Android smartwatches powered by the AI platform for continuous monitoring.

During the launch at the Public Hospitals Authority headquarters, Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Michael Darville said healthcare systems worldwide are adopting AI to improve patient care and outcomes.

“Technology alone is not the solution to better healthcare,” Dr Darville said. “Success depends on the collective commitment to human compassion in healthcare. We’re having too many complaints at all of our tertiary institutions about the quality of care and the time spent with the patient and compassion. I want to bring that type of compassion back into healthcare delivery systems, and with the use of AI and technology, we now can use our skills to improve that quality.”

The RM2.ai platform uses smart wearable devices to monitor blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen levels, hydration, and overall wellness. It can also predict health issues and help reduce hospitalisations.

Corlette Deveaux, co-founder of RM2, said being from The Bahamas, she recognised the importance of introducing such technology to support the country’s elderly. She added that the tracking feature is useful for locating missing seniors.

The platform can also engage users in conversations, remind them about their doctor’s appointments and medication, and send emergency alerts to loved ones.

A team from the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) helped participants with setting up the platform on their smartwatches and phones.

Linda Strachan, 76, one of the participants, said she was excited to use the platform and encouraged other seniors not to be afraid of embracing technology.

Following the launch ceremony, a workshop was held for participants.