Kinsa’s new, second-generation Smart Ear Thermometer is a wireless thermometer designed to take accurate, instantaneous temperature readings from the ear without the hassles of an attached smartphone or keeping a probe under the tongue. It is designed to read temperatures from the ear, track illness symptoms, and help people take actionable steps Kinsa Smart Ear Thermometer features one-button activation and a screen that displays temperature, battery life, connectivity, and smiley/ frowny faces. The thermometer’s internal memory is designed to store up to 50 readings, syncing data via Bluetooth with a connected device. For power, the thermometer runs off of a pair of AAA batteries (included). Unlike many other ear thermometers, this one does not need probe covers as it can be wiped clean with a damp cloth between uses.
The Kinsa app, which is available for iOS and Android, helps families by storing time-stamped temperature readings under unique profiles for each individual member. Users are able to record symptoms, write notes, and save photos. By keeping a log of events, one can take the guesswork out of when to administer another medication or describing situations to doctors. In addition to keeping track of individual records, the Kinsa app can pull up information about symptoms or potential illnesses local to one’s area or their child’s school. The community-minded nature of the app lets users ask questions and share information openly or anonymously. Along with the provided guidance and recommendations based on recorded data, parents and family members won’t be left not knowing what to do.
The new feature, called “Guidance,” uses the patient’s medical history including temperature and symptoms to recommend next steps, like a doctor’s visit. The thermometer will track users’ temperatures via phone application, and tell them when to get outside help. The medical history saved by the thermometer can be easily transferred to a professional via the web. Guidance is a huge step toward providing the information uploaded to the Kinsa application and this will be anonymously tracked and aggregated, so that families can better understand when and how sickness is moving throughout their communities.
The smart thermometer could have important public health functions, too. During a 2014 study, researchers discovered that Kinsa users in the Dallas area began to use their thermometers more frequently once reports of a local Ebola case emerged in the news. The study, scientists hope will prompt researchers to use Kinsa data to study the movement of infectious diseases during outbreaks. Smart thermometers that upload people’s temperature readings to the cloud could help researcher’s spot disease outbreaks early, some experts say. The devices not only let users see their temperature on their phones but also have the potential to alert researchers to unusual spikes in fevers in certain areas, said Dr. Dimitri Christakis, a professor at Seattle Children’s Hospital Research Institute.
However, in order for researchers to track outbreaks with smart thermometers, there would need to be enough people using the technology. If it is used extensively, it has the potential to be a very important tool in predicting and tracking epidemics.
For more information please visit: https://kinsahealth.com
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