Home medical equipment

With overall improvements in quality of life and living conditions, interest in personal health has increased. Many patients recovering from operations or suffering from medical ailments, are permitted (or required) to complete their recovery or undergo medical treatment at home, thereby providing a more comfortable environment for the patient and reducing the cost of the treatment. As a result, a wide array of home medical equipment that allows people to easily monitor their personal health has been researched and developed. For example, the number of patients of life-style related diseases such as hypertension and diabetes has been increasing year by year. Many of the patients of life-style related diseases do not need to be hospitalized, but they visit medical institutions, e.g., once or twice a month for medical checking. Patients at home use measuring devices for home medical care in order to grasp and manage their own conditions, such as sphygmomanometers and compact blood glucose measuring devices. This trend has also led to the increase in the use of home health care equipment for facilitating in the patient's recovery. This equipment can include oxygen and oxygen delivery systems as well as ambulatory pumping and other dispensing devices for delivering prescription medicines and other substances. In addition, with health care costs on the rise, many patients with chronic conditions seek to treat their disorders in the comfort and privacy of their own homes. Home medical equipment is often referred to as "durable" medical equipment (DME) as it is intended to withstand repeated use by non-professionals or the patient, and is appropriate for use in the home. In general, home medical supplies may include air ionizer, air purifier, artificial limb, breast protheses, cannula, commodes, crutch, diabetic shoes, dynamic splint, infusion pump, nasal cannula, nebulizer, orthosis, oxygen concentrator, patient lift, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), prosthesis, respiratory assist devices, seat lift, walkers, and wheelchair, etc.