The Role of Wearable Technology in Advancing Inmate Healthcare

By Aaron Timm

Within correctional healthcare, telemedicine technologies are a valuable tool in meeting inmate populations’ complex needs ranging from routine medical check-ups to emergency interventions. As far back as the late 1990s, an experiment validated the feasibility of providing long-distance care to inmates through telemedicine, highlighting its benefits in enhancing inmate healthcare. 

Moving forward to 2011, a national survey of prison healthcare found that telemedicine was commonly used in correctional facilities across the United States to provide access to specialty health and diagnostic services, particularly in rural or geographically remote areas.  

While the adoption of telemedicine has enhanced inmate care, ongoing technological advancements offer further opportunities for improvement. With wearable sensors, clinicians can remotely monitor inmates’ health in real-time. The devices continuously collect essential health data, enabling an efficient response to medical needs without the constraints and risks of in-person visits. 

Challenges and opportunities in correctional healthcare  

Correctional facilities must balance maintaining security with delivering care to inmate populations in challenging circumstances. Resource constraints, such as staffing shortages, a scarcity of medical personnel, and limited healthcare budgets, affect facilities’ capacity to provide quality care. Logistical barriers, such as security protocols, transportation problems, and the need for dedicated staff to accompany inmates, complicate in-hospital visits.  

Traditional correctional care often relies on periodic or reactive visits, which can be expensive and inefficient. For facilities, especially rural ones, expenses can escalate quickly when inmates need to travel long distances for specialist appointments or overnight hospital stays.  

The combined expenses of transporting and guarding one inmate for medical reasons can surpass $2,000 per day. The cost of implementing a remote patient monitoring (RPM) solution can be as low as $10 per day. While facilities may need to consider additional overhead costs, including facility maintenance, staffing, and administrative expenses, RPM technologies can offer substantial savings. 

Inmates are susceptible to various acute medical conditions, such as cardiac events or respiratory issues, which require immediate attention. The limitations of correctional care delay medical treatment and hinder facilities’ ability to provide comprehensive and timely care. Embracing RPM technologies can prevent worsening health outcomes, cut down on healthcare costs, and promptly address health emergencies. 

Providing comprehensive care with wearable technology  

Medical wearable sensors like an ECG patch provide an efficient and proactive approach to monitoring inmates’ vital signs. These small, non-intrusive devices adhere to the skin, continuously capturing and transmitting real-time ECG data and other vital parameters. Healthcare providers can utilize the sensors to proactively detect cardiac abnormalities, allowing for quicker interventions and reducing the need for frequent in-hospital visits. 

One such implementation is a county jail with around 3,000 inmates that is piloting Vivalink’s mobile cardiac monitoring solution to address the needs of its incarcerated population. Unlike prisons, where inmates often serve longer sentences, county jails accommodate individuals awaiting trial or serving shorter sentences. As a result, jails typically experience higher turnover and require a more flexible care approach. 

The county jail’s on-site infirmary provides general healthcare services but lacks resources for managing specialized medical conditions, especially cardiac cases. The jail often encounters inmates complaining of chest pains and heart-related issues, but personnel often find it difficult to identify true health emergencies. 

The facility’s lack of specialized equipment limits its capacity to provide comprehensive care to inmates with cardiac conditions. While some inmate complaints may be legitimate health concerns, others may be attempts to leave the facility. Differentiating between genuine health issues and fabricated complaints is particularly challenging in correctional environments without the right tools. 

Enhancing inmate health and safety 

When an inmate needs to be hospitalized for a serious condition, the facility must arrange fast and secure transportation. Beyond simply transporting the individual, the facility must tend to the inmate’s health needs while also ensuring the safety of both inmates and staff. Personnel must also be prepared to manage any emergencies that may arise during transit. 

With a mobile cardiac monitoring solution, facilities can assess inmates’ vitals to more accurately discern genuine emergencies. The ECG sensors enable swift identification of irregularities or potential issues by providing real-time insights into cardiac health. When a health concern arises, off-site providers can remotely assess the situation in real-time and determine whether immediate intervention or further monitoring is appropriate. 

If necessary, the monitoring solution’s portable and ambulatory design makes it possible for inmates to move about while wearing the patches. The sensors can monitor vital signs for longer durations compared to traditional periodic or reactive monitoring methods. Clinicians can continuously monitor inmates wearing ECG patches for extended periods, providing a comprehensive assessment of their cardiac health over hours or even days. 

While there are barriers to adoption, such as the variability among correctional systems in their use of technologies like WiFi and connected devices, a mobile cardiac monitoring solution can reduce the need for hospital visits. Ultimately, wearable technology mitigates associated security risks, logistical challenges, and transportation expenses. 

Exploring the future of wearables in correctional environments  

During the pandemic, researchers evaluated the rollout of a specialty care telemedicine program across North Carolina’s statewide prison system. The study found that telemedicine reduced total care expenses by $416,020 within the initial six months and an estimated $1,195,377 in the following 12 months. 

While telemedicine encompasses a spectrum of remote healthcare services, including virtual consultations and diagnosis, wearable technology offers a more comprehensive approach by continuously tracking patients’ health data and vital signs, proving just as cost-effective, if not more. 

Patients also reported that telemedicine contributed positively to their overall well-being and safety. The findings demonstrated that implementing specialty care telemedicine enhances patient and practitioner experiences, ultimately increasing access to care and improving public safety by minimizing the need for off-site medical center visits. 

As correctional facilities continue to adopt medical technologies to address care challenges, there is an opportunity to explore future applications and expand the technology’s utilization given medical wearables are capable of addressing a broad range of uses. 

Aaron Timm is the Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer for Vivalink. 

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the May/June 2024 issue of Correctional News.