It's nice to see healthcare devices keeping up with mobile technology and beginning to work with smartphones. Withings, which recently entered India with its range of healthcare products, gave me the blood pressure monitor to try out. And a great time I had with it too until my arm was tingling with repeated tests. It showed my blood pressure as being optimal — which is in line with tests outside.
The Withings BPM is a smooth metal cylinder with a single button on one end and a slot to open the battery compartment on the other. It takes Triple As. Attached to the tube is a stiff cuff which you position on your left arm, on level with your heart. The cuff extends with a curling Welcro band. All this you fasten securely while sitting calmly with your arm resting on a table. You have to get the position right otherwise the measurement often fails and you have to retry — so instructions are to be followed very closely.
The rest of the job is done by the Withings Health Mate app which you must first download on your iOS or Android phone. The app guides you through every step. Click to start and the monitor tightens around your arm. On the screen, you can see it taking readings of your heart rate and blood pressure. When it's done, you can see the result in the app and save it for records.
The instrument is easy to use overall and the app takes in data from other Withings devices such as the connected weighing scale. It would be nicer if it had integrated with other health tracking apps and systems. On the Withings website, you can collect your records and easily share records with health professionals.
mala.bhargava@gmail.com
BW Reporters
Mala Bhargava has been writing on technology well before the advent of internet in Indians and before CDs made their way into computers. Mala writes on technology, social media, startups and fitness. A trained psychologist, she claims that her understanding of psychology helps her understand the human side of technology.
