Connected patches represent an effective solution for reducing avoidable hospitalisations and improving patient care at home. By enabling continuous monitoring of vital signs, these devices enable caregivers to identify early signs of complications and act quickly, thus preventing costly and often stressful hospital stays.

A study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research shows that remote monitoring use has led to a decrease in hospital readmissions after an intervention by more than half, generating substantial savings for healthcare systems. In developed countries where chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart failure or respiratory conditions account for a significant number of hospitalisations, remote monitoring offers a tailored response to the challenges facing the healthcare system.

In addition, in some countries, such as France, the national health insurance recently began covering certain remote monitoring devices, paving the way for broader adoption of these technologies. By improving prevention and enabling real-time treatment adjustments, these solutions not only help prevent serious complications but also ease the burden on hospitals.

Moreover, connected patches encourage a more personalised and proactive approach to medicine. Through continuous data collection and analysis, HCPs can adapt care plans based on each patient’s evolving condition, anticipating needs rather than reacting to emergencies. This dynamic increases patient autonomy – making them active participants in their own health – while optimising the use of medical resources. In the long run, this transformation contributes to a more resilient healthcare system focused on prevention and efficiency.

One of the main advantages of connected patches lies in their ability to deliver reliable, continuous medical data, thereby reducing reliance on sporadic medical visits and manual patient readings, which may be inaccurate or inconsistent.

For instance, in diabetes care, patches can measure glucose levels without repeated finger pricks, improving patient comfort and allowing doctors to adjust treatments immediately based on detected variations. Some devices even incorporate predictive algorithms that send automatic alerts to both caregivers and patients in case of anomalies, ensuring better medical responsiveness.

For patients, these devices significantly improve their quality of life. Designed to be discreet, lightweight and durable, they enable medical monitoring without disrupting daily routines. Elderly or mobility-impaired individuals, who often face difficulties attending appointments, particularly benefit from these advancements, as they can be effectively monitored while staying at home.

This technological shift aligns with a broader ambition to transform the care pathway, placing prevention and anticipation at the heart of medical follow-up. By collecting real-time data, connected patches make it easier to detect early clinical signs of complications, allowing action before hospitalisation becomes necessary. This represents a major paradigm shift in chronic disease management, reducing costs while improving the quality of care.

Furthermore, these devices play a key role in patient empowerment. By accessing their own health data via mobile apps or secure platforms, patients become more engaged in managing their condition. This transparency improves disease understanding, promotes treatment adherence and fosters a more collaborative relationship between patients and caregivers. This new, more participative model is a major step toward patient-centred medicine.

By 2019, 76% of US hospitals were using medical remote monitoring, according to the American Hospital Association. In Europe, although adoption is more recent, momentum is building, driven notably by the growth of telemedicine consultations and pilot programmes in healthcare facilities.

The rapid development of connected medical patches relies on industrial production that is both reliable, standardised and compliant with the strict regulations of the healthcare sector. To be clinically relevant and accepted by both HCPs and patients, these devices must meet several essential criteria. Skin adhesion, for example, must not only be effective to ensure that the patch stays in place during daily activities, but also comfortable, without causing skin irritation, even on sensitive skin. Moreover, these devices must demonstrate increased resistance to real-world usage conditions, such as sweat, friction or water exposure, in order to maintain consistent measurement quality.

Beyond the material aspect, the accuracy of the collected data is a crucial issue. The slightest error in detecting or interpreting physiological signals can affect the quality of care. This demands perfect reproducibility of sensors on a large scale, with proven reliability across several million units. Manufacturers must therefore meet the strict standards imposed by regulatory bodies such as the US FDA (Food and Drug Administration). These standards ensure not only the safety of the devices, but also their clinical effectiveness.

On a macroeconomic scale, the massive implementation of these technologies could transform care models, particularly in the field of chronic diseases. According to a study by IQVIA, the use of home telemonitoring can generate savings between 6% and 21% of healthcare expenses, depending on the disease (the study analysed hypertension, prostate cancer and diabetes). These savings come mainly from the reduction of avoidable transportation, hospitalisations and examinations, the reduction of medication costs and the elimination of sick leave related to follow-up consultations.

In many European countries, where the sustainability of the healthcare system is a particularly sensitive issue, remote monitoring stands out as an innovative and sustainable solution. It helps streamline the care pathway, reduce congestion in hospital facilities and provide more personalised care, while keeping public spending under control. The development of connected medical patches is therefore part of a broader dynamic digital transformation in healthcare, driven by economic, social and ethical imperatives.

With evolving technologies and gradually decreasing production costs, connected patches are poised to become a standard part of patient care. Their increasing integration into telemedicine programmes and reimbursement by national health insurance will facilitate their widespread adoption.

Connected patches represent a major step forward in patient monitoring, offering continuous tracking, greater responsiveness and lower healthcare costs. As telemedicine becomes indispensable, these devices stand out as an innovative solution to improve the quality of care, simplify patients’ lives and optimise medical resources.

The rise of these technologies marks a key milestone toward a more connected, efficient and patient-centric form of medicine for today and tomorrow.

Beyond clinical benefits, the integration of connected patches also represents a strategic opportunity for healthcare institutions and industry players. By enabling the massive collection of health data, these devices pave the way for better understanding of chronic diseases, personalised treatment and optimised medical protocols. They thus serve as valuable innovation drivers for research and the development of new therapeutic approaches.

However, this digital transformation also requires heightened vigilance in terms of security and ethics. The protection of personal data, the transparency of analytical algorithms and equitable access to these technologies must be central concerns to ensure a sustainable and beneficial transformation of the healthcare system.

References are available on request.