Proponents of home monitoring devices long have believed that widespread use of those systems can help solve some of the problems plaguing health care today. Now, some technology companies, medical centers, insurers and patients will be testing that theory.

Intel and the Cleveland Clinic announced in recent weeks that they are focusing less on the technology itself than on the ease of its use by the elderly, its role in the continuum of care, and the potential cost savings.

Technology developer Intel announced four separate pilot programs, in partnership with Aetna, SCAN Health Plans in Arizona, Erickson Retirement Communities and Advanced Warning Systems. The Cleveland Clinic is conducting a pilot with Microsoft HealthVault.

Home monitoring provides a way for patients to use electronic devices to collect their own health data, such as vitals or glucose levels. The devices can then be linked with a computer, allowing data to be transmitted to the health care team or to an accessible data repository.

Ray Askew, spokesman for Intel, said each of its pilot sites will focus on a specific chronic condition. Each partner will choose its own participants, with the pool likely to be made up mostly of elderly patients.

One of the biggest questions with home monitoring devices is whether the elderly, the population from which the most benefits could potentially be gained, will actually use the technology.

Askew said ease of use has been one of the key consumer research areas for Intel. Several modifications, such as limited functionality and large buttons, were made to make the systems easier to use.

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