The idea of electronically monitoring human body activities in different medical situations is older than computer technology, even much older than wearable or personal
computing.
As discussed here, we have today aside professional and expensive medical devices also different converging technologies, which can help to make medical monitoring more cost efficient.
Handheld equipment like sports computers or watches is broadly available. Such devices interact through a proprietary communication standard with intelligent sensors for recording vital signal information like, e.g., real-time heart rate or foot treat activities.