Telecommunications giant AT&T has big plans to establish a foothold in the "telehealth" industry, an emerging field that links patients and physicians across the country via video and medical-information technology. AT&T scientist have spent the past year working on prototypes of products aimed at the home healthcare market. For example, "smart slippers" have pressure sensors embedded in their soles to transmit foot movement data over AT&T's network. If something is amiss in an elderly patient's gait, the device will alert a doctor via e-mail or text message, possibly preventing a fall and a costly trip to the emergency room, said AT&T officials.
