Dr. Tuckson said that any brand of monitor people choose can be an important tool to spur them to stay healthy and, ultimately, bring down costs for insurers and patients.

WSJ: The Latest Fitness Gadgets to Gauge and Goad

Dr. CHRISTOPHER: We'll have to monitor this, because it's only been in place for a couple of months.

NPR: Examining the Future of Medicare

And for the past five months, thanks to a small but important piece of equipment, Dr Williams' medical team has been able to monitor the health of patients with HIV from a clinic that fits into the back of their four-wheel-drive "community ambulance".

BBC: Mobile technology battles HIV