Updated June 08, 2015.

As our healthcare system, its capabilities, and its contributing technologies continue to evolve, more products are sure to be added to the self-care medical supply category. Since it's less expensive for healthcare systems to shift care away from acute care settings, the market is incentivized to invent more ways patients can take health measurements, track progress, and manage their ailments long-term on their own.

These three examples combined are used by roughly 100 million of people in the United States alone, and several times that number worldwide.

Hearing Aids

Who needs them? Approximately 35 million Americans, of all ages. For those over the age of 75, 50% need a hearing aid. Hearing loss matters because if untreated with an aid, it can cause a lifetime of difficulties far more critical than mere "annoyance". Hearing loss can affect the ability to learn in school, communication between friends, receiving verbal instructions from those in our community responsible for keeping people safe, such as police officers, fire fighters, and EMTs, job performance, and emotional development.

How do they work? Hearing aids have been around for centuries, but the first electronic hearing aid wasn't developed until the 1950's. They were only modestly effective. In the mid-1990's the NIH, the VA, and even NASA eventually joined forces to further research and substantially upgrade the efficacy of electronic hearing aids.

Since then, hearing aids have become smaller devices that can fit comfortably in or behind the ear. The device amplifies sound for the person wearing the device. The devices have even become "smart" enough to amplify a single voice in a crowded room full of surrounding noise.

What do they cost? Today there is an assortment of hearing devices to choose from. The simpler analog circuit devices generally cost less than $500, and digital aids can cost anywhere from $600 to $5,000, depending on the brand. Cost is an important consideration, but it should only be one consideration. Consult your audiologist to determine which style, analog or digital, is better suited for your type of hearing loss.

Blood Glucose Monitoring Devices

Who needs them? There are approximately 26 million Americans with Diabetes. Blood Glucose Monitoring Devices allow a diabetic to measure the amount of sugar in their blood at home. As a team, the diabetic and his or her physician can make adjustments to medical treatment, diet, and exercise based on these measurements.

How do they work? Blood Glucose Monitors are a quantitative test. They measure the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood stream. Patients should talk to their doctor about what the range of healthy measurements should be. Glucose is a sugar used by the body for energy. In a non-diabetic, the body successfully regulates glucose levels throughout the day. Diabetics may not have this same natural regulation, and thus require a treatment plan from their physician.

What do they cost? I have seen simple meters cost as low as $8, and Glucose Monitoring Kits can cost in the $70 range. Talk to your doctor about the various types and brands with which he or she has had good experience.

Mobility Aids

Who needs them?Mobility aids come in a growing variety of shapes and sizes. From full-fledged wheelchairs, to rollators, knee walkers, crutches, and canes, this category continues to grow to help people adapt to their disability and stay mobile in their home and elsewhere.

How do they work? Wheelchairs can be a standard wheelchair, with 24-inch rear wheels, or a transport wheelchair, with 8-inch rear wheels. Some chairs can convert from one function to the other and are marketed as "hybrids." Rollators are the term now used for walkers that have wheels on them. Some rollators include a built-in seat so that the user can sit down and rest when they need to. Knee walkers are newer items as well. They look like a scooter with a bench at knee-height. A person with a lower leg problem can rest their knee and shin on the pad, grip the handle bars, and push themselves along with their healthy leg, similar to the way one would ride a skateboard. Crutches and walkers are the most low-tech of this category, but are still the best option for many people. They are typically less expensive and therefore make sense for a large portion of society.

What do they cost? Wheelchairs can range from $150 up to the $800-range for a feature-rich version (removable arms and leg pads, for example). Rollators costs run from the low $100-level up to roughly $175. Simple walkers can be found just above $50, and can cost over $150 depending on the brand and the added features that are included. Crutches and canes can easily be found for less than $50.