Intel on Thursday said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had approved the chipmaker's technology for in-home monitoring of people with chronic health conditions.

The Health Guide system, which Intel calls a "care management tool," enables doctors and other health professionals to track the condition of patients living at home. "With more people living with chronic diseases, we believe care can be increasingly moved outside of the hospital to the home," Louis Burns, VP and general manager of Intel's Digital Health Group, said in a statement.

The health system comprises an in-home patient device and an online interface that doctors and clinicians use to monitor patients and remotely manage care. The system includes interactive tools for personalized care management and integrates vital sign collection, patient reminders, multimedia educational content, and feedback and communications tools, such as video conferencing and e-mail.

The system's in-home device can connect to wired and wireless medical devices, including blood pressure monitors, glucose meters, pulse oximeters, peak flow meters, and weight scales. The information is collected and displayed for the patient on a touch screen, and sent to a secure host server accessible to health-care professionals.

Intel has completed pilot studies of the Health Guide's use in the United States and Britain. Intel expects to make the system commercially available through healthcare providers in the fourth quarter of 2008 or early in the first quarter of 2009.

The Health Guide is part of Intel's overall strategy of becoming a bigger player in the healthcare technology market, which is expected to grow as more of the Baby Boomer generation becomes senior citizens. The chipmaker last month launched a social networking site called ConnectingForCare for caregivers, nurses, and social workers in the United States and Britain. The sites allow users to create profiles, interact, and share information on medical research and treatments. Intel said it hopes the site will help caregivers better coordinate care for the sick, elderly, and disabled.