The systems and methods described herein are directed to monitoring the force or pressure applied to a portion of the human body, including in the neck region of a patient during a medical procedure, such as tracheal intubation, to ensure that the medical personnel are applying the desired level of force, and in regions of bony prominences to monitor and prevent the formation of pressure ulcers or decubitus ulcers. In particular, the systems and methods described herein include piezoresistive elements connected to signal processing circuitry for measuring the force or pressure.