Taking Care of Mobile Patients

Roland Piquepaille writes "After a patient has been hospitalized for a surgical intervention, he usually wants to return to his normal life. But doctors would like to monitor him to be sure that the operation was successful. How can they manage this without being too intrusive? In "Health Care Monitoring of Mobile Patients," Italian researchers offer a three-layer networking solution. First, a body area sensor network would continuously record your cardiac activity or your body temperature. A second level would involve a home sensor network, including for example a PC wirelessly receiving this information. Finally, this home network would be able to alert an hospital network if needed. Right now, this whole idea is at the proof-of-concept level, but it really looks promising."

Comments

It's been done. Devices are on patients now.

[LordByronStyrofoam]

Cardionet makes an ambulatory cardiac patient monitor with a chest-worn sensor that transmits heartbeat waveform data to a belt-worn unit over ISM band (range is actually up to 30 feet - useful for when the belt-worn unit is in it's recharger on the nightstand and the patient gets up to use the restroom down the hall).
The belt-worn unit, running VxWorks, continuously analyzes the waveform, comparing results with physician-defined thresholds. When a threshold is exceeded the unit communicates with the monitoring center using it's built-in cell phone. It the patient is outside, the built-in GPS tells the ambulance where to find him/her. The monitoring center can contact the physician. The system is in active use today in Philadelphia.