Telemedical systems for home monitoring of patients with chronic conditions in rural environment

• Published in: Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine 2014-03, Vol.21 (872203), p.167-173
• Main Authors: Marcin Maciejewski, Wojciech Surtel, Waldemar Wójcik, Jolanta Masiak, Grzegorz Dzida, Andrzej Horoch
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: database; system design; data analysis; diagnostics; monitoring; Telemedicine
• ISSN: 1232-1966; 1898-2263

This paper describes the requirements and possible implementations of a telemedical system. The idea of remote patient monitoring is a point of interest for researchers in Poland, and is also in high demand in fields such as diabetology, cardiology, and geriatrics, among others. Aging society, medical care costs and many other factors make remote patient care a promising idea for the future. For each and every condition, a specialized type of sensor must be used to allow specific measurements to be performed. Moreover, a local data storage and communication device must be provided for the sensor to be able to relay data to the station. A smart phone can be used perform such tasks. By implementing such remote diagnostic systems it is possible to collect, process, store and present vital medical data that can be used immediately to perform diagnosis, or later as reference for expert systems. The ‘Borboleta’ and ‘SaguiSaúde’ systems already implemented can serve as a base for system analysis. The systems provide necessary functions and can be used as reference. Many factors contribute to the success of the telemedical system, such as ease of access, scalability, safety, platform independence, and many others. For easier implementation and clarity, the system should be divided into independent layers, which will also make it easier to modify and integrate into other medical systems. Making the system easy to use for patients, medical staff, administrators and data managers makes the task of system design especially challenging. One must decide which information is necessary for each type of user and provide them clearly and in an orderly fashion.