Automated patient monitoring system

Radio-linked patient monitoring system collects several channels of physiological data from as many as 64 hospital patients and transmits the data in digital form to a central control station. The system consists of a central control station and battery-operated patient units comprising small strap-on electronics packages

Physiological monitoring in the complex multi-morbid heart failure patient - Introduction.

Repeated physiological monitoring of comorbidities in heart failure (HF) is pivotal. This document introduces the main challenges related to physiological monitoring in the complex multimorbid HF patient, arising during an ESC consensus meeting on this topic

New intelligent network approach for monitoring physiological parameters : the case of Benin

Benin health system is facing many challenges as: (i) affordable high-quality health care to a growing population providing need, (ii) patients’ hospitalization time reduction, (iii) and presence time of the nursing staff optimization. Such challenges can be solved by remote monitoring of patients. To achieve this, five steps were followed. 1) Identification of the Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) systems’ characteristics and the patient physiological parameters’ monitoring. 2) The national Integrated Patient Monitoring Network (RIMP) architecture modeling in a cloud of Technocenters. 3) Cross-analysis between the characteristics and the functional requirements identified. 4) Each Technocenter’s functionality simulation through: a) the design approach choice inspired by the life cycle of V systems; b) functional modeling through SysML Language; c) the communication technology and different architectures of sensor networks choice studying. 5) An estimate of the material resources of the national RIMP according to physiological parameters. A National Integrated Network for Patient Monitoring (RNIMP) remotely, ambulatory or not, was designed for Beninese health system. The implementation of the RNIMP will contribute to improve patients’ care in Benin. The proposed network is supported by a repository that can be used for its implementation, monitoring and evaluation. It is a table of 36 characteristic elements each of which must satisfy 5 requirements relating to: medical application, design factors, safety, performance indicators and materiovigilance

Physiology-Aware Rural Ambulance Routing

In emergency patient transport from rural medical facility to center tertiary hospital, real-time monitoring of the patient in the ambulance by a physician expert at the tertiary center is crucial. While telemetry healthcare services using mobile networks may enable remote real-time monitoring of transported patients, physiologic measures and tracking are at least as important and requires the existence of high-fidelity communication coverage. However, the wireless networks along the roads especially in rural areas can range from 4G to low-speed 2G, some parts with communication breakage. From a patient care perspective, transport during critical illness can make route selection patient state dependent. Prompt decisions with the relative advantage of a longer more secure bandwidth route versus a shorter, more rapid transport route but with less secure bandwidth must be made. The trade-off between route selection and the quality of wireless communication is an important optimization problem which unfortunately has remained unaddressed by prior work. In this paper, we propose a novel physiology-aware route scheduling approach for emergency ambulance transport of rural patients with acute, high risk diseases in need of continuous remote monitoring. We mathematically model the problem into an NP-hard graph theory problem, and approximate a solution based on a trade-off between communication coverage and shortest path. We profile communication along two major routes in a large rural hospital settings in Illinois, and use the traces to manifest the concept. Further, we design our algorithms and run preliminary experiments for scalability analysis. We believe that our scheduling techniques can become a compelling aid that enables an always-connected remote monitoring system in emergency patient transfer scenarios aimed to prevent morbidity and mortality with early diagnosis treatment.Comment: 6 pages, The Fifth IEEE International Conference on Healthcare Informatics (ICHI 2017), Park City, Utah, 201

A smartphone-based Teleradiology system

The development of a teleradiology application for remote monitoring and processing of patient image data using 2nd generation mobile devices with enhanced network services, is of extreme interest, especially when the final means of display is a smartphone, a very light and compact handheld device. In the following paper the development of applications, that are responsible for remote monitoring and processing of medical images, is investigated

Physiological monitoring in the complex multimorbid heart failure patient - Conclusions.

Comorbidities are increasingly recognized as crucial components of the heart failure syndrome. Main specific challenges are polypharmacy, poor adherence to treatments, psychological aspects, and the need of monitoring after discharge. The chronic multimorbid patient therefore represents a specific heart failure phenotype that needs an appropriate and continuous management over time. This supplement issue covers the key points of a series of meeting coordinated by the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), that have discussed the issues surrounding the effective monitoring of our ever more complex and multimorbid heart failure patients. Here, we present an overview of the complex issues from a healthcare delivery perspective

Influenza Vaccinations Among Pregnant Women in Georgia: The Provider Role

Georgia's data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) reveal several reasons why women do not receive influenza vaccinations during pregnancy. The majority of reasons could be addressed through patient education by the health care provider

Cuff-Less Methods for Blood Pressure Telemonitoring.

Blood pressure telemonitoring (BPT) is a telemedicine strategy that uses a patient\u27s self-measured blood pressure (BP) and transmits this information to healthcare providers, typically over the internet. BPT has been shown to improve BP control compared to usual care without remote monitoring. Traditionally, a cuff-based monitor with data communication capabilities has been used for BPT; however, cuff-based measurements are inconvenient and cause discomfort, which has prevented the widespread use of cuff-based monitors for BPT. The development of new technologies which allow for remote BP monitoring without the use of a cuff may aid in more extensive adoption of BPT. This would enhance patient autonomy while providing physicians with a more complete picture of their patient\u27s BP profile, potentially leading to improved BP control and better long-term clinical outcomes. This mini-review article aims to: (1) describe the fundamentals of current techniques in cuff-less BP measurement; (2) present examples of commercially available cuff-less technologies for BPT; (3) outline challenges with current methodologies; and (4) describe potential future directions in cuff-less BPT development

Itraconazole-induced Torsade de Pointes in a patient receiving methadone substitution therapy

Issues. Methadone, a pharmacological agent used to treat heroin dependence is relatively safe, but may cause cardiac arrhythmias in the concurrent presence of other risk factors. Approach and Key Findings. This case report highlights the risk of Torsade de Pointes, a life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia, in a heroin-dependent patient receiving methadone substitution therapy who was prescribed itraconazole for vaginal thrush. The patient presented to the accident and emergency department for chest discomfort and an episode of syncope following two doses of itraconazole (200 mg). Electrocardiogram monitoring at the accident and emergency department showed prolonged rate-corrected QT interval leading to Torsade de Pointes. The patient was admitted for cardiac monitoring, and electrocardiogram returned to normal upon discontinuation of methadone. Implication. This cardiac arrhythmia was most likely as a result of a drug interaction between methadone and itraconazole because the patient presented with no other risk factors. Conclusion. Given the benefits of methadone as a substitution treatment for heroin-dependent individuals, the association between methadone and cardiac arrhythmias is of great concern. Physicians treating heroin-dependent patients on methadone substitution therapy should therefore be cautious of the potential risk of drug interactions that may lead to fatal cardiac arrhythmias