Lifelink: 3G-Based Mobile Telemedicine System

Abstract

Current wired telemedicine systems encounter difficulties when implemented in archipelagic developing countries because of the high cost of fixed infrastructure. In this research, we devised Lifelink, a mobile real-time telemonitoring and diagnostic facility to command and control remote medical devices through mobile phones. The whole process is phone-based, effectively freeing offsite medical specialists from stationary monitoring consoles and endowing the system with the potential to increase the number participating consultants. The electrocardiogram (ECG) readings are analyzed using a detrended fluctuation technique and classified into pathological cases using an unassisted K-means clustering algorithm. We analyzed 30 batches of 2-hour ECG signals taken from cardiac patients (20 males, 10 females, mean age 46.7 years) with pre-diagnosed pathologies. The method successfully categorized the 30 subjects without user intervention into the following cases: normal (at 86.7% accuracy), congestive heart failure (86.7%), and atrial fibrillation (80.0%). The synergy of mobile monitoring and fluctuation analysis presents a powerful platform to reach remote, underserved communities with poor or nonexistent wired communication structures. It is likely to be essential in the development of new mobile diagnostic and prognostic measures.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Speech Language Pathologists in India about Telerehabilitation Services during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Regina Molini-Avejonas et al (5) claimed that the barriers pertaining to tele practice services generally does pertain to technology, acceptance, training, recognition, and therefore the regulation of such services requires to be addressed immediately. Similar to the other studies reported in literature, the technical challenges encountered during telerehabilitation services in the current study (by both SLPs and their patients) included slow internet connectivity (39-43%) (28) , video/audio issues (25-29%) (28) , and equipment placement (15-21%) (29) . Such technical issues encountered during telerehabilitation services by the participants of the current study would have influenced a majority of the SLPs (38%) to retain the same charges, and some (30%) even to decrease the same.…”

Challenges to the Emergence of Telerehabilitation in a Developing Country: A Systematic Review

“…Twelve out of 25 studies engaged patients from remote areas to access healthcare services or information in teleconsultation, teletherapy, telementoring, or telemonitoring. Three studies involved patients with general medical conditions ( 30 , 33 , 37 ), while other studies involved patients with chronic diseases ( 18 , 29 ), mental health issues ( 17 , 26 ), orthopedic problems ( 20 , 28 ), neurologic conditions ( 16 ), communication disorders ( 19 ), and cardiac disease ( 36 ).…”

“…Telementoring meant that a remote specialist gave expert advice to a rural physician or healthcare worker co-located with a patient ( 20 , 30 , 33 , 37 ). Telemonitoring meant that a gadget or web-based application facilitated asynchronous remote transmission of health-related information or patient reminders ( 17 , 18 , 28 , 36 ). The most common electronic methods of conducting telerehabilitation (i.e., teleconsultation, teletherapy, telementoring, or telemonitoring) used in the local studies were mobile text messaging or short messaging system (SMS) ( 29 , 30 , 33 , 37 ), followed by videocall and instant messaging through available social media platforms, such as Viber™ ( 16 ), Skype™ ( 20 ), or FaceTime™ ( 19 ).…”

Twelve-Lead Electrocardiogram Acquisition With a Patchy-Type Wireless Device in Ambulance Transport: Simulation-Based Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

“…The most frequently used 12-lead ECG examination device during the prehospital stage and in the ambulance is the defibrillator; however, this device can transfer ECG data only by registered email [12]. Various handheld and wearable ECG devices [13,14] and transmission technologies [15][16][17][18][19] have been developed in recent years, but few studies have examined both the device application and transmission of P12ECG in an ambulance during patient transport.…”