Low-cost detection, transmission, and central monitoring of patients’ vital signs in rural areas: digitizing the Ethiopian rural healthcare system

Abstract

Background monitoring vital signs is essential for identifying patient issues. However, there are deaths that could have been avoided due to insufficient clinical monitoring and diagnosis delay. In Ethiopia, patients in rural areas are facing challenges like limited system interoperability and overcrowded facilities. The objective of this project is to design a cost-effective system for recording, transmitting, and monitoring remotely located patients’ vital signs from the center. Methods radio transmitter and receiver, temperature, oxygen saturation and heart rate sensors, Arduino, keypad, alarm/light indicators and GSM module components were collected. Proteus and Arduino software were used to design and simulate the recording, transmitting and receiving modules individually. The individual modules were assembled. The design was implemented by connecting the components on breadboard. Finally, the assembled system was tested for its functionality. Results a device that can record and transmit patient’s room number, bed number, vital sign and other important parameters to the central vital sign monitoring location was designed. The designed system was simulated using proteus software. The simulated design was implemented practically using the mentioned components. The result of practical testing showed that the vital signs and other parameters were recorded successfully by the recorder module and displayed at monitoring location. Furthermore, the device was able to send notification to the physician’s mobile phone via means of messages. Therefore, it is possible to monitor the remotely located patient’s vital sign at the central location using cost effective central monitoring system which can be implemented in low resource setting areas like Ethiopia.