Wireless technology in the evolution of patient monitoring on general hospital wards

Abstract

The evolution of patient monitoring on general hospital wards is discussed. Patients on general wards are monitored according to the severity of their conditions, which can be subjective at best. A report by the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection in 2008 indicated dissatisfaction with patient monitoring. Commitment to providing quality health service by healthcare organizations encourages the implementation of other mechanisms for patient care. Remote patient monitoring (RPM), by supplementing the role of nurses, can improve efficiency and patient care on general wards. Developments in technology made it possible for wireless sensors to measure and transmit physiological data from patients to a control room for monitoring and recording. Two approaches in the application of wireless ZigBee sensor networks are discussed and their performances compared in a simulation environment. The role of RPM in early detection of deteriorating patients' conditions, reducing morbidity and mortality rates are also discussed.

Wireless Remote Patient Monitoring System: Effects of Interference

“…The lack of mobility caused by wired monitoring systems is discussed by Baisa [3]. Although some wireless monitoring systems have been proposed [4,5], they are being introduced in hospital wards which potentially impact on a number of issues including privacy.…”

“…[6]. Garfinkel et al [4] categorizes two threats associated with the use of personal tagging: individual threats and corporate data threats. It is the first of these which is of concern to patients whose data could be intercepted and tracked by third parties.…”

Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) Design Techniques and Performance Evaluation

“…This equation can be further developed to calculate the energy consumption profile of various random access protocols. Energy consumed to transmit a packet depends on the packet structure such as the length of a packet and the number of overhead bits, transmission data rate, distance between a transmitter and a receiver, minimum SNR requirements of a receiver as shown by (3). Number of overhead bits used in a transmission will depend on the MAC protocol.…”

“…In some cases retransmission of packets could significantly increase the energy consumption of a node. Retransmissions can be initiated either due to poor channel conditions or higher traffic levels in a network as shown by (3). A node consumes certain amount of energy as shown by (2).…”

“…In recent years interest in the application of Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) for patient monitoring applications has grown significantly [1][2][3]. A WBAN based on low cost wireless sensor network technologies could greatly benefit patient monitoring systems in hospitals, residential and work environments.…”