Abstract
In this paper, we present a new complex electronic system for facilitating communication with severely disabled patients and telemonitoring their physiological parameters. The proposed assistive system includes three subsystems (Patient, Server, and Caretaker) connected to each other via the Internet. The two-way communication function is based on keywords technology using a WEB application implemented at the server level, and the application is accessed remotely from the patient’s laptop/tablet PC. The patient’s needs can be detected by using different switch-type sensors that are adapted to the patient’s physical condition or by using eye-tracking interfaces. The telemonitoring function is based on a wearable wireless sensor network, organized around the Internet of Things concept, and the sensors acquire different physiological parameters of the patients according to their needs. The mobile Caretaker device is represented by a Smartphone, which uses an Android application for communicating with patients and performing real-time monitoring of their physiological parameters. The prototype of the proposed assistive system was tested in “Dr. C.I. Parhon” Clinical Hospital of Iaşi, Romania, on hospitalized patients from the Clinic of Geriatrics and Gerontology. The system contributes to an increase in the level of care and treatment for disabled patients, and this ultimately lowers costs in the healthcare system.
Highlights
In recent years, national and international efforts have been made to increase the quality of care for people with various disabilities while maintaining costs that are supportable by society
It functions by using keywords technology for two-way communication with severely disabled patients and uses the Internet of Things (IoT) concept to implement the wireless and wearable sensor network, which is used for telemonitoring the physiological parameters of the patients
To assess the functionality of the proposed system, the patients who participated in testing answered a questionnaire that focused on its necessity, usefulness, operating modes, flexibility, and adaptability to the patient’s needs
Summary
National and international efforts have been made to increase the quality of care for people with various disabilities while maintaining costs that are supportable by society. To achieve these conflicting requirements, researchers have made efforts to introduce various equipment and techniques that involve progressively more sophisticated components of informatics and telecommunications. When it comes to caring for severely disabled people, the requirements for round-the-clock surveillance are universally accepted.
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