Abstract
Nowadays, the penetration of sensors and actuators in different application fields is revolutionizing all aspects of our daily life. One of the major sectors that is taking advantage of such cutting-edge cheap smart devices is healthcare. In this context, Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) at home represents a tempting opportunity for hospitals to reduce clinical costs and to improve the quality of life of both patients and their families. It allows patients to be monitored remotely by means networks of Internet of Things (IoT) medical devices equipped with sensors and actuators that collect healthcare data from patients and send them to a Cloud-based Hospital Information System (HIS) for processing. Up to now, many different proprietary software systems have been developed as stand-along expensive solutions, presenting interoperability, extensibility, and scalability issues. In recent years, the European Commission (EC) has promoted the wide adoption of FIWARE technology, launching 16 Industrial Accelerators focusing on different application fields. One of these, i.e., FICHe, is specialized in healthcare, providing the guidelines on how to develop eHealth systems. This paper focuses on how to compose new cutting-edge IoT and Cloud-based Cyber Physical Health Sytem (CPHS) services and applications interconnected with remote medical sensors and actuators using FIWARE technology in the context envisioned by FICHe. In particular, we discuss the design and development of an RPM system implemented through the collaboration between the Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) “Bonino Pulejo” (i.e., a clinical and research healthcare centre specialized in the treatment of neuro lesions), University of Messina, IBM Research, Telefónica, and the University of the Western Cape in South Africa. The description of our best practice provides a model and guidelines for the development of lightweight and low cost RPM services for rural and isolated areas, with the expectation of expanding healthcare to the developing world and in general allows us to outline how to deal with the real adoption of the FIWARE technology in an e-health project.
Highlights
Nowadays, clinical centres are looking at Cloud computing and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to develop new cutting-edge e-health services and applications
Mobile wireless glucose meter uploads are tested along with two approaches to mobile phone-based feedback on glycemic control, highlighting how mobile diabetes management systems may present a strategy to improve the quality of diabetes care. This state of the art analysis highlights how most of existing solutions have been conceived as “stand-alone”, adopting different technological approaches that require a considerable level of complexity with high design, development, and management costs
In order to proceed with the development of the e-health solution, we investigated on how to implement each of the above functionalities using the FIWARE technologies, trying to respond to the question: How can we do that with FIWARE? Our approach and the results we achieved are described where each section addresses a specific question
Summary
Clinical centres are looking at Cloud computing and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to develop new cutting-edge e-health services and applications. In this context, telehealth and, in particular, Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) at home, represent a tempting opportunity for hospitals to reduce clinical costs and to improve the quality of life of both patients and their families. RPM allows patients to be monitored remotely by means of IoT-based medical devices equipped with sensors and actuators that collect and send data to hospital cloud system providing services to the patients and clinical personnel. Many different proprietary software systems have been developed as stand-along, often expensive, solutions presenting interoperability, extensibility, and scalability issues
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
