The SSTeP-KiZ System—Secure Real-Time Communication Based on Open Web Standards for Multimodal Sensor-Assisted Tele-Psychotherapy

Abstract

In this manuscript, we describe the soft- and hardware architecture as well as the implementation of a modern Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) system for sensor-assisted telepsychotherapy. It enables telepsychotherapy sessions in which the patient exercises therapy-relevant behaviors in their home environment under the remote supervision of the therapist. Wearable sensor information (electrocardiogram (ECG), movement sensors, and eye tracking) is streamed in real time to the therapist to deliver objective information about specific behavior-triggering situations and the stress level of the patients. We describe the IT infrastructure of the system which uses open standards such as WebRTC and OpenID Connect (OIDC). We also describe the system's security concept, its container-based deployment, and demonstrate performance analyses. The system is used in the ongoing study SSTeP-KiZ (smart sensor technology in telepsychotherapy for children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder) and shows sufficient technical performance.