Title: The Potential Impacts of Massive Monitoring of Symptomatic Patients with Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) Using Mobile Wireless Devices

Abstract: The increasing prevalence of congestive heart failure (CHF) over the past few decades is directly associated with the aging population and a disturbing obesity trend. The mortality and morbidity of the disease have not improved over the years in spite of medical and technological advances. CHF patients are especially vulnerable to developing symptoms and complications at home where they prefer to stay. Untimely detection of symptoms and complications often results in hospitalization, which is estimated to cost $10 billions annually for CHF patients in the United States. In addition to this financial burden, CHF patients also suffer from tremendous psychological setbacks in each acute episode that result in emergency room visitation or hospitalization. Furthermore, lack of patient education and compliance accelerate the progression of the disease. Nonetheless, current therapeutic approach continues to be limited to the management of the patient symptoms. It is essential for the entire health care industry to formulate an alternative approach in combating the disease.

This project evaluates the potential impacts of a remote monitoring system for a mass population of symptomatic patients with congestive heart failure using mobile wireless devices. Remote monitoring of CHF patients’ vital signs and psychological parameters through telemedicine is a recent approach that has been proven efficacious. The potential impacts of this approach applied on a massive scale are analyzed in the perspectives of the patients, health care providers, and insurance institutions. From the patients’ point of view, health outcome is their foremost concern. Constant monitoring of the patients’ conditions provides early detection of symptoms and complications, which reduces the number of acute episodes. The modality of mobile wireless devices, on the other hand, enables care providers to deliver education material to significant number of CHF patients, which can increase knowledge about the disease and compliance to lifestyle changes. From the health care providers’ perspective, the essence of any clinical information system is to provide the highest quality of care to their patients. Integration of evidence-based guidelines into clinical practice increases care providers’ awareness and confidence of the guidelines, reduces malpractice litigation, and provides diagnostic and therapeutic recommendations based on proven evidence. A monitoring system will also provide clinical researchers opportunities to gain insights into new therapeutic approaches through clinical trials. Finally, cost and benefits will be illustrated from the insurance institutions’ point of view to demonstrate the efficacy of a massive monitoring system. A financially-viable treatment approach can trigger a widespread adoption by health care providers and millions of suffering CHF patients worldwide.

Downloads:

Report (205KB)

Presentation (1,157KB)

Title: Use of Mobile Wireless Devices in Telemedicine

Background: Telemedicine is defined as the “use of computers and telecommunications equipment to provide health care over long distances” (Larkin, 1997). It is applied to all facets of health care such as dermatology, radiology, surgery, etc. Early developments of telemedicine can be traced back to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the 1960’s where physiological parameters of space-bound astronauts were monitored remotely by physicians on Earth (Pitrone, 2000). Since then, technologists have continuously attempted to apply the latest technologies in the computer industry to the health care system. The emergence of mobile wireless devices in the 1980’s and 1990’s was no exception. In its simplest application, physicians nowadays carry mobile phones, pagers, and BlackBerry’s to keep in touch with throughout the day. Additionally, there are many research projects that use mobile wireless devices in more
complex telemedicine applications. Disaster response, physiological state monitoring, and wound care management are a few examples.

Downloads:

Report (172KB)