A patient-centered health monitoring system

Abstract

We demonstrate a patient-centered health monitoring system that promotes patient-centered healthcare and self-management. Many patients with chronic diseases require daily measurements and medical attention over a long period of time. Patients often forget to take readings and medications on time. We have developed a patient-centered health monitoring system that interfaces two health monitoring devices, a blood pressure monitor and a digital weight scale, to a laptop computer via Bluetooth wireless communication. Each device takes the patient's measurements, and automatically transmits the measured data to the laptop. The patient and/or a healthcare professional can see the historical data from the blood pressure monitor and the digital weight scale as a list or a graph on the laptop. The system not only performs a statistical analysis of the measured data but also displays the results, to enable the patient to understand his/her health conditions and to become engaged in monitoring his/her health.