Health monitoring is a way to check if the health of workers is being harmed from exposure to hazards while carrying out work, and aims to detect early signs of ill-health or disease. Health monitoring can show if control measures are working effectively.
Patient-centered home telecare and health systems have shown great promise, but little modern engineering is being used to develop them. Wellness promotion now focuses on bringing patients home and caring for them at home, a very practical idea. Improved monitoring systems could greatly facilitate the objective of caring for patients at home.
A study has been going on in Australia for the last few years to monitor the physiological condition of patients at home (Wilson et al., 2000). This study is of great interest to the National Cancer Institute, which is looking for a way to monitor the drug therapy of cancer patients in a home setting. Participants in the study wear a radio connected to a number of sensors, including a blood-pressure monitor. The information is sent through a modem to a central location. The results of this and other studies on child monitoring (Neuman et al., 2001) have shown that remote sensing is reliable and can replace home visits. However, wireless communication methods are still not standardized.
Wireless technology that can transmit images of patients, as well as monitor vital signs, via radio or TV frequencies has existed since 1965. Years ago when home monitoring was first considered, the available technologies were encumbered by FCC regulations. In 2005, however, wireless technologies can reach almost anywhere on the planet via the Internet, cell phones, or other hand-held devices, and WEBCAM technology can visualize patients and health care monitors or situations. Many physicians would agree that the number-one priority for patient in-home care is ready access to a video of the patient or the patient's bedside monitor. At this point, however, although the technology exists (e.g., WEBCAM), it is not adaptable to a scalable system. Improving video monitoring of home-care patients will require the participation of engineers, physicians, and nursing support institutions.