Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
8th International Conference on COVID-19 Studies, Adana, Türkiye, 1 - 02 Mart 2023, ss.245-258
Recent developments in low-power integrated circuits and wireless technology have enabled the development of lightweight and low-cost devices that can be used for a wide variety of applications that rely on the Internet of Things (IoT). These devices may have sensing, data processing, and communication capabilities, making it possible to develop applications such as remote health monitoring. Wireless sensor technology can enable inexpensive, noninvasive, and continuous patient monitoring with real-time updates and provide solutions for reducing healthcare costs, improving the quality of patient care by enabling in-home or mobile healthcare, and alleviating hospital overcrowding, emergency response facilities, and other beneficial medical applications. Researchers predicted long ago that the advances in sensing technology would enable its integration with medical technologies to provide new opportunities for healthcare (e.g., assisted living, clinical trials, remote health monitoring). These new opportunities are significant in light of the still ongoing healthcare crisis related to the global COVID-19 pandemic, during which, according to the World Health Organization, the services for the prevention and treatment of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have been gravely compromised. Moreover, the lack of hospital beds and services during the COVID-19 pandemic has proven the importance of such solutions. Hence, solutions that would enable shifting care from hospitals to outpatient settings by facilitating remote monitoring and managing patients with known or suspected COVID-19 infection within the comfort of their homes would not only help alleviate the burden of the hospitals caused by unnecessary overcrowding but also provide safer ways for patients who are at a higher risk from infection due to various underlying conditions such as chronic diseases, and compromised immune system. This study proposes a 3-layer IoT-based remote patient monitoring system that allows real-time remote monitoring of known or suspected COVID-19 patients' vital signs and other data of interest within the comfort of their homes and without necessitating their presence at a medical facility. Furthermore, it alerts the authorized medical personnel when emergency medical conditions (e.g., low blood oxygen saturation levels, abnormal respiration, a sudden drop in blood pressure, high body temperature) are detected.