GPS AND GPRS BASED TELEMONITORING SYSTEM FOR EMERGENCY PATIENT TRANSPORTATION

GPS AND GPRS BASED TELEMONITORING SYSTEM FOR EMERGENCY PATIENT TRANSPORTATION

ABSTRACT

Telemonitoring at the critical period of patient transportation aids in the improvement of Medicare. There are currently several physiological data gathering and transmission systems that use cellular networks and radio communication channels. Commercially available are location monitoring systems and video transmission systems. The transfer of data pertaining to the patient, vehicle, time of the call, physiological signals such as ECG, blood pressure, body temperature, blood oxygen saturation, and location information is unique to emergency patient transportation systems. These criteria are currently satisfied by employing separate communication systems for physiological data and location, which causes a lot of difficulty for personnel, maintenance concerns, and is expensive. This project uses Visual Basic 6.0 to design, build, and implement a telemonitoring system for emergency patient transfer. This technique has proven to be quite effective for emergency patient transfer by organizations such as Mater Misericordiae Hospital Afikpo.

INTRODUCTION TO CHAPTER ONE

The Study’s Context

Telemonitoring is a medical procedure in which patients who are not in the same location as the health care provider are monitored remotely. In general, a patient will have several monitoring devices at home, and the results of these devices will be relayed to the health care professional by telephone. A Telemonitoring system combines cutting-edge technology with in-home, self-monitoring aids to collect real-time reports on your loved one’s vital signs. The self-monitoring test results are taken and communicated to a central database, which retains the information and allows the patient, family, and healthcare team to view it remotely. With the results, actions and alterations can be taken, as well as recommendations for ongoing care. The Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) and Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) networks use the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) data transfer specification. To send data packets, the GPRS system makes use of the complete coverage area and frequency of its host networks. Data packets are data segments that are transmitted between computers or network devices. Instead of a dial-up connection, the GPRS technology provides subscribers with an ongoing data connection. The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a portable navigation system. It employs a network of satellites that orbit the Earth. A tiny gadget, such as a smartphone or a dedicated navigation device, contains a built-in receiver chip that receives regular signals from satellites. Each signal is time-coded so that the device can determine its distance from the satellite depending on the time it takes for the signal to arrive. The device can calculate its position to within a few feet by integrating distances from at least four satellites. It can also cross-reference this with map data to generate navigational information like driving instructions. Patient in critical condition An ambulance is used for transportation of sick or injured persons to, from, or between centers of treatment for a sickness or injury, particularly in an emergency, and in some cases will give out-of-hospital medical care to the patient.

Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Afikpo is a nonprofit organization founded and established in 1946 by the Catholic Bishop of Abakaliki Diocese, Late Bishop Thomas Macgettrick, with 24 beds and has since grown to 300 beds. The Catholic Diocese of Abakaliki now manages it, with the proprietor, His |Lordship most rev. Dr. Michael Nnachi Okoro, presiding over the hospital board, which monitors and coordinates the hospital’s activities. The hospital sits on 18.5 acres of undulating land leased to her by the residents of Evuma and Ugwuegu in Ebonyi State’s Afikpo North Local Government Area since 1946. It is located away from the center of Afikpo yet has an easy access road network. The hospital includes a big operating theater and most of the most up-to-date medical technology to better serve you. Most of these items are rarely seen in private hospitals, let alone public ones. It also has ambulances and other buses to help with hospital activities.

Statement of the Issue

The amount of road accident victims in any bustling city, such as Afikpo (which has a higher education institution), is inconceivable. Many lives can be saved if critically ill patients and accident victims receive immediate medical assistance and are transported to a well-equipped local clinic during the golden hour. Ambulances are specifically intended to transport emergency medications and equipment. The interior of an ambulance is designed to store emergency medicine, sterilizers, stretchers, and other equipment. The people who work inside the ambulances have received particular training to be emergency technicians. There is a need to supplement such paramedics’ skills with the Central Monitoring Station (CNS). The CNS assists in locating the nearest and most appropriate hospital and liaising with hospital medical personnel.

The Purpose of the Research

The goal of this project work is to design and implement a system that caters to the specific requirement of acquiring physiological data, keyed-in data, patient snapshots, and voice signals and transmitting them via cellular network to a Central Monitoring Station that assists in identifying the nearest and appropriate hospital and coordinating with its medical personnel. Placing the system in an ambulance that is able to take vital signs, check oxygen saturation, monitor blood pressure, and so on will lower the risk of fatality associated with emergency patient transfer. The goal of this work is to incorporate a data transfer and navigation system into a telemonitoring system in order to facilitate information exchange between telemonitoring system operators and ambulance drivers at Mater Misericordiae Hospital for emergency patient transportation.

The Study’s Scope

The scope of this project work is limited to the emergency unit of Mater Misericordiae Hospital Afikpo, which is well equipped with modern day ambulances and equipment, but with additional research into this project topic, it can be used in all hospitals with an emergency unit and ambulances to reduce the rate of deaths in emergency situations.

The Importance of the Research

The hospital will greatly benefit from the implementation of a GPS and GPRS-based telemonitoring system for emergency patient transportation. The system will help the hospital accomplish the following:

1. Improve communication between ambulance personnel and central monitoring station records.

2. The doctor will have a better understanding of the patient’s physical and physiological condition, allowing him to make the best decisions about drug administration and transportation destination.

3. Administrative requirements, such as vehicle location and patient attendance records, can be quickly obtained.

Limitations

The researcher was constrained by financial and time constraints due to the cost of materials for implementing the hardware part of this study. As a result, the system that was created was a simulation of a GPS and GPRS-based telemonitoring system for emergency patients.