title: Ubiquitous healthcare service using Zigbee and mobile phone for elderly patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the efficacy of a u-healthcare service using Zigbee and mobile phone for elderly patients with diabetes mellitus or heart diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  From July to October, 2005, 29 patients were enrolled in our study. Two selected u-healthcare items, ECG and blood glucose measurement, were monitored. Twenty patients were provided with ZigBee built-in blood glucometer and mobile phones, and were instructed on using a web service where the measured blood glucose could be transmitted directly to the web and be administrated. Nine patients participated in ECG monitoring, by using a wireless, transmittable ECG recording instrument equipped with ZigBee protocol attached to their chest. Daily average transmission frequency, rate of transmission loss, and error reasons were analyzed. In addition, the patients were asked to score their degree of satisfaction about the sensors and u-healthcare services.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean transmission frequencies were 2.1 times/day in blood glucose monitoring and 6.1 times/day in ECG. The patients' satisfaction scores of the blood glucometer and service used in this research were 8.59 and 9.01 of 10 points, respectively. The mean satisfaction scores about ECG sensor and ECG monitoring services were 5.79 and 7.29, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite the many problems still encountered such as technological problems related to sensors and some problems like battery replacement, we could transfer the data of glucometer and ECG sensors to web-server via ZigBee protocol. Authors think the ZigBee could be one of components of wireless u-healthcare systems in the future due to its advantages of lower power consumption.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hak Jong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sun Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kyoo-Seob
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.forename: Hak Chul
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Woo-Young
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Ju Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yoon-Seok
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Dong Hyun
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Yoo