Ubiquitous healthcare service using Zigbee and mobile phone for elderly patients.
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.
Lee
Hak Jong
HJ
Department of Radiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Lee
Sun Hee
SH
Ha
Kyoo-Seob
KS
Jang
Hak Chul
HC
Chung
Woo-Young
WY
Kim
Ju Young
JY
Chang
Yoon-Seok
YS
Yoo
Dong Hyun
DH