Remote Healthcare Monitoring

Introduction

In the UK there have been various pilot schemes using remote monitoring systems to track patients with a range of conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and other chronic conditions.  Early detection of some conditions can help reduce and limit patient deterioration and prevent some from occurring, such as heart attacks by monitoring blood pressure and cholesterol. As remote healthcare can monitor multiple patients at a time without needing to visit the hospital, other industries are looking to utilise this to safeguard their employees and the company itself. This project looks to develop a novel application for this technology in areas where noticing early changes in a person’s health and performance can be lifesaving [1][2][3]. There are many industries where workers risk their health in hazardous and extreme environments. Such as deep sea engineer divers, radiation workers in nuclear power station decommissioning, astronauts, miners, fire fighters and those working with hazardous biological substances. In order to protect workers in these environments and fulfil health and safety obligations, it would be advantageous to be able to monitor health whilst on the job.

Task

Your task is to undertake research to identify job roles in harsh environments where the workers’ health is at risk. Your company must design a sensing system to monitor the health of workers remotely. You must submit plans for a prototype device and information on how it is fit for purpose for a particular job role and how it can withstand the harsh environment. Examples could be deep-sea applications or operations which deal with very hot or cold temperatures. In addition, you should include a support infrastructure with emergency teams to receive and react to the data from the sensing system. You should be able to clearly identify the limits and capability of your device and where possible an expectation of reliability.

Considerations

·       Health indicators to monitor

You will need to consider the various health conditions that can arise from the particular job role you have chosen. You will need to identify suitable health indicators which match the expected symptoms/indicators. These monitors could then alert the support services. Consider how you will distinguish between signs of distress as opposed to difficult working conditions and  whether you will need to calibrate the devices for each person.

·       Transmitting and receiving data

You must consider the environment: does it pose any limitations for transmitting data? For example, wireless solutions could be easily retrofitted and therefore quickly implemented, however, gathering information in certain environments can be difficult such and in deep sea and underground.

·       Current health & safety measures

You should also consider the systems and training that are already in place to protect worker from such conditions. Could these devices be improved somehow or will you need to design something from scratch?

·       Materials selection

You should select materials that are appropriate to protect the device in the harsh and hazardous environment.

·       Failsafe and backups

The lives of your client’s employees depend on this technology, and it needs to be failsafe. To demonstrate this, you should carry out a safety assessment of your design and think about possible limitations and safety back-ups to ensure reliability.

·       Costing

The device and data transmitting and receiving system must be fully costed. Is it affordable and worth the cost of implementing?

·       Sustainability

Consider how this solution is future-proofed and minimizes any detriment to future generation, such as the use of sustainable materials.  

References

[1] The University of Sheffield, “South Yorkshire to lead new ‘technology’ drive to modernise care for patients with long term health conditions.” Sheffield Healthcare Gateway. https://sheffieldolympiclegacypark.co.uk/south-yorkshire-to-lead-new-technology-drive-to-modernise-care-for-patients-with-long-term-health/  [Accessed: October 11, 2023].

[2] NHS UK, “Remote-monitoring service for people living with heart and lung diseases reduces A&E admissions in Norfolk”, NHS England. https://www.longtermplan.nhs.uk/case-studies/remote-monitoring/ [Accessed: October 11, 2023].

[3] Adam Brimelow, “Wireless monitor ‘relieves pressure’ on nursing staff”, in BBC News, July 22, 2014, [Accessed: October 11, 2023. Available: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-28317509