Regresar

An IoT-Based Prototype to Support the Monitoring of Vital Signs in Older Adults

Abstract:

The increasing rate of elderly people population in all countries challenges health providers (hospitals, medical clinics, etc.) to adapt their services to cover the growing demographics. As human beings age, the levels of vital signs experience changes. Reviewing vital signs allows health service providers to monitor the health and possible health problems that elderly people may have. In this context, the concept of IoT becomes a technological perspective to support the care of elderly people. This article reports the lessons learned in the implementation of an IoT-based technical prototype for monitoring oxygen saturation (SpO2), heart rate or pulse (BPM), and body temperature of elderly people. The prototype consists of sensors installed in the comfort of the patient's home, transmitting data to the cloud to be stored and processed. Then, the processed data can be visualized by two end-user applications: a web dashboard displayed on TV that support the decision-making of health providers and a mobile application that issues alert notifications to caregivers of the patient. The prototype represents an economically feasible solution to implement due to the use of low-cost sensors.