A Real-time Framework for Patient Monitoring Systems based on a Wireless Body Area Network

Abstract

Chronic disease is a persistent clinical condition that causes significant limitation in a patient's life, due to ill-health and degradation events which may happen frequently. Therefore, it requires continuous collaborations *between patient and physician in an integrated health care system. Current technologies provide an effective and efficient way of patient monitoring. However, none of the current solutions provide end-to-end systems that covers data extraction, transmission, analysis, storage and integration. In our proposed framework, we aim to fill the gap between current technologies and healthcare systems. The wireless body area network (WBAN), cloud computing, fog computing, semantic ontology, and clinical decision support system (CDSS) are integrated to provide a comprehensive and complete model. By monitoring a person with chronic diseases in real time, physicians will have the ability to guide patients with the right decisions. In addition, patients can practice normal life. Finally, there is no need for the patient to stay at hospitals, which saves money. We will provide a further step by providing an intelligent CDSS capability at the hospital's and the patient's sides. The data collected from WBAN will integrated into the electronic health record (EHR) of the patient, handled in terms of semantic interoperability challenge. The proposed novel framework is feasible, and we expect significant effects on patients' quality of life and considerable lowering in healthcare expenses.