Abstract
Recording of physiological vital signs in patients’ real-life environment could be especially useful in management of chronic disorders; for example for heart failure, hypertension, diabetes, anorexia nervosa, chronic pain, or severe obesity. Thus, monitoring patients in diverse environments, by a mobile health system, is one of the major benefits of this approach, however at the same time the demands and challenges for improving safety, security and integrity increase. Top priorities for patients under recovery of health and elderly under care are the feeling of being cared securely and safely in there home and its surroundings. Solving these issues will elevate users’ compliance and trust to mobile health services. Most research activities have been focused on achieving common platform for medical records, monitoring health status of the patients in a real-time manner, improving the concept of online diagnosis, developing or enhancing telemedicine solutions, which deals with remote delivery of health care services applying telecommunications, etc.This chapter intends to explore the issues and limitations concerning application of mobile health system in diverse environments, trying to emphasize the advantages and drawbacks, data security and integrity suggesting approaches for enhancements. These issues will be explored in successive subsections by introducing two studies which were undertaken by the author.
TopBackground And Motivations
The number of people with chronic diseases such as heart arrhythmia, diabetes, cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is increasing in most Western countries, and the majority are elderly. Chronic diseases are the leading causes of death and disability, and these accounts for 70% of all deaths in the U.S., which is 1.7 million each year (National Centers for Chronic Disease Control and Prevention, 2008). Almost 25 million people have major limitations in daily living in the United States (National Centers for Chronic Disease Control and Prevention, 2008). Chronic disease is a growing problem in the United States. More than 125 million Americans had at least 1 chronic care condition in 2000, and this number is expected to grow to 157 million by the year 2020 (Marchibroda, 2008).Some of the challenges associated with chronic care management approaches are the use of telemedicine and mobile health services.