Telemonitoring system to help chronic patients

A new medical system has converted mobile phones into telemonitoring devices for chronic patients.

The system will help patients access medical advice without paying regular visits to hospitals. The set-up is based on wireless application protocol (WAP) and is designed for patients suffering from such chronic illnesses as diabetes and heart conditions.

It will help patients to be in touch with a hospital when they are away from home, enabling medical staff to look after them without direct consultations.

A prototype of the system and the required software is ready and can be enhanced to include other types of diseases as well, said Dr Kamel Karoui, assistant professor at the Maths and Computer Sciences Department at UAE University.

The system is being tested with the help of a private hospital in Al Ain. In this arrangement, Dr Karoui said, a physician and two of his diabetic patients have been using the system to evaluate it.

Patients would use the application through their mobile phones and would need a password to log on to the system.

Depending on the illness, the system would ask the patient to provide details of disease-related symptoms. It would then relay them to the hospital server.

The server would check the patient's medical history and assess whether he or she requires a direct consultation. Patients would also be able to submit blood pressure and body weight records, Karoui said.