Table of Contents
Description of the Setting and the System Users
The wireless pulse oximeter will be used in a home setting. Since there are a number of patients who require long-term oxygen therapy, wireless pulse oximeter can be used at home by these patients. This oximeter will be interfaced with their phones or computers so that their data can be transmitted to a healthcare provider for evaluation. This device will be connected to a wireless sensor network that will be able to relay its readings to a central monitoring station where the patient data can be monitored. The wireless pulse oximeter will be attached to the patient being monitored. In the central monitoring station, healthcare providers will be alerted by the system when the reading exceeds or falls below the preset levels.
The wireless pulse oximeter to be used will be finger-type, ear lobe or the nose probes depending on the patient’s condition. To use this device effectively, a wireless sensor network that is reliable should be put in place. The wireless sensor network will enable the communication between the wireless pulse oximeter and the central monitoring station. At the central monitoring station, there will be a patient monitor application that will enable healthcare providers to receive alarms and measurements from the patients being monitored. The wireless pulse oximeter will allow remote monitoring of patients without requiring the healthcare provider to take the measurements.
Using wireless pulse oximeter as a home-based healthcare monitoring device is very important because it can help in transmitting the patient’s data to a healthcare provider for monitoring, control, or assessment in real time (Rotariu & Manta, 2012). This data can also be transmitted offline after storage and it will also help serve the purpose if it is not an emergency condition. Otherwise stated, wireless pulse oximeter allows for pervasive and continuous medical monitoring and it also supports telemedicine services (Tang, Mandrusiak, & Russell, 2012). The device is very suitable for remote monitoring of the patients and it also provides the patient with freedom of movement as compared to being restricted in the hospital.
Description of the Patient/Client Population to be Served
The main aim of the device is to help old people, especially those with chronic diseases, to be monitored in the comfort of their homes. In other words, the wireless pulse oximeter will be used in a home setting to support chronic disease management. The population of people aged 65 years and above is increasing, and there is a need to develop healthcare devices that will help them receive medical services at home (Rotariu & Manta, 2012). Wireless pulse oximeter is one such device that can help healthcare providers remotely access a patient’s health status and determine the need for medical interventions or consultation. Wireless pulse oximeter is very useful to patients with cardiac or pulmonary diseases, or any other patient that may require long-term oxygen therapy (Tang et al., 2012).
At home, elderly patients will be able to measure their oxygen saturation levels and pulse rate and relay this information to their healthcare providers. Since the target is old people with chronic diseases, they will be able to do this wherever they are, and this will ensure that they will be monitored in their homes as an option to medical supervision in hospitals. In summary, the wireless pulse oximeter will be used by elderly people at home, and a healthcare provider will evaluate the data relayed to them from this device. After evaluating the data, the healthcare provider will determine the need for medical interventions or consultation.
Timeline for Implementing the System
To implement this system, there are three main things required: a wireless pulse oximeter, a wireless sensor network, and a central monitoring station. There is no need for developing new devices as the devices required to implement this system are commercially available in the market.
Identifying elderly patients requiring home-based monitoring will take one week. During the second week, all the devices required to make the system work will be purchased. After buying all the necessary devices, they will be configured and connected during the second and third weeks. After connecting the devices, the functionality of the system will be tested for three weeks.
Plan for Staff Training
An informatics nurse will conduct the staff training as the system will mostly be used by the nurses. All the people that will be involved in the system including patients will receive basic usage training. Since the results are normally displayed on a screen that is easier to read, it reduces the need for training in interpretation, enhances the use of information relayed by pulse oximeter signals, and offers quick interpretation of results. This means that the training will give little attention to reading and interpreting results as the display screen will make it easier for all the involved people. The training will mainly focus on managing and maintaining the system’s devices.
Plan for Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the System
The system will be evaluated to see whether it is sending the information in real time. The accuracy of the measurements provided by the system will also be evaluated. The accuracy of the pulse oximeters will be evaluated by a simulator. The same simulator will be used to test the effectiveness of the alarm functionality of the system. In general, the reliability and delay of the system will be evaluated in order to determine the effectiveness of the system (Yan, Li, Li, Zhang, & Wang, 2013).
Possible Disruption of Implementation on Usual Work of the Patient Care Setting
The implementation of this system will not disrupt the usual work of the patient care setting. In fact, it will reduce the work load in the hospital as many patients may prefer the home-based monitoring.
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