Remote Sensing of Vital Signs in Ebola Treatment Units
Recognizing that the developing world is especially well suited to serve as a proving ground for the benefits of digital technologies, researchers at the Scripps Research Translational Institute have initiated projects in low-resource communities overseas.
The first was a proof-of-concept study that used wireless sensors and personalized analytics to continuously monitor patients admitted to an Ebola Treatment Unit (ETU) in Sierra Leone. Funded through the Ebola Grand Challenge (sponsored by the USAID, CDC and White House), this study sought to apply innovative approaches to increasing the protection and comfort of healthcare workers in ETUs.
By partnering with PhysIQ and Rhythm Diagnostic Systems, researchers at the Institute developed a solution that enabled healthcare workers to remotely obtain important information regarding critical changes in patients’ physiological parameters. The solution included the use of the MultiSense sensor that uses Bluetooth to continuously stream a patient’s physiological data to a computer or mobile device, allowing for real-time monitoring. This was combined with PhysIQ’s Personalized Physiology Analytics software, which allows health workers to measure a patient’s physiological parameters against their own baseline, enabling them to more accurately identify if and when changes occur in a patient’s physiologic status, even before symptoms manifest.
Validation of a portable, deployable system for continuous vital sign monitoring using a multiparametric wearable sensor and personalized analytics in an Ebola treatment centre, BMJ Global Health, July 2016
Remote Sensing of Vital Signs: A Wearable, Wireless ‘Band-Aid’ Sensor With Personalized Analytics for Improved Ebola Patient Care and Worker Safety, Global Health: Science and Practice, September 2015