BITC and IMTC
are undertaking a significant new research program in Telerehabilitation.
The project, sponsored by the Department of Commerce’s Telecommunications
and Information Infrastructure Assistance Program (TIIAP), is being
led by the Shepherd
Center, a specialty hospital in Atlanta focusing
on spinal cord and brain injuries. The program seeks to use computer
and Internet technology to improve the quality of life after a
major injury to the brain or spinal cord by allowing patients to
return home sooner, reduce the number of return trips to the doctor,
and provide patients lifelong learning opportunities. Partners
in the program include Cyber-Care, Earthlink, Siemens, and
Emory University.
The concept is to send patients home from the hospital with CyberCare's
Electronic House Call. Working with CyberCare's Electronic House
Call platform as a base, IMTC is helping to enhance the abilities
of the system in order to meet the rehabilitation needs of this group.
The EHC system has been modified to work over EarthLink's DSL network,
adding flexibility to the standard private network configuration
used by CyberCare. We are working on security enhancements to the
system to allow for the safe transport of medical information over
the commodity Internet using CyberCare's platform.
Another enhancement is the inclusion of web browsing from CyberCare's
platform. Although general purpose, unrestricted web browsing is
not allowed on the EHC system, certain sites are accessible. The
Shepherd Center is working to integrate a large database of educational
materials that will be accessed via the web for educational training
for patients in their homes. These materials cover health and wellness
information needed by persons who are adapting to life after an injury.
Additionaly, the scope of IMTC’s research involvement in the
project includes the development of a wheelchair pressure relief
monitor. Persons in wheelchairs need to perform exercises on a regular
schedule to avoid the development of pressure sores on areas of the
body that come in contact with the wheelchair. If these sores develop,
re-hospitalization is often required, at a large social and economic
cost to the patient. We intend to help prevent these sores from developing
by monitoring the patient's exercise habits, warning them if they
are not following their proper procedures, and recording this data
on the EHC platform for review by the caregiver.
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