Homecare and mobile care
With human spaceflight it is not possible, to perform in situ diagnosis because the specialist is normally on the ground, and the astronaut is in space; the importance of an accurate diagnosis is of paramount importance because if the difficulty of getting the astronaut back to Earth for treatment.
There are wide synergies between the problems encountered making tele-diagnosis in human spaceflight and those on the Earth; the solutions can be very similarly applied. The applications of tele-diagnostics technologies and services on the ground are wide:
- On one extreme a preliminary diagnosis of a patient being transported by an ambulance can allow the patient to be swiftly carried to the appropriate hospital, which can make the difference between life and death.
- Other scenarios could be helping to make the right decision whether or not to transport a patient in a remote area in the first place to a hospital, a feat that could be costly and stressful.
- Other applications could involve continuous monitoring of chronic or aged patients at home, allowing regular diagnostic sessions per tele-communication thus allowing the patient to remain home rather than in hospital over long periods.
In general, diagnosis conducted with the assistance of remote experts allows for far quicker and more accurate and effective decision-making regarding treatment or transport of a patient to the appropriate centre for treatment. This avoids unnecessary use of limited rescue facilities and ensures that those needing expert help receive it quickly.
Projects
A list of recent and current projects supported by ESA, both in the domain of spaceflight and exploration as well as those terrestrially based, is given below. Links to further details on some of the project is provided via hyperlink (some links will be provided in the near future).
MIST - Marine Interactive Satellite Technologies
The MIST project had three elements, one of which was related to healthcare, namely a Wireless Sickbay for Telemedicine services fitted to a vessel or ferry. More info »»
Contact: Francesco.Feliciani @ esa.int
TELECARE - Home telecare services via 2-way satellite networks
This program facilitates home telecare services via two-way satellite networks, enabling remote nursing visits, vital sign monitoring in rural and remote areas. Targeted users are homecare nurses, and patients. More info »»
Contact: Francesco.Feliciani @ esa.int
IGEA SAT - Integrated General E-care access for homecare via SATellite
aims at providing greater added value to social and tele-homecare services using the latest innovative ICT (such as interactive TV). More info »»
Contact: Francesco.Feliciani @ esa.int
REACH - Remote Assertive Community Homecare
aims at creating a cost effective, commercially viable, satellite based, medical home care solution dedicated to Tele-Psychiatry, including teleconference, remote vital sign monitoring, and satellite telecommunications technologies, More info »»
Contact: Francesco.Feliciani @ esa.int
SHARED - First generation telemedicine videoconference platform
A telemedicine system based on DICE video-conference platform and LAN bridging connecting a hospital in Rome and a field hospital team in Sarajevo. More info »»
Contact: Francesco.Feliciani @ esa.int
TEMOS - Telemedicine for the Mobile Society
aims at establishing a globally active satellite-based competence network that optimises medical care in the mobile society. More info »»
Contact: Francesco.Feliciani @ esa.int
Telemedicine-via-Satellite for Commercial Aviation
Management of Medical Emergency for Commercial Aviation will be aimed to develop, integrate and validate, in a pre-operational pilot, a portable telemedicine system to support diagnosis from on-board of civil aircrafts. More info »»
Contact: Pierluigi.Mancini @ esa.int