Abstract
The convergence of the internet of things, microcontrollers, health-based sensors and cloud-based systems can play a significant role in smart healthcare, by providing more accurate insights and better health data to patients, sustaining quality patient care. These areas combine to establish the IoMT concept, which has boosted the design of novel solutions to improve patient healthcare. This chapter aims to propose a novel, IoMT-based architecture for a rehabilitation system. It is based on the integration of low-cost and easily obtainable hardware with rapid prototyping and interoperable software to assemble a system capable of detecting shoulder movements and transmitting that information. The information is later processed by a central unit, and the data is prepared and presented to the patient so that he can adapt his posture during the exercises to better match what was prescribed by the health professional.
TopBackground
Patients who exhibit limited or impacted limb or bodily movements often need physiotherapy to recover from the condition that is affecting them. Apart from the general public suffering from trauma acquired from sports, work, combat, or everyday life, the rise in average life expectancy has been increasing the demand for musculoskeletal disorders’ treatment (Owens et al., 2020). When undergoing rehabilitation programs, patients are usually assigned customized exercises which they have to do regularly in order to establish correct kinematics and reduce pain (Lorussi et al., 2019). These programs can be conducted under the supervision of a physiotherapist at a clinic or hospital, or the patient can be assigned to a home-based program.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Wearable: equipment that can be attached to the participant's body (clothes or bracelets) and can be used during activities with great mobility.
IoMT: internet of medical things, used when referencing internet of things that use medical devices and/or operates in a medical environment.
Physical Rehabilitation: therapy for the conservation, improvement, or restoration of movements and physical functions of an individual weakened by a disease, injury, or disability.
Telerehabilitation: the delivery of rehabilitation services over a variety of services, such as telecommunication networks and the internet.
Interoperability: the ability of computer systems to connect and exchange information with one another.
Electrodermal Activity: phenomenon that occurs in the skin (due to the activity of sweat glands) due to an internal or external stimulus
Smart Sensors: devices that take information from a physical environment that monitor, examine, and maintain various systems using embedded microprocessors and wireless communication.
Internet of Things: Interconnection between electronic devices used in a daily basis, enabling them to send and receive data through the internet.