Patient terminal for home health care system

Abstract

A teleconferencing system uses video conferencing between a nurse station and a patient station to deliver medical care. The patient station is programmed to contain customized instructions concerning medications, procedures, or visitations that were placed there by the nurse. The customized audio, video and text information transforms the patient station into a highly personalized information source which can be reviewed by the patient when the unit is off line. Medical procedures and medications are also programmed into the patient station by the nurse to remind the patient of all scheduled events, including visitations. A record of medical compliance is stored in the patient station, which record is uploaded to the nurse station and compared to the original event schedule. In such manner, the patient station is an intelligent personal medical assistant, programmed by the nurse to provide customized reminders and information necessary for the efficient management of the patient's illness. The patient station is easy to use, including only four large buttons which are re-definable by notations on a video screen, and, for the convenience of the patient, the video camera at the patient station is remotely controlled by the nurse to obtain the desired view without requiring that the patient move.