Dissertation Help pls!

I have chosen my dissertation question which is "To what extent does IOT (Internet of Things) and GIS (Geographical information systems) support both the public and private healthcare sector"? But Im stuck on what to create, like an app or something physical. All I've got so far is creating an electronic patient record database like the one used in hospitals, but more improved regarding usability, simplicity and security. Is that a good idea? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

Reply 1

username3079870

19

Original post by Mazking

I have chosen my dissertation question which is "To what extent does IOT (Internet of Things) and GIS (Geographical information systems) support both the public and private healthcare sector"? But Im stuck on what to create, like an app or something physical. All I've got so far is creating an electronic patient record database like the one used in hospitals, but more improved regarding usability, simplicity and security. Is that a good idea? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

Sorry to be a stick in the mud but IoT is a network paradigm. Are you referring to an IoT device?

You could get a a Fitbit and try and export its data to Csv then import that to your database. Another simple idea is to use your csv file with python data science libraries like pandas, numpy and scikit to do some very basic machine learning to predict how many calories a person will burn over the next 12 months.

A final idea is to get Wireshark and monitor what you can pick up from your IoT device when its in a WLAN. This is more of a Security project.

Reply 2

Mazking

OP

IOT is anything such as a device which is connected to the internet. In my dissertation Im using it in a broader sense. (if that makes sense) And the idea I like most is using a fitbit and exporting the data to cvs and then importing that to my database. Would this idea be alongside having the patient electronic records? Or a separate idea on its own?

Thanks

Reply 3

BigYoSpeck

19

Original post by Mazking

I have chosen my dissertation question which is "To what extent does IOT (Internet of Things) and GIS (Geographical information systems) support both the public and private healthcare sector"? But Im stuck on what to create, like an app or something physical. All I've got so far is creating an electronic patient record database like the one used in hospitals, but more improved regarding usability, simplicity and security. Is that a good idea? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

I've some experience using the NHS patient records system, you'd have a tough job improving it to be honest. It's search ability is quite good at finding a patient from fragments of information, I could probably find you just from your surname and age even if I had your name spelt wrong slightly. As for security it needs a smart card to access. I don't practically think you're going to write a superior solution within a year as a student and I also don't really see how it relates to IOT as when I use it I'm at a workstation with a VDU. I'm happy to offer more information if you're set on it though.

As for suggestions, are you just looking for an app idea or an entire IOT device? I have a diabetic nephew who has a USB medic alert bracelet. How about something similar but using NFC or its own WiFi broadcast so that if a patient enters a facility they are made aware of their medical status?

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 4

username3079870

19

Original post by Mazking

IOT is anything such as a device which is connected to the internet. In my dissertation Im using it in a broader sense. (if that makes sense) And the idea I like most is using a fitbit and exporting the data to cvs and then importing that to my database. Would this idea be alongside having the patient electronic records? Or a separate idea on its own?

Thanks

While there isn't a codified definition on IoT, it is widely accepted as a concept/network paradigm in academic lit. IOT devices are devices that work within that paradigm. Thats the distinction in most academic literature I've read on the subject and a friend who stayed on after our Cyber Security masters for his PhD had a conference paper initially rejected partly because he accidently confused IoT and IoT devices in said paper. Its your dissertation though so its your call.

You are getting in to highly choppy waters with medical data and your school/university likely won't sign off on that as it potentially breaches the data protection act in some pretty serious ways. You could potentially get demographic data though, like age and gender data. So you could get some people from different age ranges to walk a few times a week.

If you don't want to try machine learning to predict future activity levels, you could cross reference, say tempreature data, with activity levels and visualise this data in a graph. You could export csv data from a weather source based on the gps data of the Fitbit, and write some sql to join your two sources together (say on locatiin data). Spit that out as another csv, do some python or R to visualise the relationship between weather and activity.

Reply 5

Mazking

OP

I would like more information if thats ok. I was thinking of doing an electronic patient record database, like the one used in hospitals, with the addition of a person having a fitbit watch, so doctors/nurses can monitor a persons heart rate and blood pressure without that person being in the hospital. As it would sync with the database. And if there was a severe drop in blood pressure, then a doctor would be notified. I cant think of anything else to do to be honest.

My supervisor said an app or physical device would be fine

I like the idea of the USB medical bracelet. Any other idea you have would be greatly appreciated

Reply 6

Mazking

OP

I think I should change it to IOT devices rather than IOT on its own. I agree that could breach certain aspects of the data protection act.

This is going to sound stupid, but I dont really grasp that concept of temperature and activity levels. Like the method to do it..

Reply 7

BigYoSpeck

19

Original post by Mazking

I would like more information if thats ok. I was thinking of doing an electronic patient record database, like the one used in hospitals, with the addition of a person having a fitbit watch, so doctors/nurses can monitor a persons heart rate and blood pressure without that person being in the hospital. As it would sync with the database. And if there was a severe drop in blood pressure, then a doctor would be notified. I cant think of anything else to do to be honest.

In my experience, doctors/healthcare professionals have neither the time nor the desire to have a real time feed of patients vitals unless they are admitted to hospital. At which point there are already people monitoring them closely.

There are also accuracy and reliability issues with a Fitbit like device gathering such data.

I like the idea of the USB medical bracelet. Any other idea you have would be greatly appreciated

The medic alert bracelet is something I thought of as it is possible a diabetic person could be found unconscious. A normal bracelet obviously gives a little data, the USB one that my nephew had allows them to plug it into a device, but something like an NFC readable tag and an internet connected reader could instantly present someone like a paramedic or the police with all the required patient data they might otherwise have no way of gaining from an unconscious person. Doesn't have to be limited to diabetes either.

Dissertation Help pls!

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