UsingWireless Sensor Networks forAgedCare: ThePatient's Perspective
Robert JC Steele, Chris Secombe · 2007
Wireless SensorNetworks areonetheorised solution, Abstract-This paperpresents thefindings ofaqualitative whichhassignificant promise inproviding aneffective, study ontheperceptions andthoughts ofelderly people onthe scalable product torespond toanincreasing demandforaged useofcurrent sensor network technology forassisted agedcare. careandelderly independence. Thesesensornetworks consist Focusgroups ofelderly people werepresented withexamples of ofacollection ofsensors, alsoknownasmotes, whichcanbe current sensor nodesandexample scenarios oftheir use,and t theninvited toprovide input onarange ofissues surrounding usedtomonitor their surrounding environment andrelay thedesign anduseofthetechnology. Thefocus group findings theirreadings onwardsto provide usefulaggregated wereverified witha health careprofessional asa controlinformation. measure. Thisstudyexamines sensing basedinteraction, A significant amountofresearch hasbeenconducted on implementation methodologies and useracceptance issues implmenttio metodolgie anduseraccptane isues various aspects inthis field; however, mostresearch seemsto specifically fortheelderly, andfromtheelderly's perspective. A vousaspetehi field; howe er, mostresearh eemst significant finding ofthestudy isthatthetwomostimportant focuson thetechnology Itself, rather thanthepatient's factors forelderly acceptance ofsensor technology arecost and perceptions ofthetechnology. Forexample, (7),(14), and control. (24) focus onthealgorithms andcomputations involved in maintaining sensor network privacy, buttheimportance of IndexTerms-Geriatrics, Health care, Patient monitoring, privacy toapatient using sensor networks isnotdiscussed or Wireless sensor networks isnotknown.