Biomedical Interactive Technology Center
Electronic HouseCall System
The Electronic HouseCall system grew out of a research collaboration between the Biomedical Interactive Technology Center (BITC) at Georgia Tech and the Telemedicine Center at the Medical College of Georgia (MCG). MCG established the first state telemedicine network in November 1991 and expanded their program to manage many sites within the Georgia Statewide Telemedicine Program (GSTP) as a component of the Georgia Statewide Academic and Medical System. Today, the GSTP links hospitals, outpatient clinics, community and public health centers, and correctional facilities. In 1995, MCG and BITC began a new telemedicine initiative to extend the traditional telemedicine model into the home. With funding from the Georgia Research Alliance and the United States Army, BITC and MCG developed and evaluated the first proof-of-concept Electronic HouseCall (EHC) system.
With this approach, patients are enabled to stay home longer or return home sooner through videoconferencing visits and remote vital signs measurements. An important focus is to enlist the patients in their own care management. The system is designed so that the patients control it by themselves, and educational resources are provided to instruct and guide the patients. The EHC system is built upon a standard multimedia PC running the Microsoft Windows operating system. Custom designed software integrates a variety of capabilities and presents a simple graphical interface that patients control by themselves through a touchscreen monitor. The system capabilities include interactive videoconferencing, medical devices, and patient education resources.
EHC Patient Station on left and EHC Provider Station on right.
The EHC is a network application. A central database provides access to the data for both patients and providers through secure network communications. The figure below illustrates the EHC Network Concept. Different levels of access and communication are supported.
Fully configured computer stations with high speed connections can support a wide range of medical measurements and high quality videoconferencing. However, low cost portable devices can perform valuable data entry and retrieval tasks.
In 1997 the EHC technology was licensed to CyberCare Technologies, Inc. Through this license agreement, Georgia Tech and the Medical College of Georgia received equity in CyberCare and funding for research. During 2000-2001, CyberCare’s