Steve Moulton

Sensor networks for emergency response: challenges and opportunities

Sensor networks, a new class of devices has the potential to revolutionize the capture, processing, and communication of critical data for use by first responders. CodeBlue integrates sensor nodes and other wireless devices into a disaster response setting and provides facilities for ad hoc network formation, resource naming and discovery, security, and in-network aggregation of sensor-produced data. We designed CodeBlue for rapidly changing, critical care environments. To test it, we developed two wireless vital sign monitors and a PDA-based triage application for first responders. Additionally, we developed MoteTrack, a robust radio frequency (RF)-based localization system, which lets rescuers determine their location within a building and track patients. Although much of our work on CodeBlue is preliminary, our initial experience with medical care sensor networks raised many exciting opportunities and challenges.

Polymorphisms in FKBP5 are associated with peritraumatic dissociation in medically injured children

Polymorphisms in FKBP5 are associated with peritraumatic dissociation in medically injured children

A dynamic, data-driven, decision support system for emergency medical services

In crisis, decisions must be made in human perceptual timeframes under pressure to respond to dynamic uncertain conditions. To be effective management must have access to real time environmental data in a form that can be immediately understood and acted upon. The emerging computing model of Dynamic Data-Driven Application Systems (DDDAS) fits well in crisis situations where rapid decision-making is essential. We explore the value of a DDDAS (iRevive) in support of emergency medical treatment decisions in response to a crisis. This complex multi-layered dynamic environment both feeds and responds to an ever-changing stream of real-time data that enables coordinated decision-making by heterogeneous personnel across a wide geography at the same time. This complex multi-layered dynamic environment both feeds and responds to an ever-changing stream of real-time data that enables coordinated decision-making by heterogeneous personnel across a wide geography at the same time.

Communicating data from wireless sensor networks using the HL7v3 standard

In order for new and emerging physiologic sensors to play increasingly larger roles in the monitoring and management of ill and injured patients, the information they generate must be standardized in an XML format so that it can be integrated with the developing patient care record. To satisfy this need, we have built a prototype sensor gateway that communicates sensor data via HL7v3 messaging using SOAP transport and XML encoded data. We have connected the sensor gateway to a working sensor network called CodeBlue

An intelligent pre-hospital patient care system.

iRevive is a sensor-supported, pre-hospital patient care system for the capture and transmittal of electronic patient data from the field to hospitals. It is being developed by 10Blade and Boston MedFlight. iRevive takes advantage of emerging technologies to offer a robust, flexible, and extensible IT infrastructure for patient data collection.

Interoperability of Medical Applications and Devices

This paper discusses several types of interoperability for medical applications and devices: the ability of applications to run on any platform; how modularity affects interoperability; and data exchange between heterogeneous applications. It draws from experience with Internet standardization to find lessons for creating standards for interoperability.

Designing infrastructure to exchange Electronic Medical Records with web services

This paper discusses how to share medical information between heterogeneous applications via web services. Our design theory is based on a real-options framework, performance analysis and experience building iRevive, a working web-services-enabled pre-hospital documentation application. The trade-offs between efficiency and flexibility are examined in the context of exchanging information based on emerging standards in the healthcare world. These trade-offs are quantified using a real-options approach. We illustrate the importance of uncertainty in deciding the architecture enabling an application to access medical information from Electronic Medical Records (EMRs).

A standardised pre-hospital electronic patient care system

This paper describes the design, development and testing of a pre-hospital documentation and patient monitoring application called iRevive. The application utilises a sensor gateway and data mediator to enable semantic interoperability with a wide variety of medical devices and applications. Initial test results indicate that complete and consistent pre-hospital Electronic Medical Records (EMR) can be semantically exchanged with two heterogeneous, in-hospital IT applications.

Human Computer Interaction in the Pre-Hospital Setting

This paper describes the human computer interface of a new emergency medical services application, which uses several emerging technologies to clarify the inherent complexity and uncertainty of emergency pre-hospital patient care. These technologies include: 1) the integration and display of real-time physiological sensor data in parallel with manually entered human observations and treatments, 2) a meta-data approach to screen definitions to allow dynamic configuration, and 3) a rule-based data capture system to ensure complete and accurate data collection. These new technologies led us to design a flexible and efficient GUI that is capable of evolving as technology and medical science advance