DiSPnet - Networking digital assistive sensor technologies in long-term inpatient care

Digitalization in the healthcare sector is advancing and presenting the care and medical industry with extensive changes. The use of sensor technology to measure various values is playing an increasingly important role in the monitoring of patients and care home residents and offers numerous advantages. A wireless digital data infrastructure is increasingly recognized as a central element for efficient and high-quality healthcare. This development promises not only to improve patient care, but also to reduce the workload of nursing staff.

The healthcare sector faces major technical and economic challenges when it comes to implementing a comprehensive digital infrastructure.

The DiSPnet project aims to improve digital care technologies through the use of the mioty® wireless standard in long-term inpatient care. The aim is to network sensor-based monitoring solutions in order to increase the quality of care and overcome the challenges of technological connectivity. The project is a collaboration between Ahead Care GmbH, Fraunhofer IIS, Bayerisches Rotes Kreuz (BRK) Kreisverband Kronach and the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt (KUEI).

A moio.care sensor module from Ahead Care GmbH is being used in the project. This is a body-worn module that provides information in the event of a fall, positional changes and position determination. The data is to be transmitted to the care network in real time, enabling an immediate response by care staff. The mioty® technology from Fraunhofer IIS is used for wireless communication and a flexible infrastructure solution. This is a robust, energy-efficient and penetrable wireless technology that is now to be used for networking in nursing practice. The wireless communication technology flows into the moio.care sensor module and establishes the connection between the person being cared for and the ward PC or, alternatively, an app on the smartphone.

With mioty® technology, the corresponding sensors - in contrast to conventional WLAN or mobile radio solutions - can also be operated in difficult building structures, for example in buildings made of reinforced concrete. Thanks to the special radio protocol, all important data from several thousand sensors reaches the base station securely, reliably and simultaneously. The energy-efficient transmission protects the sensor batteries and guarantees long operating times.

The sensor-based monitoring solution is being implemented in the BRK retirement home in Kronach and tested for its practical suitability. The aim is to test the practical applicability and benefits of this technology in day-to-day care and thus improve the efficiency and quality of care.

From a social science perspective, the exemplary testing and implementation of event-related care services (moio.care sensor module) with an alternative wireless standard (mioty®) for networking in the setting of inpatient long-term care will be evaluated. The following hypotheses will be tested:

1. An improved exchange of information in the care process leads to greater acceptance among care staff if the quality remains at least the same.
2. A mioty®-supported networking strategy is a complementary and affordable solution for inpatient care facilities.

DiSPnet shows how the combination of modern sensor technologies and innovative wireless standards can improve the quality of care in inpatient facilities. The cooperation of the project partners enables a comprehensive evaluation and integration of the technology into everyday care, which promises a sustainable improvement in the care situation.

The mioty® technology has a high economic relevance for the BRK Kreisverband. It enables cost-effective networking of sensors and their connection to database systems, for example for documentation purposes. This technology makes it possible to connect residents and residents' rooms to the facility's technical infrastructure without having to install completely new network cabling and numerous WLAN access points/repeaters. As a result, the investment costs, which are passed on to those in need of care or their relatives via the care rate, can be significantly reduced, which both reduces the financial burden on those in need of care and lowers the pressure on inpatient care facilities to justify their investments.

Overall, the integration of sensor technology into patient monitoring and the precise recording of health data therefore supports more effective treatment, relieves the burden on staff and enables a better quality of care for patients.