Physiological Measurement Quality Control via Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Healthcare measurement data from patient devices is often of unsatisfactory quality, and healthcare providers lack effective means to ensure the reliability and quality of these measurements, especially in remote tele-health applications, where the context and conditions of measurement are unknown.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that measure physiological parameters, derive data, obtain metadata, determine the quality of the data, and perform corrective actions based on predefined criteria, using quality indications to improve measurement quality by providing feedback to patients or reconfiguring devices, ensuring that measurements are taken under standardized conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If remote patient monitoring is implemented to save time and improve accessibility, then tele-health service efficiency is improved, but measurement data quality becomes unreliable due to unknown measurement conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where measurement quality information is transmitted back to the monitoring system. The system receives quality indicators from patient devices and uses this feedback to assess whether measurements meet required standards, enabling continuous improvement of data quality while maintaining remote monitoring efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces quality indicator metadata as an intermediary element between the measurement device and the health care provider system. This intermediary carries information about measurement conditions and quality, allowing the system to evaluate data reliability without being present during the actual measurement process
2Ease of operation
If measurement devices are made accessible to patients for self-monitoring, then ease of operation is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to lack of professional supervision
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by providing patients with pre-configured measurement devices that have embedded quality requirements and metadata tracking capabilities built in. The system pre-establishes measurement protocols and quality standards that automatically execute during patient self-monitoring, ensuring precision without requiring professional supervision during the actual measurement
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables self-service measurement with quality assurance by implementing automated quality assessment mechanisms. The measurement system automatically collects quality indicators, evaluates them against predefined criteria, and determines whether measurements meet required standards, allowing patients to perform measurements independently while maintaining precision through automated quality control
3Reliability
If quality assessment mechanisms are added to tele-health systems, then measurement reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the quality assessment function into separate, modular components. Quality indicators are collected as distinct metadata elements, evaluated against separate criteria, and processed through defined workflows. This segmentation allows the complexity to be managed in discrete, manageable parts rather than as a monolithic system
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements universality by creating a quality assessment framework that can be applied across multiple types of measurement devices and parameters. The same quality indicator structure and evaluation criteria are used regardless of the specific measurement being taken, allowing the system to handle diverse measurements through a unified, multi-functional approach that reduces overall complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A method of performing measurement of a subject comprises measuring a physiological parameter of a subject, deriving data from the measured parameter, optionally, obtaining metadata relating to the measurement of the physiological parameter, determining the quality of the derived data from the derived data and/or the obtained metadata, and if the determined quality matches a predefined criteria, performing a predefined corrective action. In one embodiment, the method further comprises calculating one or more qualifiers from the derived data and/or from the obtained metadata, and wherein the step of determining the quality of the derived data comprises determining the quality of the derived data from the calculated qualifiers.