An open platform to support home healthcare services using interactive TV

This paper presents an open platform to support the development and deployment of healthcare services at home using the TV as the main gateway. Unlike previous systems based on proprietary and closed solutions, our proposal is completely open allowing the easy integration of new services or the integration with external platforms. This is possible thanks to the use of a PC-based Set Top Box called Home Theater Personal (HTPC) that can be easily connected to the TV and Internet. This solution is not tight to particular Software and Hardware providers. It allows an easy integration of different telemedicine devices through Bluetooth and USB standard protocols. Additionally, any software developer/provider can include new services and healthcare modules through a simple to use add/on platform.