Technologies for patient-centered healthcare

Technological changes in the last fifty years have significantly impacted our daily lives. In the medical domain, new imaging methods have eliminated the need for exploratory surgery as a diagnostic tool. Technologies exist for the creation of complete electronic medical records (EMR) but full implementation has not yet been achieved. Issues still remain in the inclusion and coordination of diverse data types, standardization of formats, and combination of large quantities of diverse data to form a comprehensive medical picture of the individual patient. Advances in genetic analysis and bioinformatics show promise in the development of personal diagnosis and treatment that will become an integral part of the patient record. The Internet has made world-wide access to the medical record possible. In addition, the Internet provides the means for remote diagnostics and intervention. In this article, an intelligent agent structure is described that can be easily adapted to serve multiple needs. In the first application, the model is used to provide temporal analysis of the EMR. In the second, it is used to provide remote support for elderly patients with the goal of allowing them to live independently as long as possible. These diverse applications show the promise of technology in the delivery of patient-centered healthcare.