Congenital heart disease patient home care services using the interactive TV: the PANACEIA-ITV approach

In the context of the PANACElA-ITV IST European project, a home care service provision system is described based on interactive TV technology. The purpose of PANACEIA-ITV is to facilitate essential lifestyle changes and to promote compliance with scientifically sound self-care recommendations, through the application of interactive digital television for family health maintenance. The means to achieve these goals are based on technological, health services and business models. PANACEIA-ITV is looking for communication of monitoring micro-devices with ITV set-top-boxes using infrared technology, and embodiment of analogous H/W and S/W in the ITV set-top-boxes. The PANACElA-ITV system is used by patients suffering from adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) at the Royal Brompton Hospital. The primary aim of this pilot is to test whether delivery of high quality monitoring, treatment and education for the ACHD or pulmonary hypertension patient is feasible via interactive television and infrared microdevices. Secondary aims of this pilot are to test the hypothesis that intensified home monitoring and guidance for patients of this target group will lead to reduced ACHD related hospitalization and to evaluate the overall attitude of the patients and clinicians towards the use of new technologies such as ITV in healthcare and disease management.