Information retrieval system for greater patient mobility (under development)

"Message in a Band" is an information retrieval system for first responders to help protect lives ANYWHERE (at home, in public and overseas) and to facilitate greater patient mobility and peace of mind for carers.

Message in a Band" has been introduced to overcome many weaknesses in the existing offerings {Message in a Bottle, Message in a Wallet, ICE Alert and Medic Alert} in order to provide a universal product to unite all of these, and other commercial offerings, into a single product offering with the following addition coordinating benefits:

• at home, in public places, or when travelling in unfamiliar places overseas on vacation or business
• increase in the diversity of extreme activity – sleeping, showering, sport, swimming, at work and play
• reduced fear of being alone, in trouble, unable to communicate when in public places
• where certain groups of patients are expected not to carry adequate identification on them

Service users targeted

"Message in a Band" increases protection for many Service users groups:

• pre-diagnosed medical conditions
• anyone with allergies or allergic reaction to medication
• transplant or implant patients
• visually impaired
• patients on strong or high dependence drugs
• people with learning or mental health difficulties with anxiety in an emergency
• refugees fleeing conflict
• vulnerable carers with dependants at home afraid to leave their home fearing illness and inability to communicate that they have dependants at home (typically family, pets, children)
• lonely elderly reluctant to leave home, missing out a physical and mental simulation to help protect their health and increase the potential for a longer more fulfilling end of life

Key benefits

"Message in a band" strives to improve standards in the following ways

• take away the service users ability to pay - FREE or low cost > ï¿¡2
• help reduce confusion; with the patient, carer, first responder or medical staff over what to offer
• use economies of scale to reduce cost by supplying a universal offering
• build a future proof design that allows more easily anticipated changes ease of access to (physically none invasive) RFID chips, NFC tags, QR codes and GPS location sharing devices.
• use the strength of carers and service clubs to achieve the above – by using volunteers who have knowledge, experience, contacts and enthusiasm at the highest level to help those in needs 
• avoids the primary alternative(s) a system that is (1) intrusive to the body (2) cannot easily be removed or (3) the patient has no control over the content/security, as with RFID implants or NFC skin type pints/tattoos.
• "Message in a band" is wholly controlled directly by the patient or indirectly by the patients nominated family member(s) or carer(s) and can be edited or removed and discarded at any time.

Strategic objectives and aspirations of Message in a Band

In the aspiration poverty, funding uncertainty and growing demand to cater to the demands of multiple service user needs are putting ever increasing demand on many Community Service organisations, manifested by falling resources, restructuring and a general apathy for continuous change within to meet new challenges, this project should help to inject some enthusiasm to help coordinate effort, and encouraging them to work more closely together in an area with synergy to ALL. Focusing on providing an information system that;

• can be used in any location across the world (as mass travel, inter-community multiple cultures grow and languages collide)
• caters for the widest patient groups from low to high demand vulnerable people (all groups covered in a single system for multiple vulnerabilities)
• caters to translation of ALL global language between various first responders and patients (the provision of a few key global languages is no longer appropriate, for Europe we have used to start English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, and Polish

work with National and International Service Clubs, Care Charities and Health services and other Stakeholders

Message in a Band core principle system design features

Setting the blue print for success; evolving through multiple stages of development from the UK, to Europe, and beyond; Americas, Asia, Africa, middle East and rest of the world:

1. combine patient first responder "warning signpost” and “pre-disclosed stored information” together in a single place
2. attach the combined “signpost & information” to the patient’s body in a place not easily lost or stolen
3. site the combined “signpost & information” in a place easily found and recognised by all first responders (wrist, neck or ankle)
4. ensure the combined “signpost & information” product is suitable to be used in ALL environments (moister proof, chemical and UV resistance)
5. make the message in a Band accessible to ALL vulnerable people (FREE or very low price and easily soured)

The QR coded label shown in the above picture is typically positioned on the inside of the Band or Connector for security The band has to be rotated 180 degrees to scan the label.

To provide a level of security normally reserved for online banking access is perhaps unnecessary given the nature of the patient information stored. However, it may be a negative point for some patients, family and carers responsible for compiling and inputting the data.

Some thought has been given to this issue and concluded that this is achievable at a higher price than the target ï¿¡2 per patient, likely to be around ï¿¡50 but within the scope of some willing and happy to pay. This high security option is comparable with other commercial offerings that are basic in comparison.

A typical solution that appears to fit this projects strategy is Bar or QR codes that change every 10 seconds making it impossible for unauthorised copying and misuse. The following video shows a QR code changing every 10 seconds so subtly, given the code detail pattern being so small at actual size. The general public is likely not to realise that it is happening so further provides another security benefit.

One of the strongest of continually changing QR or Bar codes is the lack of having to enter a URL, link or password as with internet banking, making access very fast and easy using a Smart phone for any first responder.

Product detailed design solutions chosen

Used a hollow translucent silicon wrist band to store information and see key identity info through the band without removing the band from the patient

Seal both ends of the open tube with a male or female connector then snap them together onto the patients arm – allowing the reverse process to remove the information for use or periodic up-dating

Offer blank write-able information ICE sheets (plastic paper – similar to the type used for OS maps)

Offer three methods of communication in a single ICE (In Case of Emergency) Pack – (1) written word on stores folded paper. (2) remote internet based file storage QR Codes and (3) NFC tags (Near Field Communication chip) and (4) GPS location sharing.

Methods 2, 3 and 4 are accessible from a smart phone. Iphones 6 and above have a free app for QR code photo scanning (however, iPhone have yet to allow access due to concern over the Apple Pay product - other active NFC phones include HTC, Samsung and Sony, models shown below ), a NFC sensor and a GPS position locator and allows to be shared with a relative or carer whose contact numbers are directly accessible via the responders phone.

The NFC tag has to fit within the extruded translucent silicon band so ideally has to be narrow and long, as shown in the photograph below with the aerial and chip.

Internal moisture proof paper with patient information appropriate for any individual patient perceived needs (key focus user friendliness and security)

Ease of patient or carer updating (provide storage for printed repeat prescription pages and electronic patient email/text reminders)

Patient information recording boxes

A single page is provided for each patients record, the current list is shown below,which will be accessed for entering and editing by a secure encrypted method, plus additional security levels to prevent hackers and unauthorised access.

Example - Maximum blank patient record - (all 126 information entry boxes are optional - except the 6 mandatory field boxes in red in the RH colume which must be filled in. Any unused medication boxes will disappear on save).

Example - Minimum blank patient record - (minimum 6 mandatory field boxes in red in the RH colume this field is required to save - Black box is automatically filled in and matches the access code for the QR code and NFC chip: Pink box fields are recommended if available).

Typical example - General patient record - (majority of 57 boxes filled in this record from a maximum of 126).

Key for above colour boxes: Black = Secure access code, Red = private information, Green = telephone numbers listed can be directly dialed from the mobile smart phone scanning screen (saving time and errors), Blue = other sources of NHS patient info in the UK and EHIC numbers for use in Europe (can authorises emergency treatment).

The current patient information contains: band number, DOB, first name, family name, preferred name,post code, first & second languages, communication & visual difficulties, (tick boxes for major conditions - asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, heart condition, anticoagulants, kidney failure, organ transplant or implants, alzheimers, additional conditions, medication (for up to 20 boxes), emergency medication carried, illnesses/drug thereopy, allergies or alergic reactions, last hospital treatment, hospital name, ward, date, duration of stay, blood group, organ donor (tick box), date since,learning difficulties passport number, passport date and issue body, travel passport number, issue date and place, patient doctor (GP), practice name, phone and email, NHS number, EHIC card number,travel insurance company and policy number, expiry date, ICE contacts x 3 - with name, relationship, mobile/home/work number, patient home address, phone numbers, address outside the UK (Hotel/private home), address contact numbers, patients key holders number, vulnerable adults/children/pets at home (names), hair& eye colour, height, gender, distinguishing marks, record completed by name & relationship, finally a photograph.

GPS location sharing examples between the First responder and ICE contact Smart phone screens

Statistics of vulnerable patients divided into Groups A to E - UK populations in millions

Phase 3 - Stage 1- project under development (evauluated and moved to Stage 2) - (flat band with laser, pin connector, and ICE sheet wallet.

Phase 3 - Stage 2- project under development (evaluated and moved to Stage 3) - (extruded silicon tub, two push clip connectors with all of the following enclosed; paper record, QR coded label and a NFC flexible tag)

Phase 3 - Stage 3- project under development (early stage) - (moulded V shaped ring with a press seal, all of the following enclosed, a resealable lowing enclosed; paper record, QR coded label and a NFC flexible tag)

Insights into rational to continue to evolve this project over a number of years is to minimise the risk of developing a more complex design/system than is necessary as highlighted in the following quotations from leading innovators.

Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex. It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage – to move in the opposite direction”—Albert Einstein

“Persistence is what makes the impossible possible, the possible likely, and the likely definite” â€”Robert Half

"There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all” â€”Peter Drucker

“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak” —Hans Hoffmann

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”—Leonardo Da Vinci

I believe Phase 3 Stage 3 will produce the most effective solution and test it out by investing in a prototype mould tool, to produce a one piece moulded wrist band to achieve all of the above targets.

Further updates will reveal the detail after IP has been successfully achieved, over the coming weeks.

Summary table highlights the key benefits for each information retrieval method

ANY COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE WELCOME.

PLEASE SUPPORT THIS PROJECT contact can be made via Linkedin account or use my email address ray.foss@btinternet.com

ROTARY DEVELOPMENT HISTORY (Phases Concept 1 and 2 below)

ICE Alert various posters and media devices used for promotion