| dc.description.abstract | Remote monitoring systems can transform healthcare for non-communicable diseases like
hypertension. Despite widespread blood pressure testing, real-time communication and record
storage remain challenging in Uganda. This project developed an enhanced Internet of Things
(IoT) based wristband for remote monitoring and early detection of hypertension
complications. The system integrates a wearable wristband and web application to track vital
signs blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, and body temperature transmitting real-time
data wirelessly. It alerts patients, next of kin, and medical practitioners to critical hypertension
levels, enabling early intervention against heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease. Data
collection involved 243 patients and 17 medical practitioners from Rocket Health Clinic in
Uganda. Qualitative methods included focus groups, observations, and analysis of Electronic
Medical Records (EMR), while quantitative methods utilized patient surveys. Additional data
from reports, journals, books, databases, and websites on blood pressure monitoring systems
were also analyzed using Power BI. The development followed Extreme Programming (XP)
agile methodology, accommodating evolving requirements under tight deadlines. Validation
indicated the system is easy to use, accurate, and reliable. The wristband hardware includes the
DOIT ESP32 DevKit v1 microcontroller, MKB0803 blood pressure sensor, MAX30102 pulse
oximeter sensor, DS18B20 body temperature sensor, OLED SSD1306 display module, UC15
3G module, and SIM800L GSM module. The web application was developed using Laravel,
Vue, Inertia, and EChart. Future work aims to enhance system accessibility regardless of
smartphone or internet access, potentially through voice-based interfaces. Evaluations will
extend to managing chronic diseases like diabetes, leveraging insights to improve healthcare
in resource-limited settings. | en_US |
