THE DEVELOPMENT OF VITAL SIGNS MONITORING SYSTEM WITH DATA OUTPUT INTERFACE USING ARDUINO MEGA

Abstract

Vital signs monitoring is a common and critical component of patient care and can be instrumental in detecting early patient deterioration before a life-threatening event occurs. With essential vital signs monitoring, clinicians are equipped with the necessary information to make informed decisions that can improve patient care and outcomes. The researchers integrate traditional vital signs monitoring by incorporating four sensors into one system. To build the prototype, the researchers followed the process of experimental prototyping by employing an explanatory system. Prototyping is a system development method in which a prototype is constructed, tested, and revised as necessary until a final and acceptable version is attained, from which a system or product can be produced. The researchers used a variety of sensors, including a temperature sensor, pulse sensor, oxygen sensor, and glucose sensor. The system automatically detects the user's vital signs and records them on their phone. To investigate the effectiveness and usability of the vital signs monitoring device, the researchers implemented an experimental research method. They surveyed 40 students from Bestlink College of the Philippines and 10 medical personnel. Using a Likert scale questionnaire, the researchers obtained an overall mean of 4.20 from students and 4.1 from medical personnel. As for the descriptive interpretation, the results indicate “Agree” and “Strongly Agree”, suggesting that respondents from Bestlink College of the Philippines – Bulacan and medical personnel outside the campus believed the innovative prototype was effective. Based on the data and findings from the prototype, using Arduino Mega as the main microcontroller in the development of the vital signs monitoring system is deemed successful. The Arduino Mega, as the main microcontroller, is fully operational, and all the sensors and additional parts are incorporated to track the user's vital signs. Thus, the researchers recommend that future researchers use Raspberry Pi as their main microcontroller for an advanced setup.