Most widely deployed remote monitoring systems, also known as telemedicine, are fixed and so restrict
the mobility of the patient. Remote patient health monitoring using mobile devices can help overcome
this constraint [4]. Mobile devices, specifically smartphones, have become the most convenient ubiquitous
computing interface due to the advancements in their capabilities and functionalities, which have gone far
beyond just providing traditional telephony services.
Remote health monitoring typically involves two phases: 1) collecting health parameters of interest from
patient and 2) transferring these data to healthcare providers or the patient’s caregivers. The first phase is
typically performed either manually or automatically. In the manual approach, patients read the data from
attached body sensors or supplied tools and report it through an interface on their mobile devices using
either GSM or Internet access. In the automatic approach, mobile devices collect the data automatically by
communicating with a body sensor network without interfering with the activities of the patient. The second
phase is done after gathering the required data, in which mobile devices communicate these data to health
monitoring centers. A data sample can be sent on a regular basis or an authorized caregiver may query the
system for a real-time reading of parameters of interest.