E-health Performance Assessment of an Interactive Satellite Network Infrastructure

Objective: To develop and evaluate a low cost satellite system suitable for supporting homecare through teleconferencing and medical data acquisition. Setting: The system can be used in remote locations that lack a proper communications infrastructure. Design: Developmental study. Methods: The system is based on Digital Video Broadcasting with Return Channel via Satellite (DVB-RCS) technology, and utilises low cost satellite interactive terminals (SITs) to send and receive data. Remote sites are equipped with a special communication unit (videoconference unit or internet protocol phone) and may also incorporate a medical data acquisition unit. To evaluate our proposed model, experiments were performed using two SITs communicating through a DVB-RCS hub. Tests were performed using videoconference, voice communication (voice over internet protocol – VoIP) and simulated medical data. The medical data was transferred at a constant rate of 20 kbps whilst different fixed and dynamic rates were used for the videoconferencing and voice transmission. Results: The results showed that SIT transmission rates at 384 kbps (64 kbps guaranteed bandwidth) supports combined videoconference and medical data transfer with satisfactory video quality. Transmission rates at 128 kbps (48 kbps guaranteed bandwidth) are sufficient to support high-quality VoIP communication and medical data transmission together. Testing also demonstrated that medical data transfer was not seriously affected by voice or video transfer (approximately zero packet losses) and was almost constant during the majority of the tests. Conclusion: DVB-RCS can be satisfactorily used to support videoconferencing or high quality VoIP together with medical data transfer. Transmission can be satisfactorily achieved at low bandwidths which enhances its affordability.