ABSTRACT
The long anticipated“information age”is taking shape at the cross-section of multimedia signal processing and telecommunications-based networking. By defying the traditional concepts of space and time, these emerging technologies promise to affect all facets of our lives in a pervasive and profound manner [Mayo, 1992]. The physical constraints of location have naturally led, over the centuries, to the creation of the conventional patient care services and facilities. As the “information superhighway” is laid down with branches spanning the nation, and eventually the world via wired and wireless communication channels, we will come closer to a bold new era in health care delivery, namely, the era of remote monitoring, diagnosis, and intervention.
