Abstract: When providing a cost-efficient remote patient monitoring and/or education system, a home-end device (HED) (12) is coupled to a central server (14) using a communication link over PSTN line or the like. Educational audio/video (AN) content is delivered to the patient on a storage medium (18) for playback via a media player (20, 38) in the HED (12). The server (14) provides keys to the HED (12) at predefined times to permit the HED (12) to display a scheduled video segment stored on the storage medium (18) to the patient at the scheduled time. The patient answers survey questions, and patient responses are transmitted over the PSTN line to the server for review by a clinician or doctor, who may be present at the server (14) or at a remote terminal (16) coupled to the server (14).

Abstract: A telemedicine system (8) includes an audio-video switch (10) that receives at least two different signals and conveys at least one of the at least two different signals to an output device (18) that presents 114 it to a user. A control device (162) monitors a position of the audio-video switch (10) and automatically controls the position to select which of the at least two different signals is passed through the audio-video switch (10) to the output device (18) in response to a signal from a remote source (34). Signals received from the remote source (34) include medically related audio video message signals, which are input to the audio-video switch (10), and a control signal that causes the audio-video switch (10) to select between passing the medically related audio-video message signals and other received signals to the output device (18).

Abstract: A patient information system and method are described. The system provides patient interaction via a display.