Patent ID: 7307543

Claim:
A system for observation of patients in geographically dispersed health care locations comprising: a network; a monitoring station comprising monitoring equipment, wherein the monitoring equipment comprises instructions for monitoring data elements from patients assigned to geographically dispersed health care locations and for sending the monitored data elements to a remote command center via the network; a patient visual monitoring system responsive to a control command received via the network, wherein the patient visual monitoring system comprises instructions for capturing patient imaging data and for sending the patient imaging data to the remote command center via the network; wherein the remote command center comprises instructions for: receiving the monitored data elements from a patient assigned to a health care location; receiving the patient imaging data from the patient; establishing a patient-specific rule associated with the patient; and applying the patient-specific rule continuously and simultaneously using a rules engine, wherein the rules engine comprises instructions for: selecting data elements from the monitored data elements, the patient imaging data, and the patient data elements associated with the patient; applying the patient-specific rule to the selected data elements; determining in an automated fashion 24 hours per day 7 days per week at the remote command center whether the patient-specific rule for the patient has been contravened; and in the event the patient-specific rule for the patient has been contravened, issuing an alert from the remote command center.