Smart Healthcare Monitoring via Peer-to-Peer Communication in Resource-Constrained Environments

Healthcare systems worldwide face rising costs, workforce shortages, and growing demands for efficient patient monitoring. This paper introduces a smart alert system that tackles these challenges by enabling real-time tracking of key vital signs (such as heart rate, SpO<inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</inf>, pulse wave velocity, and body temperature) with minimal reliance on internet connectivity. The system employs peer-to-peer communication using a low-power microcontroller and the ESP-NOW protocol, ensuring rapid alert transmission without constant cloud access. A Wi-Fi-enabled dashboard allows centralized oversight, enhancing clinical workflow efficiency. Key features include a decentralized architecture suited for resource-constrained environments, an energy-efficient design capable of 102 hours of continuous use on a 1000mAh battery, and a scalable framework that supports future integration of machine learning and long-range communication via LoRa. Experimental evaluations reveal a 99.1% alert delivery success rate under partial node failure and a 72% reduction in network traffic compared to traditional flooding methods. This solution offers a reliable, affordable alternative for hospitals, rural clinics, and home healthcare.