Telemedicine solution that can be fitted to a vessel to allow quick responses to medical problems

The MIST project had three specific elements that were implemented over the life of the initiative: the Wireless Sickbay, the Wireless Kiosk (with a specific focus on tourism), and Business Applications (Internet access). The Wireless Sickbay element of the project developed, tested and implemented a telemedicine solution that can be fitted to a vessel (in this case the Marine Atlantic super ferry The Joseph and Clara Smallwood) to allow quick responses to medical problems from the RCST/IEMN network site in Port aux Basques, Newfoundland. This will see the creation of a technology, application, and human systems model that can be custom fitted to a vessel to meet its specific requirements. The Wireless Kiosk element builds upon wireless community networking initiatives in Western Newfoundland (primarily in the Port aux Basques area) and focuses on the extension and expansion of tourism information and resources to events throughout the region through the combination of satellite and wireless facilities. As it would share a common network model with the Wireless Sickbay component of the project it would also provide the opportunity to develop a facility for real-time access to information and the Internet from a vessel, focused on public access facilities on vessels such as ferries to access tourism information and basic Internet services (this representing a possible future expansion of the project once the primary activities have been completed). The project aims to enhance the ability to respond to medical emergencies upon the ferry, with the development of a shore-side remote response capability that can be extended to other vessels, to implement network-based tourism services and Internet for the travelling public on Marine Altantic's vessels and to create a technology model that can be extended to other commercial marine operations for the provision of private or public network services.