An Infrastructure for Retrieving Passengers’ Medical Records in Case of in-flight Emergencies

In this paper, we present the concept of a telematics system that not only opens an audiovisual communication channel to groundbased doctors, but also provides them with medical background information on the patient (e.g. contraindication of certain medicaments, affliction with haemophilia, diabetes). This information can be a vital supplement to the diagnostic data (e.g. electrocardiogram, oximetry) relayed to the specialist by the cabin crew, aiding the doctor in deciding on the right therapy, instructing the crew appropriately and monitoring the treatment