METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INTERACTIVELY MONITORING A PHYSIOLOGICAL CONDITION AND FOR INTERACTIVELY PROVIDING HEALTH RELATED INFORMATION

An electronic health monitoring system. A multimedia processor is a modified CD-ROM multimedia interactive television video game console which comprises a microprocessor, hardware, and software. One or more physiological data monitors are coupled to provide a signal representative of a user's physiological parameter to the multimedia processor through an isolated interface circuit. A hand-held program controller with directional buttons is operated by the user to control the various functions of the multimedia processor. A television is coupled to the multimedia processor to provide sound and a video display based upon output signals from the multimedia processor. Interchangeable compact disks (CD-ROM) comprise additional software. The software contained in the interchangeable compact disks enables the system to execute a variety of health related functions, to display high quality moving or still video images and to produce high quality sound accompaniment. For example, the system may monitor a user's electrocardiographic signals and display an ECG waveform and various other parameters, such as heart rate, on the television screen. The system may also interactively provide more detailed or educational information to the user based upon the user's operation of the hand-held program controller and also based upon predetermined software routines and data stored within the system.