Telemonitoring

Telemonitoring

To enhance monitoring the health of a patient suffering from chronic disease, patients just released from the hospital, or patients who have special medical needs, telemonitoring is an effective outpatient program. Benefits include early detection of signs and symptoms of disease exacerbation (especially for congestive heart failure patients), improved coordination of care, improved disease self-management.

Telemonitoring incorporates up to five components:

  • data acquisition using the appropriate equipment,
  • transmission of that data to a clinician.
  • integration with other data describing the state of the patient,
  • determination of an appropriate action,
  • and data storage.

Also, the Telemonitoring equipment will ask several questions of the patient. This gives the clinician insight to the patient’s lifestyle. Home telemonitoring utilizes these approaches to monitor the condition of a recently discharged or chronically ill patient to detect early changes in their health status while they remain at home.

Telemonitoring must be ordered by the patient’s physician. Throughout the day a clinician will monitor:

  • blood pressure,
  • pulse,
  • temperature,
  • pacemakers,
  • medications and more.

The Telemonitoring equipment is provided by Heavenly Health Care, which also reminds the patient to interact with monitoring system. If the patient does not follow the prescribed procedures the clinician is alerted by the system.

The benefits of Telemonitoring are many. First, the patient is being monitored from home instead of a hospital environment. There are many benefits of being at home versus the hospital. Telemonitoring provides vital signs and lifestyle information to the clinician. The clinician provides vital information to the patient’s healthcare provider.

Emphasis is being placed on patient recovery and creates a proactive approach to monitor a patient’s progress or signs of further distress. Alternative uses for this technology have included monitoring fetal heart rates and levels of activity in the elderly.

*Telemonitoring is not a replacement for physicians, nurses or clinicians. It is a monitoring tool that provides data and helps produce efficient outcomes for patients. The system cannot sustain life in an emergency. If a patient becomes distressed, call 911 and then call your nurse.