It also means that health professionals can keep a closer eye on patients as the results of many home health tests are instantly relayed via wireless internet to local GP surgeries and clinics.
That way, action can be taken a lot sooner should the patient's condition be seen to be deteriorating. In effect, this early intervention is helping to avoid stressful and lengthy hospital admissions and, ultimately, save lives, as potentially serious health problems are caught in the early stages.
These systems can be easily installed in homes, GP surgeries, pharmacies, schools and other locations as appropriate. The overall idea is to streamline primary healthcare and free up medical professionals to concentrate on improving patient care.
And every machine installed is making its mark by effecting valuable savings in time and money for the hard-pushed NHS across the UK. Already, several areas are enjoying the benefits of investing in telehealth equipment, not least in London.
Several GP practices and pharmacies in Camden have had systems installed that connect directly to the local practice management system. This means that patients can monitor their own weight and blood pressure from the waiting room.
For those leading busy lives, there are also machines now available in pharmacies that offer a full cardiovascular check that takes no more than 20 minutes. If any warning signs are raised after the tests, whether it's high blood pressure or cholesterol levels, a printout of the results is handed to the patient to take to the doctor should they wish. Anything inputted into the machine, whether related to smoking, alcohol, chronic diseases or even depression, is then sent directly to the patient's notes. That means the doctor sees it before the patient even enters the room.
North of the border, things are also taking off in a big way. On the Isle of Bute, off the west coast of Scotland, an award-winning telehealth project is currently being evaluated by NHS Highland. The primary care trust selected 15 patients with chronic lung disease, most living in remote communities, to receive a handheld telehealth device designed to quickly detect any deterioration in a patient's condition through posing a select series of questions every day.
The answers are sent to the GP surgery via wireless internet, allowing the doctor to take action much sooner than before should a problem arise. Patients are less likely to go through the stress of being airlifted to hospital, and GPs, often based within island communities, can monitor patients without leaving their surgery.
The UK is not the only country embracing the telehealth phenomenon as it is rising rapidly across the globe, in places like Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, and in many other European countries. In the United States, the recent passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act means that 2010 should be the year in which healthcare providers Stateside start to adopt electronic health records en masse.
And that can only mean that the rise of telehealth as a way of improving patient care will continue for some time to come.
---
Quelle/Source: Public Service, 12.03.2010
Bitte besuchen Sie/Please visit:
