The results from the first New Zealand pilot of telehealth technology have just been released by health innovator Healthcare of New Zealand.
William Hall, who has chronic pulmonary disease and was one of the people who trialled the technology says, “Since I’ve been on telehealth my health has improved dramatically. I got the monitor 12 months ago and if I didn’t have it, I wouldn’t be here today.”
During the 12 month pilot, which was run in partnership with Midlands Health Network and the Lakes District Health Board, telehealth monitors were set up in the homes of ten of the twenty Turangi/Taupo patients involved in the trial. These patients had either chronic heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Telehealth monitors enable patients to take their own vital health measurements, for example lung capacity, blood sugars and blood pressure. These measurements are assessed remotely by nurses so medical teams can detect any changes before they become serious and the patient requires hospitalisation.
The results of the pilot suggest that those patients who were remotely monitored through the telehealth technology had improved life expectancy and reduced hospital admissions. Of the original ten participants of the non-telehealth group, four died during the pilot, compared to one person in telehealth monitored group Patients who used telehealth also noted improved confidence and an ability to manage their conditions.
“I understand my condition more and I know what my body is doing. As a result, I’ve changed my food, sleep more instead of exerting myself, and take regular breaks,” says Mr Hall.
The telehealth monitored patients also showed significant improvements in their depression levels - a key quality of life measure.
National integrated care manager for Healthcare of New Zealand, Anton Venter, said the pilot’s trends were reinforced by large international studies that prove telehealth has a positive impact on reducing hospital admissions, converting emergency department attendances to planned admissions, and even reducing mortality when compared to other forms of care.
“This pilot has proven that the remote monitoring technology can be successfully applied in a New Zealand community to aid in chronic condition management. The local results are really exciting and provide huge potential to change the way these complex conditions are managed both by the medical professionals and the patients themselves,” says Mr Venter.
Chronic conditions are the leading cause of hospitalisations in New Zealand. National Health Committee reported that they account for 80% of all preventable deaths and are estimated to consume a major proportion of our health care funds.
The growing need to provide innovative solutions to support chronic care management in the community is also recognised by chief executive officer of Midlands Health Network, John Macaskill-Smith
“The telehealth pilot has enabled us to start to develop an understanding of how technology might contribute to the more effective care of our patients with chronic conditions.”
Chief executive of Lakes DHB, Cathy Cooney says, “Lakes DHB has been proud to be a partner during the pilot of the telehealth technology in the Turangi and Taupo communities. The findings show that telehealth provides a useful tool for health professionals to incorporate into the overall plan of care they establish with individual patients with chronic conditions.”
Cathy Cooney added that the telehealth monitoring also helps patients have improved understanding of their condition and it supports their self management.
The pilot’s outcomes were assessed by Sapere, an independent research company who also determined the evaluation framework.
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Quelle/Source: Scoop, 30.05.2011
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