WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS
NHS Sheffield’s Helen Chapman and Sarah McCarthy, and Beverley Hobbs of HomMed, explain how nurses are using remote monitoring.
N
HS Sheffield is one of the UK pioneers of telehealth technology. Its most re- cent community nursing services pilot in- vestigated the use of telehealth for people with long-term conditions like heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
NHS Sheffield locality service manager, Helen Chapman, said: “We believe we have a unique arrangement in Sheffield relating to the deployment and installation of our telehealth monitors, in that the community nurses work in close partnership with our specialist physiotherapy assistants.
“Once a community matron or case man- ager has ‘prescribed’ the use of telehealth, the specialist physiotherapy assistant is re- sponsible for the installation of the equip- ment and ensuring both the patient and their carer clearly understand how to use the equipment. They will also carry out a detailed environmental assessment which may result in physiotherapy follow-up.”
To qualify for consideration, patients must be deemed motivated enough to take an
40 | national health executive May/Jun 11
active role in the monitoring of their con- dition, be aged over 18 and frequently experience a worsening of symptoms or be undergoing a change in treatment that requires monitoring/education, such as in- sulin titration.
Patients being managed by the community nursing team, to avoid deterioration of their condition leading to hospital admis- sion, are also considered.
Chapman said: “This system is working very well because it benefits the patient, allows quick deployment of equipment, within 24 hours of referral, and has fos- tered more integrated working practices across the two specialisms.”
The need for telehealth
According to the NHS, people with long- term conditions use 69% of the primary and acute care budget in England and ac- count for half of all in-patient hospital bed days.
Patients and their carers in Sheffield are
shown how to use telehealth technology by health professionals with the aim of giving them a greater understanding of their over- all condition. It is then used to remotely monitor their conditions so that the right support can quickly be mobilised if their symptoms change.
The Honeywell HomMed telehealth moni- tors were first deployed by Sheffield’s pri- mary care trust in 2007, in a trial that was principally undertaken amongst sufferers of COPD. In many cases, the technology was found to help improve patient care and make good use of medical and nursing re- sources.
HomMed clinical account manager, Bev- erley Hobbs, said: “There are currently 15 monitors in use in Sheffield and the PCT has plans for further deployment. The technology is used to help patients suf- fering from long-term conditions, includ- ing patients with illnesses such as chronic bronchitis or emphysema. This area in particular has a higher than average occur- rence of COPD, partly because of its history of industry.”
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