Health monitoring
Remote health monitoring with the latest technology
Steven John Cumper, managing director of online medical supplier Medshop, explains the benefits remote health monitoring can have for care home staff and residents alike
In the past four years, advancements in remote technologies across many industries have grown rapidly. For the social care sector, innovations in health monitoring devices, telemedicine, and remote healthcare have been ushered in. Today, these technologies are considered the standard for accessibility and convenience in care.
Remote health monitoring can mean
fewer unnecessary trips to a resident’s doctor. For the immunocompromised, it means less exposure to disease. But as convenient as this monitoring is, it is not without its challenges.
Challenges in traditional health monitoring For care homes, while there are some difficulties with health monitoring to consider, they can and should be met with solutions. The value of these technologies cannot be overstated. Here are some of the most common challenges:
Limited real-time data access When a resident is neither inside a hospital or clinic, nor actively connected to hospital- grade monitoring devices, it is difficult to access real-time data. The healthcare team at the hospital or clinic will need to rely on care home staff to report data accurately and in a timely manner. However, some Wi-Fi-enabled home health monitoring devices have data transfer capabilities that can upload data to the healthcare team, bridging the gap in real-time reporting. The use of these devices should be considered best practice for remote healthcare.
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The value of these technologies cannot be overstated
Manual data collection processes In the same vein as issues with real-time data issues, collecting data manually presents potential barriers to the timely treatment of residents. The aforementioned Wi-Fi-enabled devices can provide relief for this problem, too. In the absence of devices with that ability, it is critical for caregivers to prioritise getting the necessary data to the healthcare team as quickly as possible and without error. If there is a problem, the healthcare team needs to be informed immediately so any required treatment can be delivered.
Revolutionising remote health monitoring Thankfully, the challenges with remote health monitoring are few and are being addressed on an industry and systemic level. The incredible level of care that innovative devices can provide should be understood as a major success for the care sector as a whole.
The most important roles that health
monitoring plays are accessibility to medical care and enhanced safety for vulnerable populations. The ability to track data remotely is an important step toward medical equity. Technology is a critical element in the success of health monitoring. Caregivers and residents, where possible, need to be provided with the proper education for using advanced devices to ensure the standard of care is being met.
Wearable health trackers Especially for elderly or disabled people with limited mobility, wearable health trackers provide monitoring abilities with little effort. Once installed, these devices do not require much adjustment but can provide information on a regular and immediate basis. Wearable health trackers come in many forms, including blood pressure monitors, wireless glucose monitors, pulse oximeters, and Holter monitors. With proper maintenance, these devices can often be worn indefinitely.
Telemedicine for virtual consultations Telemedicine has been in use for decades but rose to prominence out of necessity during the recent pandemic. This has
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com January 2025
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