Telehealth Monitor

Robin Swarnes has a lot of stories about Telehealth residing under her nurse’s cap. Swarnes is a nurse at Home Health, and Telehealth is the new piece of equipment, a remote system, that Home Health uses to monitor homebound patients.

Take the story of the “young, 60-year-old woman” diagnosed with an “end-stage lung disease.” She lived alone and wanted to manage the disease from her home as long as she could. No hospitals for her, ‘thank you very much.’

So, a Telehealth was installed. At designated times throughout the day, the machine would remind her to take her blood pressure and test her oxygen levels. It asked her other questions, too — questions about her diet, her medications, questions tailored to the specific requirements of managing her disease at home, instead of the hospital.

Then, Telehealth would automatically send the information and vital signs to Home Health, via a one-way, automatically generated telephone call.

One day, after several “normal” reports had already been sent, Home Health received a report from the woman’s machine indicating her oxygen level was low – very low. With normal oxygen levels registering between 90 and 100 percent, her oxygen level indicated mid-70s. Something was wrong.

Swarnes reviewed the information and called her. She asked her to take the reading again.

The woman rechecked her oxygen level. It was even lower.

Swarnes asked her to check the oxygen tubing by placing the cannula (the nose piece) in a glass of water to see whether oxygen was coming out of it.

“The heck with it,” the woman said. “I just want to go back to bed.”

Still on the phone, and while Swarnes was dispatching someone to her home, the woman’s mailman stopped by to deliver the mail. Swarnes quickly recruited him and requested he check the tubing to the concentrator.

He did. He inspected the tubing for crimps and traced it to the concentrator. It was correctly hooked to a humidifier bottle, but the lid on the bottle was not screwed on, and the oxygen was not getting through.

“If she had gone back to bed, she probably would’ve died,” Swarnes said.

via Program helps patients monitor health at home – Rolla, MO – The Rolla Daily News.

Remote Monitoring

Remote monitoring technologies convey real-time physiological information on a patient’s condition over the Internet or via phone lines. “We look at remote monitoring—incorporated into devices like a pacemaker, for instance—as a means to generate information that a physician can use to evaluate and care for the patient without having the patient come in for a physical face-to-face meeting,” says Madeleine Smith, senior vice president of payment and policy at AdvaMed, the Advanced Medical Technology Association. A recent AdvaMed report chronicled how these technologies can play a vital role in managing costly and debilitating chronic diseases. The findings were based on a review of various published studies.

“Remote monitoring is increasingly recognized as a valuable tool for enhancing care quality in chronic disease management,” says Max E. Stachura, MD, director of the Center for Telehealth at the Medical College of Georgia and the report’s lead researcher. “For patients, these technologies mean fewer office and emergency room visits, fewer and reduced duration of hospitalizations, less travel time and expense, and increased access—especially for the elderly, the physically challenged, the homebound, and rural patients. For clinicians, they mean more informed decision making, enhanced patient compliance, and more efficient case management.”

The report involves patients with chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart and lung problems. One finding showed that when patients with severe respiratory illness requiring long-term oxygen therapy were remotely monitored, hospital admissions decreased by 50%, acute clinical problems decreased 55%, and hospitalization costs fell 17%. Also, a study of 400 diabetes patients found that those monitored by in-home glucose meters and video conferencing showed significantly greater improvement in reducing average blood sugar levels than those who did not receive such monitoring.

The Center for Connected Health is implementing several connected health programs for chronic disease patients at Partners HealthCare-affiliated hospitals in Boston, according to Kvedar. For example, one of the center’s initiatives is the Connected Cardiac Care program, which is being offered to heart failure patients at risk for frequent hospitalizations. Data from a pilot study found that Connected Cardiac Care can reduce rehospitalizations by improving patients’ understanding of their condition and providing ongoing nursing support and a review of vital signs, such as heart rate and blood pressure, while the patient is at home.

“This program allows patients to self-monitor and transmit their vital signs and symptoms to a telemonitoring nurse who helps patients understand the link between lifestyle choices and their disease, and, importantly, coordinates care with their physician,” says Kvedar.

via Telemedicine: Miles Don’t Matter.

IT should be part of any stimulus package, Microsoft will tell a big audience of European public sector opinion-makers today. We asked the European chairman why Microsoft deserves the business

In Brussels today, around four hundred of the European “elite” will listen to speeches, and shuffle round an exhibition dedicated to Microsoft. The “Innovation Day” – attended by MPs, civil servants and business leaders will show new technology from Microsoft and its partners.

It will also have a fairly clear message: back Microsoft and you will survive the recession.

” This year, everybody feels the economic crisis,” Jan Muehlfeit, chairman of Microsoft Europe, said to eWEEK Europe before the show. “We believe it is important to show our commitment to innovation in Europe.”

The day will include one of the first European outings for Microsoft’s Surface, a touchscreen user interface embedded in a table, but despite the company’s obvious desire to show it off, it will have a pretty low profile, with most of the show given over to Microsoft partners.

There’s a very good reason for this – even if those other innovations don’t sound very thrilling (smartboards and netbooks and a dynamic waste management system). Microsoft’s agenda is to convince EU people that its technology is good for local business, and isn’t just a siphon taking money off to Redmond. “If Microsoft makes one euro in revenue, our partners make eight euros,” said Muehlfeit. “It is indeed a very important ecosystem.”

How important? Well there are 3.2 million people involved, making their own applications and selling services related to Microsoft products. That is 40 percent of European IT employment. It is a figure that Muehlfeit is obviously proud of – but one which might make others feel that a bit more competition could be a good thing.

One of those people, of course, might be Viviane Reding, European Commissioner for Information Society and Media, who is a keynote speaker on the day, kicking off a day which will cover healthcare, cloud services and online gaming.

“IT has a bigger footprint than the other industries,” said Muehlfeit. “IT enables the other industries.”

Muehlfeit listed some of the ways IT can help other industries succeed and lower their environmental impact, through such things as unified communications and videoconferencing. He seemed particularly interested in healthcare: “Compared with the finance sector, IT is not yet used in a smart way in the health sector,” he said. Chronic disease takes 6.8 percent of the gross domestic product, he pointed out, and suggested that It could make an impact on this, using wireless health monitoring: “We can connect lifestyle with healthcare.”

Patient records could be put “in the cloud” and made available to you wherever you are, he said: “Today, that doesn’t happen even in your own country.” He brushed aside any suggestions that this might be insecure or difficult to fund in tough times, saying it would be worth finding money for this sort of project, because of the impact on GDP if people could be made more healthy: “While there is a tough situation, we need to continue to invest in innovation, as it can save costs and make the EU more productive.”

via Keep investing in (our) IT, Microsoft tells EU – News – eWeekEurope.co.uk.

Heart patients will be able to check their electrocardiogram on an iPhone, using a new system demonstrated by Deutsche Telekom subsidiary T-Systems at the Cebit trade show in Hanover, Germany.

The system consists of a measuring device, which sends the results to a central server using GPRS (General Packet Radio Service). The server can then forward the results in real-time to, for example, an iPhone.

The server is used to enable more people to access the data, including patients and their doctors, according to Victor Grogger, head of solution development at T-Systems Austria. They would both log in with a user name and password to get access to the data.

T-Systems also demonstrated a system for measuring blood sugar levels using a Nokia 6131 equipped with support for NFC (Near Field Communications).

NFC is a wireless communication technology with a range of a few inches, and it is considered easy to use and quick to set up. It’s mostly talked about as a technology to enable payments using the mobile phone

However, in this case the technology is used to send results from the measuring device via the phone to a server. The user pushes a button on the measuring device, holds the phone up to it and the results are automatically sent.

As the cost goes up hospitals and doctors will increasingly have to rely on products like these to make health care more efficient, according to Grogger.

via Health Monitoring Comes to the IPhone – PC World.

It’s official. The economic recovery package has been signed and $19 billion is marked for health information technology. But, before we can fix anything or facilitate technology adoption, we need to understand the major shifts and changes that are occurring in health care today.

Since President Bush’s call to action in 2004, the government has made some progress with electronic health records and regional health information exchanges. These are good first steps, but advances in technology and changing values in our society mean our industry must become more agile to accomplish the radical transformation the industry needs to undergo. The rapid increase in consumer uses of Web 2.0 for health care information and community-building has changed the nature of the doctor-patient relationship and the way health care is consumed today. At the same time, the increasing amounts, depths and accessibility of medical knowledge have necessitated a change in thinking about the way medicine is taught and will be delivered in the future.

From a consumer perspective, the Internet has democratized health care. Access to vast quantities of vetted, actionable and reliable health care information has shifted the “power of knowledge” from the doctor to the patient. In earlier generations, only doctors had the latest medical information or experience managing disease. Now, people are constantly “plugged-in” and can easily search online for health care information. They also can access social networks of people with similar ailments with whom they can share their collective wisdom. This has irrevocably changed the nature of a doctor’s relationship with patients. As part of health care reform, the new Secretary of Health and Human Services will need to think about how we can change the structure and policies of health care to acknowledge this and monetize the automated, online or virtual service models that consumers are demanding. 

Furthermore, unlike past generations, today’s patients have become more empowered and active in managing their own wellness. Web-focused, techno-savvy health care consumers are more willing to store personal or private information online in the hope of speeding progress for cures. Many now create and manage their own personal health records online. Hopefully, the new Secretary will work with President Obama to help cultivate this consumer grassroots movement to personal health records with the right incentives, standards and economic policies.

via The Politics of Health Care : Change Can’t Happen with Technology Alone.

The stimulus package includes a great deal of money for healthcare information technology, or health IT. Much of this funding is directed toward “wiring” doctors and hospitals with electronic health records, or EHRs. Why should anyone care, other than health software vendors and other industry insiders?

Here’s why: Because the digitizing of medical records could have a far more profound effect on health — and on our economy — than most people realize. The president said the recovery plan will “invest in electronic health records and new technology that will reduce errors, bring down costs, ensure privacy, and save lives.” All that and much more is possible. With a new HHS Secretary and health czar, and a White House health care summit scheduled this week, this is the right time to act.

“Electronic health records” don’t sound like a particularly exciting or innovative idea. But neither did “a network that could quickly reroute digital traffic around failed nodes” in case of military attack, or “dynamic routing protocols to constantly adjust the flow of traffic” between computers. Yet those were the modest original goals of ARPANET — which evolved into the Internet as we know it today.

via RJ Eskow: It’s More Than an Electronic Health Record — Call It a “Health Information Highway”.

As a conversation about health care reform intensifies in Washington, much of the focus is on the role the government and insurance companies will play in a revamped health system. But surprisingly little attention has been paid to the role that patients and their doctors have played in shaping the way medical care is delivered.

Ultimately, for any reform to work, patients will have to change their behavior. Of course, everyone should continue to demand the best possible care. But we will have to accept that “best” doesn’t always mean the newest drug or the latest treatment. The looming question is whether patients are ready to embrace the realities of reform.

“You can make policy changes till you’re blue in the face, but if patients and doctors don’t change the way they think about medicine, we’ll never change medicine,” said Dr. David Newman, an emergency medicine physician at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York and the author of “Hippocrates’ Shadow: Secrets From the House of Medicine” (Simon & Schuster, 2008). “If everybody at the ground level believes that prescriptions and procedures are the things we need to make us healthy and well, then it doesn’t matter what kind of policy you draft or what kind of system you build. It’s never going to get better.”

Americans spend $2.5 trillion a year on health care, or about $8,160 per person, more than twice as much as many countries in Europe. But we clearly aren’t getting our money’s worth. Today, 46 million Americans aren’t covered, and measures like life expectancy and maternal and childhood health lag far behind those of many developed nations and even less-developed ones.

via Well – A Hurdle for Health Reform – Patients and Their Doctors – NYTimes.com.

WASHINGTON, March 5 (Reuters) – President Barack Obama takes on healthcare reform at a White House forum on Thursday, seeking to design an overhaul of a costly and inefficient system he believes is threatening the U.S. economy.

Obama, who has nominated Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius as his health secretary, will gather about 120 people representing everyone from doctors and patients to health insurers and lawmakers to discuss how to fix U.S. health care.

It’s a challenge that has defeated earlier presidents. But officials say the current U.S. economic crisis only makes it more imperative.

“Our healthcare costs are exploding our economy,” said Melody Barnes, Obama’s senior domestic policy adviser. “When he talks about getting spending under control … one of the primary things he is focusing on is bringing our healthcare costs under control.”

The United States spends approximately $2.5 trillion annually on healthcare but leaves some 46 million people uninsured and consistently ranks lower than other Western countries on indicators like infant mortality rates.

Obama pledged during his election campaign that he would expand health insurance coverage to virtually all people and find a way to control costs, which businesses complain are making their products less competitive in the global markets.

via Obama begins health reform drive with W.House forum | Reuters .

AbstractThe structural health monitoring method of the present invention utilizes a sensor system to determine information about deformation, stress and/or damage in structural elements. The sensor system and the method employ at least one sensor which comprises a material having fully-reversible nonlinear elasticity. The method comprises associating at least one sensor including a material having fully-reversible nonlinear elasticity with a structural element in a manner whereby stress is transferred from said structural element to said sensor, propagating ultrasound through a portion of the sensor, receiving the ultrasound which has been propagated through at least a portion of the sensor and determining information about the structural element from attenuation and/or time of flight of said received ultrasound.

    KNOBLE, YOSHIDA & DUNLEAVY
    EIGHT PENN CENTER, SUITE 1350, 1628 JOHN F KENNEDY BLVD
    PHILADELPHIA
    PA
    19103
    US

1. STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST 

[0001]This invention was reduced to practice with Government support under Grant No. DAAD19-03-1-0213 awarded by Army Research Office; the Government is therefore entitled to certain rights to this invention.

via United States Patent Application: 0090055106.

AbstractMethod and system for providing diabetes management and insulin therapy based on substantially real time glucose monitoring system is provided.

    JACKSON & CO., LLP
    6114 LA SALLE AVENUE, #507
    OAKLAND
    CA
    94611-2802
    US

via United States Patent Application: 0090054750.

AbstractA telemedicine system (8) includes an audio-video switch (10) that receives at least two different signals and conveys at least one of the at least two different signals to an output device (18) that presents 114 it to a user. A control device (162) monitors a position of the audio-video switch (10) and automatically controls the position to select which of the at least two different signals is passed through the audio-video switch (10) to the output device (18) in response to a signal from a remote source (34). Signals received from the remote source (34) include medically related audio video message signals, which are input to the audio-video switch (10), and a control signal that causes the audio-video switch (10) to select between passing the medically related audio-video message signals and other received signals to the output device (18).

    PHILIPS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY & STANDARDS
    P.O. BOX 3001
    BRIARCLIFF MANOR
    NY
    10510
    US

via United States Patent Application: 0090051765.

AbstractA method for implementing a patient monitoring system having an alarm is disclosed herein. The method includes providing a plurality of triggering criteria, and overriding a category of the plurality of triggering criteria if an override signal has been received from an input device. The process of overriding a category of triggering criteria is adapted to minimize false alarms. The method for implementing a patient monitoring system having an alarm also includes sounding an alarm if one of the triggering criteria has been met and has not been overridden. A corresponding patient monitoring system is also provided.

    PETER VOGEL;GE HEALTHCARE
    20225 WATER TOWER BLVD., MAIL STOP W492
    BROOKFIELD
    WI
    53045
    US

via United States Patent Application: 0090054736.

AbstractA health monitoring and control system for computing devices has a monitoring agent operable on a monitored device that detects status items and transmits the status items to a central system. The central system may log the status items, determine if one or more of the items are out of bounds, and alert a remote device. The remote device may be able to establish an interactive connection with the central system, determine status of the monitored device, and issue commands that are transferred to the monitoring agent on the monitored device. The monitoring agent may be able to execute the commands to adjust settings, perform operations, or other actions to address one or more status items.

    MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    ONE MICROSOFT WAY
    REDMOND

via United States Patent Application: 0090055465.

Veterans with chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and heart failure can be monitored at home using special telehealth technologies provided to them by the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston.

The Health Buddy is a simple piece of equipment similar to an answering machine that can be placed anywhere in a veteran’s home where there is a power outlet and a working telephone jack. It is friendly, convenient and easy to use.

Specific questions about the veteran and his or her illness are programmed into the Health Buddy. The veteran simply answers the questions each day. Information obtained such as blood pressure and blood glucose, along with other patient information, allows a care coordinator to anticipate and prevent avoidable problems. Coordinators monitor the information daily and contact the patient for any medication adjustments or schedule any appointments necessary to keep the veteran as healthy as possible.

The Health Buddy does not replace routine medical appointments; it simply enhances primary care. The new technology has become increasingly popular with veterans because it provides greater access to medical care. Veterans take a more active role in their wellbeing and have peace of mind knowing their health care providers have up-to-date information. They know someone is looking out for their welfare.

via ‘Health Buddy’ helps vets live a healthier lifestyle > Conroe Courier > News Archives > Houston Community Newspapers Online – News Around Town.

Dyna-Vision Remote Patient Monitoring System

Features
:: Continuous GPRS monitoring
:: 3, 5 or 12 lead ECG
:: SpO2 and plethysmogram
:: Respiration
:: Active ECG noise reduction
:: Integrated GPRS, BT & USB
:: Internal memory for recording
:: Only 190 grams !

Applications
:: Cardiology  
:: Pulmonary care
:: Ambulances and Emergency Room
:: ECG in GP’s office
:: Fitness and Health Centers
:: Professional sports
:: Bed-side wireless monitoring
:: Sleep apnea screening
:: Home care monitoring

RS Techmedic B.V. Innovative Medical Products.

RS TechMedic BV, a Dutch based company with eight years experience in medical device development, today announced the release of their iPhone Telemedicine Application. With this iPhone Telemedicine Application physicians can monitor vital signs of ambulant and home-care patients at any time from anywhere. This product offers a significant increase of patient comfort, fast recognition of heart problems and a reduction of hospital and healthcare cost .

Dyna-Vision® is a small and portable device, with the dimensions of a PDA. This reliable and sophisticated device monitors up-to 10 clinical parameters through non-invasive sensors attached to the skin. The measurements include 12-lead ECG, Heart Rate, Heart Rate Variability, RR-times, Respiration, Plethysmogram, Oxygen Saturation and some derived parameters.

Dyna-Vision® is equipped with an internal GPRS module which automatically transmits the recordings to the secured Dyna-Vision® server. Physicians can connect to this server with a computer to analyze the recordings or to monitor real-time vital signs of the patient.

The latest add-on to the list of unique features is the iPhone Telemedicine Application. With this tool, physicians can use their iPhone to monitor the vital signs of a patient at any time, any place. It can only be used by licensed physicians after registration with RS TechMedic as a certified user. Making use of a mobile phone to monitor patients is relatively inexpensive and makes it much easier for physicians to offer telemedicine solutions to their patients. 

There is no geographical limit for the technology. The patient can use Dyna-Vision® to send an alert to a physician, who can then instantly check the vital signs and advice accordingly, also during travelling, working and exercising.

R.A. Brest van Kempen, CEO of RS TechMedic BV says: “With our easy-to-use solution we now came to the point where patients can truly rely on a physician’s assistance whenever needed. With Dyna-Vision®‘s iPhone Telemedicine Application we took away the complex logistics of other products for heart monitoring where patient’s have to visit telemedicine providers for hook-up and analysis. We were able to design a highly secured system with maximized data protection. We believe that our technology will assist physicians in providing the best possible care in ambulant monitoring and home-care situations”.

T-mobile says: “Dyna-Vision® is by far the most advanced telemedicine solution in the market. That is why T-mobile in the Netherlands decided to partner with RS TechMedic to market this product. We see Dyna-Vision® as the first real-time telemedicine solution that will have a huge impact on immediate patient care and telemedicine in total. By offering Dyna-Vision as a monthly subscription we are able to take away the initial investment for physicians and hospitals thereby making the use of telemedicine more attractive ”.

Dyna-Vision® is now available for the European market. It is very suitable for patients suffering from heart failure, arrhythmia, pulmonary disease, apnoea and neurological problems. Dyna-Vision® iPhone Telemedicine Application will be officially launched during the Medica, to be held from November 19-22 in Dusseldorf, Germany.

RS TechMedic wants to contribute to the ongoing improvement of patient care by making this remote patient monitoring available. The company aims at the international market leadership for this type of equipment within the next 3 years. A number of multinationals have shown interest in the technology and RS TechMedic is now installing its European dealer network.

RS TechMedic BV is a privately held company developing high-tech medical devices and medical software. The staff consists of hardware and software R&D engineers with years of experience in medical device development. The company is based 30 minutes from Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport.

Personal health records, or PHRs, were all the buzz at last week’s health-tech conference in San Diego — especially recent entries by Google and Microsoft that have the rest of the industry energized, focused and at least a little bit frightened.

Bill Reid, director of Microsoft’s HealthVault program, described the effort to integrate information technology into personal health care as a “long journey. We’re just at the front end of the process.” Was this an acknowledgment of the complexity of the task ahead? Or a way to reduce expectations about the software giant’s big investment?

Based on the conference, a high-energy gathering of great minds and entrepreneurial hustlers, it may be both. In addition to Google and Microsoft, dozens of companies presented online products designed to make U.S. health care smarter, stronger and better looking. There was a plan to offer online doctor consults at $1.99 per minute, a provider search tool pitched as “the match.com of health care,” and an electronic medical record that made you want to bask in the sheer beauty of ear infection data.

via Microsoft Health vs.Google Health – washingtonpost.com.

RDSM Medisch Materiaal en Telegeneeskunde

RDSM (Research Development and Sales for Medicine) opgericht in september 1994, streeft ernaar om het medische en paramedische korps de nieuwste en meest recente technieken te leveren tegen betaalbare prijzen.

via RDSM – home.

With the day of the doctor’s “house” call having passed from the scene many decades ago is there a way that a cellphone can provide some of the essential services that house calls used to represent?

Can patients be empowered by using their cellphones to fill a gap in the healthcare industry?

How important is real-time management to case management and improving prevention and treatment?

One company, BeWell Mobile Technology, founded in 2004, has addressed these questions directly.  BeWell provides patient engagement software for the healthcare industry and medical research community.

BeWell software leverages the ubiquity of cellphones, wireless data networks and the Internet to collect valid data and to help patients manage their health.

By incorporating self monitoring, via cellphones, BeWell is demonstrating the impact of patient engagement and the importance of remote patient monitoring. Asthma and diabetes are two of the most significant conditions being addressed by BeWell currently.

via Be Well Mobile, Patient Engagement Software that works.

HealthPia America is an innovative Medical Device company introducing revolutionary new mobile healthcare solutions for patients in the 21st century. HealthPia’s debut product is the world?s first All-in-One Diabetes phone, a cell phone with a built-in glucose monitor that essentially functions as a full-time nurse. While there are other medical device options available in the market, HealthPia offers the first stand-alone product utilizing leading edge technology to go beyond the limitations of current two-device systems and is compatible with many of today’s commercially available cell phone models, including Bluetooth-ready phones. As the world and technology is getting more hectic and complex, HealthPia America is tirelessly pushing the boundaries to simplify your life while providing first-class healthcare management solutions.

via GlucoPhone .

As the prevalence of chronic conditions continues to grow, better care coordination is becoming critical to the success of all healthcare organizations. Currently, cost-effective chronic care management is limited either by the number of patients/members care providers and care managers can interact with, or by their frequency of communication. By incorporating the voice of the patient/member, Tel-Assurance closes this gap and allows for better care coordination without the need for additional resources.

Developed and validated by practicing physicians and care coordinators, Tel-Assurance can seamlessly augment your organization’s care management efforts. Through the use of leading-edge technology, Tel-Assurance provides a platform to monitor patient behavior on a daily basis. Participants receive the contact they need to stay healthy and loyal, and your staff is able to manage more patients with less effort and time.

Patients spend less time in the hospital and more time connecting to your organization’s outpatient services. When they do require admission, they are more likely to go home sooner. Loyalty to your organization is built through a daily “dose” of your brand.

Through targeted survey questions, Tel-Assurance can expand the efficiency, effectiveness and reach of care coordination programs for:

HEART FAILURE
The Problem
According to the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality’s (AHRQ) 2007 National Health Care Quality Report, today more than five million Americans have heart failure, with 550,000 new cases reported each year, costing the U.S. an estimated $29.6 billion. Heart failure accounts for approximately 6.5 million hospital days annually in the U.S. and one-third of the heart failure patients who are discharged from the hospital are readmitted within 90 days. 
Source: Cowther, M., Maroulis, A., Shafter-Winter, N, et al. 2003. 
Evidence-based development of a hospital based heart failure centre. Evidence-Based Nursing. (6) 4-6 

Pharos Findings
Pharos clients have reported the following results using Tel-Assurance for treating heart failure:

• 60% decrease in all-cause admissions
• 50%+ reduction in 30-day readmissions
• 66% one-year patient retention
• Three- to five-fold increase in care management caseloads

Bed-day reductions using Tel-Assurance have delivered a 2:1 financial return providing a 50% to 100% return on investment. Measurable outcomes are typically seen within three months of program implementation.

DIABETES
The Problem
According to the Milken Institute’s 2007 study, “Unhealthy America: The Economic Burden of Chronic Disease,” in 2003, diabetes affected some 13.7 million Americans and was responsible for $132 billion in treatment costs and lost economic output. Left unchecked, the disease progresses and requires acute treatment for a variety of complications. 

Pharos Findings

• Using Tel-Assurance in a statewide study of a diabetic population at a large regional healthcare entity resulted in a 2.5 point reduction in HbA1c levels within six months.
• In a randomized trial, Tel-Assurance doubled the improvement in HbA1c compared to high-intensity case management alone.

DEPRESSION
The Problem
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, in a given year, approximately 20.9 million American adults, or about 9.5% of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year have a mood disorder, including major depressive disorder, the leading cause of disability in the U.S. for individuals ages 15 to 44. The direct and indirect costs of mood disorder illnesses total over $43 billion per year. For patients with chronic conditions, depression is very common as these individuals address the challenges and frequent limitations of their chronic conditions. 

Pharos Findings
The Iowa Medicaid Congestive Heart Failure Population Disease Management Demonstration reported a 20% cost decrease for participants suffering with co-morbid depression.

ASTHMA
The Problem
The American Lung Association estimates that approximately 20 million Americans have asthma, costing the healthcare system more than $18 billion per year. According to annual U.S. prevalence statistics for chronic diseases, every day in America, 40,000 people miss school or work, 30,000 people have an asthma attack and 1,000 people are admitted to the hospital due to asthma. 

COPD
The Problem
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a lung disease in which the lungs are damaged, making breathing difficult. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, COPD is the 4th leading cause of death in the U.S. and causes serious, long-term disability. COPD kills more than 120,000 Americans each year. More than 12 million people are diagnosed with COPD and it is estimated that another 12 million have COPD but remain undiagnosed. 

HIGH RISK MATERNITY
The Problem
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hospitalizations for pregnancy-related complications occurring before delivery account for more than $1 billion annually. With convergent factors, such as older moms, chronic health conditions among pregnant women and multiple births due to infertility treatments, medical experts predict even higher costs in upcoming years. 

MEDICATION ADHERENCE
The Problem
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 50% of all U.S. patients are not compliant with their doctors’ medication treatment plans. This medication non-compliance (non-adherence), the failure to take drugs on time in the dosages prescribed, is as dangerous and costly as many illnesses. According to a U.S. Senate subcommittee study, medication noncompliance results in more than 300,000 deaths in the U.S. per year. 

via Pharos Innovations | Better care coordination should be this simple..

our direct connection to round-the-clock emergency response and home security services.

At Mondial Lifeguard Technologies, we understand your desire to safeguard your independent way of living. The Lifeguard Emergency Response System ensures that you are always connected to those who care, giving you security against unexpected medical emergencies. You can live at home with peace of mind and the confidence to lead a healthy, active life knowing that our dedicated and professional personnel are always available to assist you!

via LifeGuard from IgeaCare Systems Inc. .

MIR has designed and developed a complete hardware and software solution and made the installation and operator training of several telespirometry centres worldwide. Amongst these, the most significant (and probably the largest in the world) is located in the north of Italy, and this centre manages over 3,500 MIR telespirometers distributed throughout 10 European countries.

These devices are used by the General Practitioners (family doctor) for screening of the general population. The patient makes a spirometry test in the doctor’s office and then the doctor, through a simple telephone call without wires or modem, sends the test results to the telemedicine centre, where a lung specialist is able to make a functional diagnosis.

via MIR | The company | Telemedicine..

Telemonitoring: many medical conditions do not require any hospitalization form any more or require it by now in form much reduced to be monitored. Medic4all uses simple instrumentations locate at home, office or in the traveler bag, etc.

districts are able to multiply the investigated parameters, to allow differentiated and alternative access forms and ensure a diagnostician outcome of sky-high completeness and good quality. Pathologies as the hypertension, the cardiac unbalance, the arrhythmies, the handling of the patient post- cardiac surgery – to remain in the field those more diffuse-they arrange everybody of a wide experimental background by now.

via Medic4all Telemedicine » Telemonitoring.

LifeLink Monitoring offers a powerful suite of telemonitoring services to combat congestive heart failure, diabetes and hypertension. We provide immediate feedback to patients and accurate, objective data to clinicians. For a low monthly fee, we do it all—equipment, patient training, phone and data center, compliance and tech support, equipment delivery, maintenance and calibration—all the things clinicians shouldn’t be bothered with. There is no equipment to buy, and customers pay only for the services they use. Whether the goal is early warning of decompensation in heart failure, improved treatment adherence, better use of nursing resources, reduced hospitalization, better control of blood pressure and blood glucose or detection of white coat hypertension, LifeLink Monitoring provides complete, reliable, cost-saving telemonitoring solutions.

via Lifelink Monitoring.

Our goal is to help patients better manage their health and stay independent in their homes through the concept of telemanagement.

Telemanagement helps patients better understand their condition and better comply with their physician’s orders. It helps providers better understand their patients’ conditions. The links at the top of the page explain telemanagement, describe the key factors in telemanagement success, show how the well@home technology implements telemanagement, and showcase the success of health care providers and patients who use well@home.

via well@home: Telemonitoring and telehealth for home health agencies..

The Med-eMonitor™ System includes a medication adherence device that goes home with the patient linked, through a normal phone line, to a secure Internet site which captures and reports real-time patient data as the patient interacts with the device.   

The device has numerous capabilities including alerting the patient when it is time to take each of their medications.  It also reminds them how to properly take their medications.  Educational information about their medications, disease state and care plan are also delivered on the Med-eMonitor.  The data from the device is transmitted daily, via a normal phone line, to a secure Internet site.  This allows the care givers (Physicians, Pharmacists, Nurses, case managers and family members) to monitor medication and care plan adherence every day for each and every medication.  The System will also alert the care giver through an e-mail, text message, fax, or page if the data on the patient indicates poor adherence or declining health. 

via InforMedix.com.

HomeCare Interactive TV™ goes far beyond existing telemonitoring tools available in the market today to deliver the full potential of remote patient management for home health agencies. It is the only telehealth tool available to patients that utilizes, familiar, already exist, home television and remote control to replace expensive, uncommon devices utilized in hometelehealth today.
HomeCare Interactive TV™ is not only used for collecting patient data and sending it to a care manager for monitoring, it provides on-demand access to interactive, media of health care information customized to individual patient’s needs.

HomeCare Interactive TV™ provides:

• Daily self assessment with available instant clinical intervention to prevent adverse events
• Medication management and regimen review
• Monitoring of vital signs and physiological data
• Messages and timely reminders
• Educational audio, video and printed material related to patient illness
• Access to personalized healthcare information through home TV
• Patient access to home health agency staff visit schedule
• Medication ordering and pharmacy monitoring tool
• Communication tool with health care providers or to seek instant help

Preliminary findings on how can HomeCare Interactive TV™ help your agency:

• 50% reduction in hospitalization for CHF, COPD, Diabetes and patients with high blood pressure
• 45% cost saving on home health visits
• 70% time saving on field- office- patient communication
• 30% general improvement in the P4P Medicare focused outcomes
• 300% return on investment

HomeCare Interactive TV™ 
is the only telehealth tool designed specifically for home health agencies

The architectural and functionality design of HomeCare Interactive TV™ was primarily built to satisfy the needs of home health agencies. Unlike any other home telehealth and disease management system, the information received or sent to patients from this TV system, is tracked and deposited directly in the agency’s main database and the patient’s electronic home health chart leaving no room for error or need for manual data transfer from one system to another. This information is instantly available for point-of-care, back office users, physicians and every other authorized person involved in the patient’s care. As a result several advantages are available for home health agencies when using the HomeCare Interactive™  complete system:

• Provides effortless compilation of data collected about patients whether taken by the nurse on the skilled visit or by the patient through their home TV.
• Instant alerting information to everyone involved in the care results in reducing hospitalization and ER visits and improves home care outcomes to a much higher level.
• The low cost of the tool allows agencies to utilize telehealth with the majority of their patients instead of the smallest number of patients as it is with the market available telehealth devices.
• By utilizing HomeCare Interactive™ System, the home health agency will ensure patients’ satisfaction, physicians’ appreciation and will have a competitive edge everyone strives for.

hci tv.

Home Telehealth Limited is the premier UK provider of telehealth solutions and disease management services and on the cusp of something very exciting in Telehealth.

We are delivering on the Government’s Telecare agenda by providing ‘best of breed’ solutions to enable independent living initiatives and the management of people with long-term conditions.  These solutions are making a huge impact on people’s quality of life, improvement in education and management of their long-term condition whilst assisting NHS Trusts and Community Care providers by reducing hospital admissions.

We are partnered with one of the world’s leading telehealth providers of disease management services whose unique solution is completely software-based and 100% Internet based.  Its clinical content has the most developed nursing assessment clinical protocols than anyone in the industry.  All assessment, educational and teaching content is completely customisable and can be individualised for each patient.

Home Telehealth Limited is committed to delivering ‘value added’ Telecare services to commissioners of Telecare & Telehealth.

via Home TeleHealth.

During home visits your clinician relies on specific biophysical measurements to make critical patient assessments. What is important to measure? Temperature? Weight? BP? Pulse-ox? Spriometry? ECG? Glucose?

These measurements are real-time indicators of patient condition. They result in immediate treatment decisions.

Healthcom monitoring systems supply a steady flow of measurements, without your clinician traveling to the patient just to get them. Values are displayed on a secure website where they can be checked at any time; in fact, values over your defined limits cause an immediate alert (pager, fax, phone call, e-mail, etc.). Clinicians will still travel into homes for care delivery, but where they go, and (critically) when, become informed decisions.

The power of remote monitoring is simply this: Your clinicians know immediately when a patient is out of protocol and can choose the proper intervention … phone call, visit, contacting a family member.

TIME is your fixed resource.

Healthcom monitoring systems give you DATA on which to decide where to spend TIME. For better CARE; earlier INTERVENTIONS; better OUTCOMES.

via Healthcom, Inc..