Pumping Marvellous

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Telehealth is a method of sending vital health data to medics without there commitment of being there with the patient where medication can be changed over the telephone etc etc. What is important is that these advances in sympton control must run along side the specialist nursing care. Managing Heart Failure symptons are not all about data. It is a combination of how you feel and how the data relates to you as an individual however this data acquired by the Telehealth system alerts the specialist nurses to issues and symptons more rapidly.

It has been suggested that Telehealth technologies can reduce mortality, hospital admissions, the number of bed days spent in hospital and the time spent in A&E, according to the initial findings of a study by the Department of Health.

Early indications have shown that, if used properly telehealth – a term for electronic sensors or equipment that monitors vital health signs remotely in a patient’s home, or while on the move – can deliver a 15% reduction in A&E visits and, say the Department of Health, a 45% reduction in deaths of those with long term conditions, such as diabetes or heart failure.

According to the findings, telehealth could reduce emergency admissions by 20%, elective admissions and bed days by 14%, and a reduction in tariff costs of 8%.

The department’s claims are based on the finding its whole system demonstrator programme, which was launched in May 2008 to show  what telehealth and telecare were capable of and provide evidence to support investment decisions.

“The programme was one of the most complex trials ever undertaken by the Department of Health and will continue to provide useful information as the analysis continues, in particular we await the final results for telecare,” the department says.

“But we want to share the telehealth headlines now, to help as many people as possible, as early as possible.”

About 3 million people with long-term health conditions and social care needs could benefit from telehealth or telecare technologies, such as sensors at home which enable people to remain safe and live independently for longer. The department believes the key is to integrate these technologies into the care and services.

“Going forward this evidence gives us confidence that we can transform the way services are delivered and ensure that we use appropriate technology to put people at the centre, and in control,” says the department.

The programme involves 238 GP practices and nearly 6,200 patients across three sites in Newham, Kent and Cornwall. More than 30,000 people with either diabetes, heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were included in the telehealth trial.

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Heart failure research at Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust gets £100,000 grant The lives of people recovering from heart failure could be transformed after a team of researchers at the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust were awarded £100,000 to study different types of rehabilitation. Dr Hasnain Dalal and researcher Jenny Wingham are leading the ground-breaking study, which will look at whether home or medical centre-based rehabilitation offers the best recovery chances for cardiac patients.The grant was awarded by the National Institute of Health Research and Dr Dalal, who also works as a GP at the Three Spires Practice in Truro and is a lecturer at the Peninsula Medical School, said it would be put to good use. “We feel very proud that we have been able to get this funding,” he said. “It is a very competitive grant to apply for and there were no guarantees we would get it.” Although Dr Dalal is leading the study, the team is working with several other centres all over the UK and RCHT consultant cardiologist Robin Van Lingen. Dr Dalal has been working in the field of cardiac rehabilitation research for more than ten years and with Mrs Wingham has previously completed a study on home versus hospital-based rehabilitation for patients who have suffered heart attacks. According to the latest figures, around 900,000 people are affected by heart failure in the UK, but only a small percentage receive cardiac rehabilitation. The grant, which funds research for a year, is the first one to be awarded in Cornwall.