The use of telehealth as an integral element of OwnHealth has led
to very significant improvements in health care measures and marked
reductions in the use of unscheduled care.
As well as providing telephone based care, OwnHealth provides
telehealth services to people in their own homes. Such
services are part of the growing drive to introduce telemonitoring
such as telemedicine, telehealth and telecare with a view to
gaining efficiencies in the health service by reducing the number
of emergency admissions and contact with healthcare professionals
and supporting people to manage their long term condition in the
home environment.
The use of telehealth as an integral element of OwnHealth has
led to very significant improvements in health care measures and
marked reductions in the use of unscheduled care3.
Patients in the OwnHealth programme identified at being at risk
using a risk stratification model and who had frequent attendances
or admissions to hospital were supported upon discharge by
OwnHealth and the installation of telehealth, remote monitoring
equipment. The patients benefited from support from the Birmingham
OwnHealth programme and also from community based nursing staff
that monitored their condition through both the use of telehealth
equipment and by targeted face to face interventions and care
management. The devices allowed members to report their symptoms
and a range of clinical measures (e.g., heart rate, blood pressure,
weight, oxygen saturation) to the OwnHealth Care Managers based at
the call centre. As a result members who were at risk of
deterioration or in need of support could be identified and help
offered expeditiously.