telemonitoring

Allowing At-Home Ease of Care

By Tiffany Hascall, Home Health Manager, OSF Home Care Services
weight, and oxygen saturation, and is reviewed by a nurse daily. The monitor can also be programmed with daily medication reminders and other easy to answer questions to assist the health care professional assess a patients condition at home. What are the benefits of this system? Patients: The telemonitoring device can act as an educational tool for patients to help reinforce medication use and diet restrictions as well as keep them on track with their prescribed treatment plan. A nurse will contact the patient if the monitor records any vital signs out of the norm. If needed, a nurse will be sent to the home to assess the patient. The physician will be updated with abnormal results and assessments. Patients will have a sense of security and individualized care. Physicians/Staff: Telemonitoring devices are especially helpful to physicians and health care professionals. They provide frequent feedback to help physicians and health care professionals treat the patient in the most effective and efficient way possible. This will help reduce the occurrence of an additional ED visit or re-hospitalization. The system saves graphic data and patient trends for up to a 90-day period to facilitate quick access of data to assist physicians in making decisions on interventions in patient care. The information recorded from the patients at-home system can be faxed to the physician as requested. This capability is especially beneficial for post-surgical patients, those with congestive heart failure, hypertension, or COPD. This allows patients the convenience of medical monitoring and intervention without leaving their home. Home Care: This technology can greatly enhance home care services. The system is used in combination with in-home education and is meant to assist the patient in learning how to manage their chronic illness at home, to be able to identify early warning signs of a problem, and to know when to notify their health care provider. Patients will be aware of their health status and in turn be better able to help themselves heal and recover. If you have any questions about telemonitoring, call OSF Home Care Services at 800-673-5288.

echnology is allowing patients to receive care from the comfort of their own home. A telemonitoring device gives peace of mind and improved quality of life to patients who may have a variety of health conditions such as: Heart conditions Hypertension COPD People with frequent medication changes Recent hospital discharge patients A telemonitoring device is a tool that can be used by a home health agency in conjunction with home nursing visits to monitor a patients health conditions. The device can monitor heart rate, blood pressure,

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Page 34 Healthy Cells Magazine Bloomington September 2013

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