Home health monitoring tests begin
The government's plans for telemedicine take shape
The Department of Health (DH) is testing the UK’s largest telemedicine trial as part of plans to use technology to meet the needs of an ageing population.
Last week DH invited applications from Primary Care Trusts to take part in its Whole System Long Term Conditions (WSLTC) demonstrator programme, which will run for two years and cover three areas with a total population of one million.
Telemedicine allows remote monitoring of patients’ health in their own homes, cutting hospital admissions, providing a more joined-up service with social services, and improving the quality of life for people with long-term conditions such as heart disease or diabetes.
Sensors are used to measure blood pressure and breathing rate, or ask a range of questions and alert clinicians to problems.
With NHS budgets under pressure, telemedicine has great potential benefits.
The WSLTC scheme aims to show that significant shifts from hospital care are possible on a wider scale, says DH.
‘We need to provide credible evidence that integrated care and the use of remote technologies will benefit the individual and deliver clinical and cost-effectiveness gains,’ said a spokeswoman for the department.
Limited official details are available before the competition between potential pilot sites is concluded. But sources close to WSLTC say it is expected to start next year, and will include up to 6,000 participating patients and be worth about £30m.
Successful telemedicine is not just a question of technology. The fragmented structure of the NHS has been a major factor in slow take-up to date.
‘It is recognised at a political level that hospitals are expensive and dangerous places to treat patients, but there are not many joined-up systems in this country,’ said Roger Wallhouse, director of Health System Solutions and member of the BCS Health Informatics Group.
A major barrier is that telemedicine straddles health and social care and involves multiple stakeholders, says Ovum analyst Tola Sargeant.
‘Getting all the various independent and voluntary bodies to agree is never easy,’ she said.
Telemedicine at a glance
* Telemedicine uses remote technology to monitor patient health.
* It can reduce hospital admissions and improve quality of life for the chronically ill.
* The Department of Health-sponsored pilots will be the largest UK trial so far.
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