TechTalk - Telehealth - An overview
1
33 access awareness www.accessmagazine.co.uk L ast issue I looked at the concept of mHealth – using mobile and wireless technologies to make health monitoring and treatment more efficient. This month, I’m examining one aspect of mHealth – telehealth. Telehealth devices allow people with chronic conditions, such as stroke, heart disease, diabetes and chest conditions, to monitor their health in their own homes. Certain types of monitors, meters, weighing scales and other devices enable users to take an active role in the management of their condition, by electronically sending medical observations and data directly to a health practitioner who will be monitoring their condition remotely. The table below gives some examples of telehealth devices and what they do: Data-transmitting telehealth devices are designed to collect data and transmit it in packets (the method used to enable electronic communications across the internet) to designated hospitals and other health facilities. Once the data is received and stored it can be used to assess the person’s condition by medical staff – who might then suggest modifications to the individual’s existing treatment, if required. Some telehealth systems may include Guy Dewsbury presents an overview of telehealth – what it is, and the uses it can be put to… a monitor-equipped ‘telehealth hub’, which can be made to display a series of personalised questions for the user to answer on how they feel and how they are managing their conditions. Other systems might display the questions on a private webpage that can be accessed via a standard web browser. The answers to these questions will be passed to the medical team and used to help them in making their diagnoses. healthcare, in which medical teams can quickly respond to changes in the patient and prevent episodes or further deterioration of their condition. Most importantly, if the devices report an irregular reading, this can be flagged to the health team as requiring urgent attention. Often the patient will be unaware that their health status has changed until the health team contacts them. This form of remote health monitoring means that hospital resources can be freed up. When someone can manage their own health with the support of technology and a specialist health team, it allows the home to, in effect, become a hospital. As technology develops, telehealth devices will become ever more discreet and able to provide health professionals with increasingly sophisticated measurements. TECH TALK Proactive healthcare Telehealth equipment can be used alongside other peripherals, such as oxygen supplies. For people with complex conditions, it may be necessary for them to be provided with multiple telehealth devices. Abnormal readings will alert the support team, who then can contact the patient directly and provide advice on how best to manage their condition. This enables a more proactive approach to Use Measures glucose in the patient’s blood Measures the patient’s blood pressure Enables a patient’s weight to be sent remotely to the health team Measures the amount of oxygen in the patient’s blood Measures the person's maximum speed of expiration (breathing out) Provides specific questions relating to how the person is coping with their condition. Telehealth device Digital blood glucose meters Blood pressure monitors Digital weight scales Pulse oximeters Peak flow meters Telehealth hub Telehealth devices, such as the pictured examples from Yorkshire-based firm Tunstall, can be used to monitor a person’s weight, pulse, blood pressure and other physical characteristics Teleheath technology allows individuals at home to monitor their condition and report the findings to medical specialists at a remote location TECH TALK Qx_Layout 1 08/02/2013 11:13 Page 1
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Article for Access magazine on telehealth
Transcript of TechTalk - Telehealth - An overview
33
accessawareness
www.accessmagazine.co.uk
Last issue I looked at the concept of mHealth – usingmobile and wireless
technologies to make healthmonitoring and treatment moreefficient. This month, I’m examiningone aspect of mHealth – telehealth.
Telehealth devices allow people withchronic conditions, such as stroke, heartdisease, diabetes and chest conditions, tomonitor their health in their own homes.Certain types of monitors, meters,weighing scales and other devices enableusers to take an active role in themanagement of their condition, byelectronically sending medicalobservations and data directly to a healthpractitioner who will be monitoring theircondition remotely.
The table below gives some examplesof telehealth devices and what they do:
Data-transmitting telehealth devicesare designed to collect data and transmitit in packets (the method used to enableelectronic communications across theinternet) to designated hospitals andother health facilities. Once the data isreceived and stored it can be used toassess the person’s condition by medicalstaff – who might then suggestmodifications to the individual’s existingtreatment, if required.
Some telehealth systems may include
Guy Dewsburypresents an overviewof telehealth – what itis, and the uses it canbe put to…
a monitor-equipped ‘telehealth hub’,which can be made to display a series ofpersonalised questions for the user toanswer on how they feel and how they aremanaging their conditions. Other systemsmight display the questions on a privatewebpage that can be accessed via astandard web browser. The answers tothese questions will be passed to themedical team and used to help them inmaking their diagnoses.
healthcare, in which medical teams canquickly respond to changes in the patientand prevent episodes or furtherdeterioration of their condition.
Most importantly, if the devices reportan irregular reading, this can be flagged tothe health team as requiring urgentattention. Often the patient will be unawarethat their health status has changed untilthe health team contacts them.
This form of remote healthmonitoring means that hospital resourcescan be freed up. When someone canmanage their own health with the supportof technology and a specialist healthteam, it allows the home to, in effect,become a hospital. As technologydevelops, telehealth devices will becomeever more discreet and able to providehealth professionals with increasinglysophisticated measurements.
TECH TALK
Proactive healthcareTelehealth equipment can be usedalongside other peripherals, such asoxygen supplies. For people with complexconditions, it may be necessary for themto be provided with multiple telehealthdevices.
Abnormal readings will alert thesupport team, who then can contact thepatient directly and provide advice onhow best to manage their condition. Thisenables a more proactive approach to
UseMeasures glucose in the patient’s blood
Measures the patient’s blood pressure
Enables a patient’s weight to be sent remotely to thehealth team
Measures the amount of oxygen in the patient’s blood
Measures the person's maximum speed of expiration(breathing out)
Provides specific questions relating to how theperson is coping with their condition.
Telehealth deviceDigital blood glucose meters
Blood pressure monitors
Digital weight scales
Pulse oximeters
Peak flow meters
Telehealth hub
Telehealth devices, suchas the pictured examples
from Yorkshire-based firmTunstall, can be used to
monitor a person’sweight, pulse, blood
pressure and otherphysical characteristics
Teleheath technologyallows individuals at hometo monitor their conditionand report the findings tomedical specialists at aremote location
TECH TALK Qx_Layout 1 08/02/2013 11:13 Page 1
