PROGRAMTelehealth
 |
Telehealth
Offers
Daily
Monitoring |
What is Telehealth?
Telehealth is the practice of monitoring a patient's vital signs from a distance with a Telemonitor. The radio-sized telemonitor enables patients to record their weight, blood pressure, oxygen saturation level, heart rate and temperature daily by themselves and transmit the information via computer to PHD's Home Health office.
What's the purpose of a telemonitor?
Telemonitors enable PHD's Home Health program to keep close track of vital signs in patients who live too far away for daily personal visits. PHD's Home Health patients cover the five northern counties of Idaho and outnumber the nursing staff. Before telemonitors, nurses checked patient vital signs once or twice a week and hoped patients or their family would call if anything was wrong on other days.
Use of telemonitors have reduced the number of Home Health patients who need to return to the hospital. Nurses are able to check patient stability daily and direct their time toward more efficient patient care.
How do they work?
A nurse installs a compact monitor, blood pressure cuff, finger clip to measure oxygen levels and flat digital scale in the patient's home. The nurse programs the monitor to alert the patient every morning at the same time with, "Good morning! It's time to take your vitals." Then the monitor guides the patient through the process, pausing between each step.
The weight on the digital scale is transmitted automatically to a computer in the Home Health office. A nurse teaches the patient to slip on the blood pressure cuff and oxygen finger clip and push a button on the monitor to record the levels and send them to the Home Health office.
The monitors also are programmed to ask a patient certain questions appropriate for his or her condition. For example, it may ask, "Are you out of your medications? Have you had a fall in the last day? Do you have severe heartburn today?"
In the Home Health office, the program rates the results based on parameters a nurse sets for each patient. PHD Home Health shares results with each patient's primary care doctor.
What if I prefer a nurse to a telemonitor?
Using a Telemonitor is your choice. They're not meant to replace nurses but to enable them to use their patient care time more efficiently. Patients who choose to use telemonitors are comforted that they're monitored on a daily basis.
How much more will Telemonitors cost me?
Use of the monitors adds nothing to patient expenses. The monitors work only with landline telephones.
Are Telemonitors available everywhere?
No! PHD's Home Health program is the only provider in Idaho's five northern counties to offer this major advancement in patient care.
Where can I learn more?
Click on Honeywell HomMed Patient Monitor or call (208) 415-5160.