How can we maximise the benefits of telehealth?: Technology-enabled integrated care is working well for many health organisations, helping patients stay in their own homes
There is no doubt about it, for those of us in the telehealth industry, this month has seen a disappointing development.
The Whole System Demonstrator (WSD) project presented its second stage of research findings, which reported no evidence base to show that telehealth improves people's quality of life.
Having worked for more than 18 years as both a nurse and telehealth specialist, I find it amazing that we are still talking about whether it works. Based on my experience, the question should be "how can we make it work?".
This is particularly important for the incoming clinical commissioning groups, which will undoubtedly find it a daunting prospect to contemplate the shape and composition of future service delivery upon reading these challenging results.
With a swiftly ageing population on the one hand and ongoing budget restrictions on the other, the results have called into perspective an ever-more-urgent need to look at how to create a sustainable delivery model for the future.
We must not forget, however, that technology-enabled integrated care is working well for many health organisations and patients across the UK.
The respected health thinktank 2020health recently published the findings of its own study of a telehealth hub pilot in Yorkshire. There it found that telehealth-enabled care co-ordination can reduce hospital admissions, provide care at home and improve patient outcomes.
It noted that for every 100 patients being telemonitored, 10 hospital admissions are averted each month – that's up to £2,000 saved per averted admission, representing a return on investment of 48%. Thirty of our own studies have found similar benefits.
It is also important to install and maintain a consistent approach to telehealth-enabled care including best practice and implementation across the study groups. Our experience shows that the optimal impact of a telehealth-enabled programme is observed between 18 months and two years. The results were based on a 12-month review.
Those who we speak to in frontline medicine will attest to the power of having patients living in their own homes, managing their own conditions aided by technology.
These "on the ground" results are, more often than not, the product of integrated delivery systems being put into practice through healthcare and industry partnerships that are dealing with populations with high numbers of people with chronic conditions.
I do not doubt the very real benefits that technology-enabled care can have on people's health and wellbeing and, in turn, the positive impact this will have on their communities. From what I have read so far, nothing in the WSD reports will change that. Leana Welte is head of Bosch Healthcare in the UK Guardian Professional.
There is no doubt about it, for those of us in the telehealth industry, this month has seen a disappointing development.
The Whole System Demonstrator (WSD) project presented its second stage of research findings, which reported no evidence base to show that telehealth improves people's quality of life.
Having worked for more than 18 years as both a nurse and telehealth specialist, I find it amazing that we are still talking about whether it works. Based on my experience, the question should be "how can we make it work?".
This is particularly important for the incoming clinical commissioning groups, which will undoubtedly find it a daunting prospect to contemplate the shape and composition of future service delivery upon reading these challenging results.
With a swiftly ageing population on the one hand and ongoing budget restrictions on the other, the results have called into perspective an ever-more-urgent need to look at how to create a sustainable delivery model for the future.
We must not forget, however, that technology-enabled integrated care is working well for many health organisations and patients across the UK.
The respected health thinktank 2020health recently published the findings of its own study of a telehealth hub pilot in Yorkshire. There it found that telehealth-enabled care co-ordination can reduce hospital admissions, provide care at home and improve patient outcomes.
It noted that for every 100 patients being telemonitored, 10 hospital admissions are averted each month – that's up to £2,000 saved per averted admission, representing a return on investment of 48%. Thirty of our own studies have found similar benefits.
It is also important to install and maintain a consistent approach to telehealth-enabled care including best practice and implementation across the study groups. Our experience shows that the optimal impact of a telehealth-enabled programme is observed between 18 months and two years. The results were based on a 12-month review.
Those who we speak to in frontline medicine will attest to the power of having patients living in their own homes, managing their own conditions aided by technology.
These "on the ground" results are, more often than not, the product of integrated delivery systems being put into practice through healthcare and industry partnerships that are dealing with populations with high numbers of people with chronic conditions.
I do not doubt the very real benefits that technology-enabled care can have on people's health and wellbeing and, in turn, the positive impact this will have on their communities. From what I have read so far, nothing in the WSD reports will change that. Leana Welte is head of Bosch Healthcare in the UK Guardian Professional.
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