New Zealand’s first telehealth pilot improves patients’ quality of life
- December 2011Telehealth monitoring for people with chronic conditions shows that the technology can improve patients’ quality of life and may have a positive impact on life expectancy.
The results of the country’s first telehealth technology pilot have just been released by home support provider Healthcare of New Zealand.
William Hall, one of the trial’s participants, has chronic pulmonary disease and says that his health has improved dramatically since he began using the technology. “I got the monitor just over a year ago and if I didn’t have it, I wouldn’t be here today.”
During the 12 month pilot, which was run in partnership with Midlands Health Network and the Lakes District Health Board, telehealth monitors were set up in the homes of ten Turangi/Taupo patients with either chronic heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The monitors enable patients to take their own vital health measurements, including their blood pressure, blood sugars and lung capacity.
These measurements are then assessed remotely by nurses, enabling medical teams to detect changes early, before the person develops a serious issue that needs hospital treatment.
Compared to the control group, the patients who used the technology experienced reduced hospital admissions and improved life expectancy.
Of the original ten participants of the non-telehealth group, four died during the pilot, compared to one person in telehealth monitored group.
Patients who used telehealth also noted enhanced confidence, greater mental wellbeing, and an improved ability to manage their conditions.
“I understand my condition more and I know what my body is doing. As a result, I’ve changed my food, sleep more instead of exerting myself, and take regular breaks,” says Mr Hall.
The pilot’s outcomes were assessed by independent research company Sapere, and they are reinforced by large international studies, which show that the effective use of telehealth can reduce unplanned hospital admissions and increase life expectancy.