Three-Pound Monitor Collects Vital Signs Remotely

Patients who suffer from congestive heart failure, diabetes, hypertension and other chronic health problems now have a convenient, cost-effective way to get the daily care they need, at home.

Chronic illnesses, which affect an estimated 100 million Americans, can be managed effectively, but if not monitored regularly, they can become acute and even lead to premature death.

The Methodist Visiting Nurse Association’s HomMed telemedicine program provides a simple-to-use, economical way to address both the inconvenience and costs associated with constant doctor’s visits, as well as quality of life issues.

HomMed technology provides accurate clinical data for condition assessment and early intervention. The compact, three-pound monitor is a hospital-grade device that collects vital signs including heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, body weight and temperature.

Each day, at a predetermined time, a voice prompt instructs the patient (in English, Spanish or French) to take his or her vital signs, guiding him through the process of a few key strokes that enable the system to collect the data. In addition to vital signs, the monitor can be programmed to ask subjective questions about the patient’s fatigue or wellness levels. And up to10 additional questions can be programmed into the monitor to address individual patient needs.

>Once completed, the data is then transmitted via telephone line or Skytel pager to the central station located at the association’s office, where it is reviewed and evaluated. Minimum and maximum alarm settings on the central station alert staff if any patient’s vital signs fall outside their physician-prescribed parameters. Individual patient data can be stored and trended in graphics for easy viewing and assessment for up to six months.

“The system allows us to detect health problems before they become serious,” says telemedicine coordinator Barbara Wilson. “HomMed provides patients with the monitoring they need seven days a week. Without it, problems could go undetected for several days. HomMed doesn’t replace in-home care, it supplements it.”

“I was in the hospital all the time before getting the monitor,” says 74-year-old James Ahearn, who suffers from stage 4 congestive heart failure. “I haven’t been in the hospital once in the past six months.”

In one instance, the central station detected that Ahearn had exceeded his weight parameter and immediately Wilson sent a nurse to visit him. The nurse discovered that the weight gain was caused by fluid retention. Ahearn visited his doctor and was diagnosed with an enlarged prostate.

“We went to the doctor immediately because of what the monitor picked up,” said Ahearn. “It’s like having a nurse in my room.”

For more information about the HomMed telemedicine program, call (713) 630-5543.

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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