What is Telehealth?
Telehealth is the monitoring of patient`s vital life signs within their own home using portable monitoring equipment to measure information such as: blood pressure, oxygen saturation levels, weight, blood glucose levels, etc. This information is then securely transmitted down a telephone line to a Health Centre for analysis by clinical staff.
This lady is in the process of recording her physiological measurements prior to transmission down the telephone line to a Health Centre, the blood pressure cuff can clearly be seen on her left arm
Telehealth supports early discharge from hospital, long term conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic heart conditions and diabetes. It enables clinical staff to manage and utilise their time more effectively. The regular taking of the readings by the patient helps to improve their interest in their own well-being. The equipment is simple to operate and has audio visual prompts to guide patients through the process, it is often equipped with the facility to add extra relevant questions for the patient to answer.
