Someone to Watch Over You AtStJohnofGod HealthCarewevalue www.sjog.org.au Hospitality Compassion Justice Respect Excellence Health monitoring trial at St John of God Nepean Rehabilitation Hospital keeps patients safer at home.
A Frankston woman is one of the first in Victoria to participate in a trial program aimed at remotely tracking the vital signs and health status of patients with chronic medical conditions.
The pilot program is a collaborative between health insurer Medibank Private, who is funding the trial, Health Choices, the home nursing division of St John of God Health Care, and St John of God Nepean Rehabilitation Hospital, Frankston, who is coordinating the program.
The 50 people participating in the 12-month pilot suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary lung disease, and or chronic heart failure, whose conditions have required recent hospitalisation.
On discharge, they are provided with a telemonitoring system that enables the patients to check their blood pressure, heat rate, blood oxygen levels and weight.
The patients are taught how to interpret this information, and when to seek Rehabilitation Hospital, where trained pulmonary and cardiac nurses monitor the patients daily.
If problems are detected, these frontline nurses will then immediately call the patient.
If it is deemed they are in need of further assessment, a home visit is arranged, or a referral made to their doctor or emergency services.
St John of God Health Choices Chief Executive Officer, Steve Hall, said the telemonitoring pilot was a significant innovation.
This is an exciting opportunity forHealth Choices to demonstrate our capacity to assist patients in managing their complex chronic conditions in the home environment.
Project manager Jo McLaren, St John of God Nepean Rehabilitation Hospital s Pulmonary Rehabilitation Coordinator, said early detection of deteriorating medical conditions should result in fewer hospital admissions, and better management of the increasing economic burden of chronic disease.
It gives people more control over their health, allowing them to get on with their lives.
Keeping out of hospital is not the only reason Jean Tickell of Frankston is pleased to participate in the trial.
The retiree, who turns 80 this year, says there are lots of things I want to do including travelling to Sydney to visit her newborn first great-grandson, and possibly returning to caravanning travel with Alan, her husband of 58 years.
Three years of ill health have left Jean hospitalised several times, and so fearful of falling medical help.
But they re not alone.
The data is relayed in real time to St John of God Nepean Caption From left St John of God nurses Jo McLaren and Emma Boston help Jean interpret the data that she dared not leave her home.
The telemonitoring system has given Jean renewed confidence.
I feel safer now knowing my health is in good hands.
About St John of God Health Care St John of God Nepean Rehabilitation Hospital is a division of St John of God Health Care, a not-for-profit provider of private hospitals, pathology, home nursing and Social Outreach and Advocacy services in Australia, New Zealand and the wider Asia-Pacific region.
All profits are returned to the community.
Projects sponsored in the Frankston area include Open Family s youth outreach program, Frankston Combined Churches Community Breakfast, City of Frankston Emerging Athlete, and a Mornington Peninsula Communities that Care initiative providing drug and alcohol information for parents of teenagers.
100 good life, february -march, april 2011