TECHNOLOGY
Implementing a telehealth service: nurses’ perceptions and experiences Bassel Odeh, Reem Kayyali, Shereen Nabhani Gebara and Nada Philip
T
© 2014 MA Healthcare Ltd
he delivery of health and social care has become a substantial challenge, mainly because of the ageing population and the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases. Thus, the need for new care models and technologies to support long-term care has never been greater (Goodwin, 2009). Telehealth is an emerging technological innovation that has the potential to enable individuals and families to obtain long-term social support and medical care in their own homes (Goodwin, 2009). It is defined as the remote surveillance of a patient’s health to aid early diagnosis and timely intervention. Telehealth uses equipment to monitor people’s health remotely, including factors such as blood pressure, blood-oxygen levels and weight. It thus overcomes the challenge of distance, allowing timely care to be given to patients while at home (Steventon et al, 2012). The Whole System Demonstrator (WSD), a recent randomised controlled trial funded by the Department of Health, compared standard care with telehealth for the management of long-term conditions in 3230 patients. The final analysis found that telehealth significantly reduced hospital admission rates, mortality rates and length of hospital stay (p=0.017, p
Implementing a telehealth service: nurses’ perceptions and experiences Bassel Odeh, Reem Kayyali, Shereen Nabhani Gebara and Nada Philip
T
© 2014 MA Healthcare Ltd
he delivery of health and social care has become a substantial challenge, mainly because of the ageing population and the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases. Thus, the need for new care models and technologies to support long-term care has never been greater (Goodwin, 2009). Telehealth is an emerging technological innovation that has the potential to enable individuals and families to obtain long-term social support and medical care in their own homes (Goodwin, 2009). It is defined as the remote surveillance of a patient’s health to aid early diagnosis and timely intervention. Telehealth uses equipment to monitor people’s health remotely, including factors such as blood pressure, blood-oxygen levels and weight. It thus overcomes the challenge of distance, allowing timely care to be given to patients while at home (Steventon et al, 2012). The Whole System Demonstrator (WSD), a recent randomised controlled trial funded by the Department of Health, compared standard care with telehealth for the management of long-term conditions in 3230 patients. The final analysis found that telehealth significantly reduced hospital admission rates, mortality rates and length of hospital stay (p=0.017, p
