Telehealth provides a way to monitor patients and transmit their information, often allowing them to enjoy a better quality of life. Through remote-monitoring technologies, doctors can maintain a link with patients even when they remain in their own homes.
Increasingly, telehealth is being seen as a way to improve patient care while also cutting costs. Recently, a major healthcare company announced a partnership to put telehealth to use in a pilot project. Humana, www.humana.com, said it will partner with Healthsense, www.healthsense.com, a healthcare technology company. The companies will work together on a remote-monitoring pilot program, for which member enrollment has already been completed.
The project will measure the impact of in-home sensors and remote-monitoring technology on health outcomes. Other goals include reducing frailty and fall-related hospital admissions for Medicare members with chronic health conditions.
As part of the project, 100 Humana Medicare Advantage members in a variety of U.S. states will take part in the monitoring. The Healthsense eNeighbor remote-monitoring system will be used to track patients’ health, recording data on conditions via in-home sensors. The sensors will measure activities such as sleeping, eating, physical activity, and toileting. Any changes in a person’s normal patterns of activity will be reported to Humana care managers.
With the Healthsense system, monitoring is passive. It does not require the patient to take action, but instead monitors the person’s activity to learn his or her patterns of activity. The idea behind the system is that changes in activity can indicate potential problems.
By monitoring patients in their own homes, the project hopes to reduce hospital readmissions and allow patients to stay in their homes as long as possible. The system provides a connection between the patient and the caregiver, allowing for 24/7 supervision without intruding into the patient’s daily life.
Date: January 8, 2013