A telehealth nurse will train the patient to interpret his or her blood pressure, oximetry levels, pulse rates and weight with equipment installed in their home. The patient will transmit their results to the VNA for review daily. If any readings are outside the parameters set by the physician, an immediate home intervention will take place to address the patient’s needs.

What is telehealth?
Telehealth uses telecommunications devices placed in patients’ homes to take their vital signs every day, reminds the patient to take medication and answer simple questions about their condition.

Who qualifies for telehealth?
Candidates to be considered include patients with:
• Frequent ER visits or rehospitalization (i.e. patient with COPD who is frequently returning to ER)
• Unstable cardiac conditions
• Newly diagnosed cardiac patients (HF, CABG, HTN)
• You may always conference with the Telehealth Coordinator regarding other possible candidates for the program.

How to refer to telehealth?
Physician’s order is needed to refer a patient to the telehealth program.  Patients can be referred through VNA of WNY’s central intake office by dialing (716) 630-8000.   Referrals to the program are taken 7 days a week.

What is the frequency of telehealth?
Upon installation of telehealth monitor, patient’s vital signs, clinical assessment questions and medical compliance is monitored daily by a trained telehealth nurse at the VNA of Western New York.

What does it cost the patient?
The cost of the unit is covered by the VNA of Western New York while under an open case.  Private pay options are also available.

Flexibility
Each telehealth monitor is customized per patient according to physician care plan directives.  A number of vital signs can be taken from a patient including:  blood pressure, oxygen saturation, pulse rate, weight (up to 450 lbs.), peak flow and blood glucose.  A physician can choose to have a patient’s vital signs monitored multiple times throughout the day as needed.  Clinical questionnaire assessments are customized per patient based upon specific exacerbation parameters.  Medication reminders multiple times per day will promote patient compliance.

Benefits
The technology brings benefits to both patients and health care professionals.  When patient’s vital signs are taken on a daily basis, irregularities can be caught before they become full-fledged problems.  Nurses can be send to patients’ homes at unscheduled times in addition to regular nursing visits, and based on the daily data, work directly with the patient’s doctor to adjust medication and diet regimens.

Outcomes
Enrolling a patient in a telehealth program has consistently shown:

• Improved quality of life scores
• Reduction in hospital readmissions
• Reduction in unneeded ER visits
• High patient acceptance levels
• High nurse acceptance levels
• Improved data gathering and accuracy

Efficiency
Telemonitoring lets health care professionals work more efficiently since the system allows one nurse to observe the clinical health of numerous patients at a time and effectively direct medical attention to those who need it.  The data is transmitted via a plain telephone line and sent to a web-based system for review by VNA of WNY clinicians. There, healthcare professionals can detect and address even the slightest abnormalities before they become serious, preventing emergency room visits and hospitalizations.