Transformation Directorate

Remote monitoring system to enhance patient care

East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT) rolled out a digital patient monitoring system to support the remote home management of patients with long-term conditions such as heart failure.

Situation

Identify and implement an appropriate digital solution to remotely monitor patients with long-term conditions who are vulnerable and shielding.

Aspiration

To empower patients to self-manage at home, improve patient care and reduce demand on the local care economy.

Solution and impact

ELFT deployed Docobo’s DOC@HOME, a regulation-compliant, patient monitoring and case management system for patients living at home or in care homes.

How it was implemented

  • DOC@HOME has been introduced in Community Health Newham (CHN) which is part of the Trust
  • ELFT is leading the rollout to more than 250 patients with cardiac, diabetic and respiratory issues
  • The service uses a combination of education and remote monitoring tools to support people living at home with lung conditions, heart failure or diabetes
  • AHP and nurses at ELFT manage a digital health hub to monitor patients' observations which consist of vital signs and symptoms
  • Patients routinely answer questions configured for their particular condition. This approach enables clinical teams to observe remotely and intervene early
  • DOC@HOME aims to expand the service to around 4,000 patients a year and says it is currently recruiting 50 patients a week

Overall impact

  • 5,300 patients having benefited from the programme
  • The clinical hub supports around 900 patients at a time
  • Allows continuity of care without face-to-face appointments
  • More time and cost efficiency for patients and clinicians

Functionality

The solution allows patients to be monitored from home using devices such as thermometers, pulse oximeters, weighing scales and blood pressure monitors.

Capabilities

The system supports remote healthcare and provides access to a range of resources to help monitor patient conditions.

Scope

To monitor vital signs and conditions at home.

Key figures/quotes

“Demands on the health system were a challenge before COVID-19,” says Raguraman Padmanabhan, Clinical and Operational Service Lead at ELFT. “Now, in the current climate, GPs and healthcare professionals are wanting to use more telehealth monitoring to enable them and the whole NHS to provide high quality care to patients more efficiently.”

Find out more

Read more about the East London roll-out on the Digital Health website

Download the case study from the Docobo website (PDF, 120 KB)

Key contact

Raguraman Padmanabhan, clinical and operational service lead, ELFT

Raguraman.Padmanabhan@elft.nhs.uk