Telus Health is expanding its Home Health Monitoring (HHM) solution so nurses and other healthcare providers in BC can continue to digitally monitor patients remotely while they recover from COVID-19.
Launched with the B.C. Ministry of Health and local health authorities, the digital health dashboard allows healthcare providers to track the symptoms and provide medical help for patients as they recover outside of hospitals in the comfort of their own homes.
Nearly 400 COVID-19 cases in BC have benefitted from HHM with 24 cases from the Interior Health Region.
“As we face the immense challenge of COVID-19, Telus Health is committed to working alongside BC’s healthcare leaders to expand the use of technology solutions like Home Health Monitoring to support more British Columbians while recovering at home,” said Darren Entwistle, president and CEO, Telus.
“By enabling clinicians to remotely observe the vitals of patients with COVID-19, as well as those who are vulnerable to the virus, and provide necessary interventions early, we can reduce exposure and also help to alleviate the pressure in hospital emergency rooms and clinics.”
The platform is accessible through a phone, where the program sends daily prompts for the patient to report their biometrics such as temperature, physical symptoms and overall health condition.
This provides crucial information on the patient’s health to their clinicians who are regularly and remotely monitoring their well-being through a digital dashboard.
HHM prompts the patient to complete a daily online questionnaire to report their temperature, physical symptoms and overall health condition to their healthcare teams.
The dashboard-style system also allows clinicians to support a much larger group of patients at one time - one clinician for 100 patients. Depending on their symptoms, patients may be advised to contact their doctor, or visit their nearest hospital, while others with improving symptoms may be told to continue recovering and isolating at home.
“Home monitoring is a significant part of our response to the ongoing pandemic. We are grateful for the technology and partnership with Telus Health enabling our efforts,” said Lisa Saffarek, Clinical Director Virtual Care and Home Health Monitoring lead at Island Health.
“With the Home Health Monitoring solution, we are able to stay connected with our patients, provide symptom support and ensure our patients who are quarantined or isolated at home are provided with safe and effective care. The monitoring solution has also improved clinical capacity for our Public Health team, the front line of our pandemic response.”
HHM by Telus Health has been in use in B.C since 2013 to remotely monitor thousands of patients in the province.
“Our investment has enabled us to act quickly to monitor our patients in isolation while also providing them with peace of mind, knowing that they are being monitored daily by their healthcare teams," says Corrie Barclay, Assistant Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Management and Information Technology with the B.C. Ministry of Health.
"As well, our clinicians are given the assurance that we are keeping track of our vulnerable citizens,"
