References
Early experiences of telehealth monitoring for patients with COPD and implementation of person-centred care plans
Abstract
Aims: The authors share their early experiences of developing and implementing a telehealth service for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), through a collaborative approach. The article will explore the process of implementing telehealth service in a local care community team, identifying opportunities for improving care delivery and person-centred care. Discussion: The initial feedback and thoughts of both patients and healthcare professionals were obtained. Such feedback included patient’s health insights, which helped improve risk assessment and personalised parameter settings. Conclusions: To-date, there has been a lack of robust evidence for the clinical benefits of telehealth. However, the feedback from staff and patients using telehealth was positive in several areas. Person-centred care plans also helped provide greater insight into patient’s health goals, thereby streamlining care.
The NHS Long-Term Plan (2019) advocates integrated community services, which provide care at the optimal time and setting, while promoting active patient involvement. There has been a steady increase in the number of patients with long-term health conditions (NHS England, 2020). It is estimated that 26 million people in England have at least one longterm health condition, and healthcare costs have increased threefold among frail, older adults.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a long-term health condition, which can be defined as:
‘A common, preventable, and treatable disease, characterised by persistent respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation,…Due to airway and/or alveolar abnormalities caused by significant exposure to noxious particles or gasses.’ (The Global Initative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease, 2020)’
In 2019, COPD was found to be the third leading cause of death worldwide, resulting in 6% of all deaths (World Health Organization (WHO), 2020). Lung disease is the fourth most costly disease in the UK, costing £11 billion a year, while COPD accounts for £1.9 billion of the total figures (British Lung Foundation, 2016). A further cost of £1.2 billion then falls on the wider economy through lost workdays.
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