Broadband Innovation Fund

Remote Patient Monitoring - Care Coordinator Study


Monitoring helps Mildura nurse provide quality care



Thanks to remote patient monitoring Craig Millard can see a detailed picture of his clients' health at the touch of a button, making it easier to provide appropriate treatment and care.

A care coordinator with the Hospital Admission Risk Program (HARP) at Mildura Base Hospital, Mr Millard first heard about remote patient monitoring two and a half years ago and was immediately excited by its possibilities.

"The fact that patients could do the tests themselves while we kept an eye on their results from the office was a great opportunity. It immediately opened up the chance to offer more in depth care as well as look after more people at the same time," explained Mr Millard.

What it does

Since late 2006, more than 30 remote patient monitors have been distributed in Mildura and the north-west region, mostly to people with chronic illnesses such as heart and lung disease, diabetes or kidney disease.

The technology is provided by HARP, with funding from Victorian Government agency for information and communications technology, Multimedia Victoria.

Most monitors are hooked up using an ordinary telephone line, which people use at any time during the day to measure their blood pressure, heart rate, body weight, lung function or blood sugar. The data is then transmitted overnight to a central database which a nurse or another health professional, such as their GP, can access remotely.

How it works

Mr Millard said the monitors were easy to use and readily accepted by patients after a short amount of training. Each measurement session takes about 10 to 20 minutes to complete and patients are not required to wear any other monitoring device.

"It's great for health professionals too because it doesn't just show you an individual result – such as a patient’s blood pressure – but gives you an overall clinical picture of their health," said Mr Millard.

"It's everything in one really. And best of all patients take their own readings, not us, which means they learn a lot more about their own health."

The benefits

Mr Millard said the main advantage of the monitor was its ability to support people to take better care of their health. "It's great technology because it really encourages people to learn about their health, their medication and all of these factors. It also teaches them to look after themselves, and once they do that they don’t get sick as often."

Having access to detailed clinical information about a patient over time was also a big plus for health professionals, said Mr Millard. "Now I don’t have to rush out every day and do a blood pressure reading. The machine does it for me, which means I can focus more on treatment and care."

He said ongoing monitoring also meant a lot of health complications could be picked up at an earlier stage. "The great thing about the system is that patients learn to see the warning signs for themselves – they can see it on their results – and then they can give me a call to talk about it. It means we often pick up any problems early on and arrange treatment before the problem becomes acute."

One of the first of Mr Millard's patients to receive a monitoring device was Vicki Cosson who was diagnosed with end stage kidney disease in late 2006 and is now on the waiting list for a kidney transplant operation.

Since using the monitor Vicki’s kidney function has stabilised and her overall health has significantly improved. She has also avoided dialysis which was originally expected within three months.

"When Vicki was first diagnosed it was a lot for her to take in," said Mr Millard, "but the monitor helped her come to terms with the disease and manage it. She engaged straight away, and as a result, she now gets good readings, has lost weight and is on the transplant list. She’s definitely inspirational."

Future opportunities

To ensure the smooth take-up of the technology, Mildura Base Hospital has employed a nurse technician two days a week to install patient monitors, teach people how to use them, and trouble shoot any other connectivity issues.

After using the technology for more almost two years, Mr Millard sees a wide range of applications including education, training and increased take-up in remote areas of Australia.

"I can imagine them being very useful on outback stations and other places like that where it isn’t always possible to go out and see someone unless it’s an acute health matter. With this kind of device it’s so much easier to monitor chronic health complaints from a distance because you can actually see the results in real time."