Opinion remains divided on the subject of telehealth. However, one service provider argues that the technology can offer huge cost and efficiency savings if introduced as part of a larger service redesign. SUZANNE CALLANDER reports.
Today, 75% of NHS resources in England are used to support 15.4 million people who live with at least one chronic condition. There is also an increasing acceptance of the need to reconfigure healthcare services, employing more modern technologies to ensure that the NHS is able to cope with the increasing demand from an ageing population with more longterm conditions.
Chronic heart failure (CHF) for example, results in a considerable healthcare burden. The total estimated annual cost of CHF to the NHS is approximately 2% of its total budget.1 Because the prevalence and incidence of the disease increases with age, this burden is expected to rise along with the ageing population and hospital admissions due to CHF are anticipated to rise by 50% over the next 25 years.2
To address these issues, guidelines for the diagnosis and management of CHF now promotes regular monitoring to prevent disease deterioration and the potential need for hospitalisation. The National Institue of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, for example, promote monitoring to prevent disease deterioration in CHF patients2 and the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines highlight the importance of monitoring disease stability.
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