Winston, Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health has been remotely monitoring some cardiac and heart failure patients in the Charlotte area since last year.
Participating patients receive a computer pad, a handheld device programmed with their care plan, and a kit that includes devices to record their weight, pulse, heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen saturation. The data is automatically sent to their EHR patient portals.
"There are medication reminders in their computer pads, and patients click a button to confirm they took their medication," said Jan Wagoner, director of cardiopulmonary rehabilitation at Novant Health, in a Jan. 25 health system news release. "Patients can also follow prompts and questions to tell us how they’re feeling, whether they’re experiencing shortness of breath, chest pain, or other symptoms."
The program has already expanded to Matthews, Huntersville and Salisbury, and the health system intends to offer it at all its cardiac rehab programs across the state. Novant Health also started piloting remote monitoring for bariatric patients last year and joins scores of other hospitals and health systems with so-called hospital-at-home programs.