Hi-tech system giving chronic heart patients new lease of life

Patients in the district are taking part in a trial which is hoped will allow them to manage their condition better from home through remote monitoring.

The trial uses an interactive personal health system which allows patients to record key information about their health including vital signs such as blood pressure, oxygen levels and weight.

This can then be sent over the patient's broadband line to be analysed by their community nurse.

The trial is being run by BT and Wakefield District Community Healthcare Services (WDCHS) – part of NHS Wakefield District - and uses a system called the Intel Health Guide.

Richard Brothwell, WDCHS community heart failure matron, said: "This technology allows us to keep in touch with patients and monitor their health daily without always seeing them physically. That means we can see more patients and those taking part in the trial are telling us they find the remote monitoring very reassuring."

The system means nurses can more easily monitor early warning signs that a patient's health may be deteriorating and pro actively respond to their patients' needs, says NHS Wakefield District.

For example, patients with chronic heart failure can experience rapid weight gain over a few days owing to water retention if they do not take their medication.

The system enables this to be spotted early on so that corrective action can be taken.

The Intel Health Guide, provided and managed by BT, prompts patients to input information about their health.

It also has videoconferencing, which means the healthcare professional treating the patient can hold a consultation with them from their computer.

Alan Wittrick, chief executive of NHS Wakefield District, said: "Locally we have a higher incidence of patients with chronic conditions than the national average and with heart disease being a particular issue we decided to focus our trial on chronic heart failure patients. The aim is to see if technology could benefit their quality of life and help us to manage their condition better.

"While in its early days, overall the feedback we are receiving from patients and community nurses is encouraging. Patients have said they feel more in control of their condition and in some cases it has transformed their lives, although we appreciate this won't be the case for everyone on the trial.

"We know that constant visits to hospital or clinics can be debilitating and we are looking to see if this trial could in the long term help to reduce the need for these. The system provides reassurance to patients that changes in their condition can be picked up through the timely analysis of data."

Wakefield patient David Ward, who had a heart bypass 12 years ago, said the interactive health system has given him a new lease of life.

Mr Ward, 69, said: "Obviously I owe my life to the cardiology team at Dewsbury and District Hospital who fitted a defibrillator with pacemaker last year.

"But this system has given me the confidence to lead as normal life as possible with my heart condition.

"It wakes me up with a 'good morning' – I open up the screen and do my key tests and within two minutes, if all is well, I'm done for the day.

"If not I can talk and see Richard, the community heart failure matron, through the videoconferencing feature and he tells me what's needed. That might mean keeping a closer eye on my health that day or a slight change in my medication.

"Because of the confidence I have in this system, I don't worry about my health like I used to. I sleep better and don't have the panic attacks I used to and I've started to walk small distances again – I'd go as far as saying it's given me a new lease of life."

The trial will run until February this year.