Remote monitoring
In the fall of 2005, through the generosity of the MetroWest Community Health Care Foundation, the Telemonitoring Program was initiated at the Natick VNA.
It was established to provide better care for patients needing frequent follow-up, and to prevent hospitalization/visits to the emergency room.
Telemonitoring eligibility
The program is open to any patient of the Natick VNA. We can also provide monitoring for individuals who are not currently patients of the Natick VNA, but who are willing to pay privately for the service.
In order to be eligible for our program an individual must:
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Be an active Natick VNA patient;
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Have a history of frequent hospitalizations, doctors’ office, or emergency room visits;
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Experience frequent medication changes due to an unstable medical condition;
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Require frequent vital signs monitoring, medication adjustments, and monitoring of weight and blood oxygen;
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Have no behavioral issues;
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Be physically and cognitively able to follow the monitor instructions or have a caregiver who can assist.
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Have a residence that is safe and conducive to monitoring;
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Require other skilled health services for more than one week—but not on a daily basis; and
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Agree with the terms of participation.
The telemonitoring process
The Honeywell HomMed Sentry Monitor is a small device that weighs only three pounds and has several attachments, including a digital scale, blood pressure cuff, digital thermometer, and finger sensor. Additional peripherals are available as needed, such as a glucose meter, spirometer, and PT/INR.
Each day a friendly voice prompts the monitored patient to obtain his or her weight, blood pressure, pulse, and blood oxygen level and answer several yes and no questions. After this data is gathered, it is sent to the Honeywell HomMed central station at the Natick VNA where a registered nurse monitors it seven days per week. Preset alert limits are programmed into the system for each patient. If a patient’s vital signs fall outside of these preset limits, then the registered nurse at the central station will call the patient.
Patients who have emergent medical/nursing issues can be assessed and advised over the phone. The patient’s Nurse Case Manager is notified of any problem(s) and any intervention, so that the Case Manager can provide further follow-up if needed.
Many patients are admitted to the Natick VNA for care and use the telemonitor after undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery. It can also be helpful for monitoring the vital signs and weight of patients undergoing chemotherapy. Patients who use oxygen or who are diagnosed with lung disease also find it helpful. Any patient can benefit from having their vital signs monitored more frequently and from the health education our professional clinicians can provide.
The telephone contact and reinforcement of health behaviors enables patients to learn how to take better care of themselves and stay out of the hospital. The ability to track and find patterns in patients’ vital signs and send these records to patients’ physicians also helps doctors take better care of their patients, identify possible problems, and adjust medications where appropriate.
