Computerworld - Using remote monitoring technology to keep tabs on patients' blood sugar and cardiopulmonary disease can reduce the risk of patient mortality by up to 45%, according to a U.K. Department of Health study.
The preliminary findings (download PDF) showed that, if used correctly, TeleHealth can deliver a 15% reduction in emergency room visits; a 20% reduction in emergency admissions; a 14% reduction in elective admissions; a 14% reduction in bed days; and an 8% reduction in tariff costs.
More strikingly, the findings showed a 45% reduction in mortality rates.
In the U.S., the federal government is aggressively pushing for electronic health records (EHR). Telehealth technology, which allows doctors to monitor their patients' health wirelessly in real time, could be combined with online health records for a highly accessible, interactive patient history.
Last year, a report from Accenture showed that the rise of inexpensive Internet connectivity and smaller, cheaper and "smarter" health electronics should deliver better, more efficient health care.
The U.K. Department of Health said its study was the first of its kind and one of the most complex and comprehensive studies it has ever undertaken. It involved about 6,000 chronically-ill patients at 238 healthcare practices across three counties in the UK. It took two years to complete.
The study looked at how the adoption of telehealth monitoring technologies could reduce the mounting financial burden of healthcare for the chronically ill. The study focused on patients with three conditions: diabetes, coronary heart disease and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). It also showed how technology supports people who live independently, and how they can be more in control of their own health and care.
"The first set of initial findings ... show that, if delivered properly, telehealth can substantially reduce mortality, reduce the need for admissions to hospital, lower the number of bed days spent in hospital and reduce the time spent in [emergency rooms]," the Health Department saidn in a statement. "At least three million people with long-term conditions and/or social care needs could benefit from using telehealth and telecare."
Currently, six schools are evaluating the data, including City University London, University of Oxford, University of Manchester, and the London School of Economics. The study looked at the data under five themes -- service utilization; reported outcomes such as quality of life; cost effectiveness; user and professionals' experience; and influence of organizational factors to adoption).
Three TeleHealth technology providers were selected for the program, offering remote patient management systems for study:
Lucas Mearian covers storage, disaster recovery and business continuity, financial services infrastructure and health care IT for Computerworld. Follow Lucas on Twitter at 
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Read more about Healthcare IT in Computerworld's Healthcare IT Topic Center.
It's 2020. The at-home telemedicine robot reminds me it's time for the doctor to check how well the burn on my arm is healing. The specialist is in a clinic located more than 45 miles away, but she thoroughly examines my arm through a wound assessment device built into the robot. After the consultation, my smart band reminds me that the mobile health vehicle will be at my workplace, and I should stop by to get my flu shot. I quickly acknowledge my medication reminder alert, take my meds, and then hop into my driverless smart car.
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