Critically ill heart failure patients could have access to new technology that transmits daily readings to hospital without them having to leave home, if the Auckland District Health Board approves the trial.

Twenty patients are currently trialling the mobile phone technology. The three month trial started in October. The Auckland District Health Board (ADHB), Gen-i and Alcatel-Lucent have partnered to launch the trial that uses mobile technology to monitor and manage patients in their own homes.

The participating patients take daily measurements of their weight, blood pressure and pulse rates using an electronic scale and blood pressure monitor.

The measurements are then automatically transmitted via Telecom's XT network to a secure online database, which stores the readings along together with relevant medical data.

The readings are monitored daily by the Auckland City Hospital cardiac team via a web portal. Patients are also able to monitor their own readings.

ADHD chief funding and planning officer Denis Jury said the innovative monitoring system could improve health outcomes and enhance patients’ quality of life, while reducing costs and increasing clinical efficiencies for health providers. 

“The technology is emerging as a cost and time effective tool worldwide to help keep people with long term conditions well and out of hospital,” Dr Jury said.

“The pilot has been developed to help our health sector investigate ways of responding to the marked increase in the number of New Zealanders with long-term chronic conditions.  It is hoped the technology will, in time, also support the growing number of patients with other long-term illnesses such as diabetes, respiratory disease, hypertension and asthma.”

Gen-i chief executive Chris Quin said due to rapidly increasing numbers of patients with chronic illnesses, the health sector is looking for ways to consolidate specialists’ time and relieve pressure on them.
 
“The Telehealth initiative combats both these issues while also providing positive health outcomes for patients. Gen-i and Telecom are well placed with the scale, technology and infrastructure to support the solution nationwide and through Gen-i’s existing relationships with DHBs and other health organisations," Mr Quin said.
 
Results from the trial are expected in early 2010.  Once the results have been assessed, ADHB said it may look at extending the trial to incorporate patients with other chronic illnesses.

The software for the mobile phones was developed in Canada. It is meant to be used together with a patient's health programme and not as a replacement.