NHS telehealth trial offers remote patient monitoring

NHS patients with chronic heart failure are taking part in a telehealth trial, using home broadband to send their health data to experts who can then remotely monitor their condition.

The NHS telehealth trial will allow remote monitoring. Photo credit: BT

The trial is being run by Wakefield District Community Healthcare Services with BT, which is providing and managing the telehealth kit used in the trial. The aim of the trial is to reduce the number of hospital visits patients must make.

Patients in the trial have been given an interactive personal health system to use at home. The device — called the Intel Health Guide — allows them to record key health data including blood pressure, oxygen levels and weight. The data is then sent to a community nurse for analysis via the patient's broadband line.

For more on this ZDNet UK-selected story, see NHS telehealth trial for heart patients gives "new lease of life" on silicon.com.