Telehealth project aims for quick aid to patients

A project supported by St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawaii is using telehealth monitoring to measure the vital signs of chronic disease patients in an effort to reduce hospitalizations.

The H.O.P.E. Project, supported by the St. Francis Healthcare Foundation, is using the technology for patients at the highest risk for hospitalization to ensure timely intervention by health care providers.

A telehealth system automatically uploads vital signs and other patient information to a nurse who reviews the results. The nurse contacts the patient if there are any abnormalities. If the measurement is considered a red flag, the patient’s doctor is contacted to allow for early intervention rather than continued deterioration that would likely result in an emergency room visit. St. Francis estimates the project will save about $10.4 million in health care costs in Hawaii over three years.

"The technology with nurse-clinician support empowers the patient to improve their health care behavior which, in turn, improves the patient’s quality of life, and reduces hospitalizations," medical researcher and project leader Steven Berman said in a statement. "This program reinforces the patients’ relationship with their own personal care physician."

The project is operating on a three-year, $5.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. St. Francis has already begun monitoring patients who have been in the hospital more than once in the past 12 months, and those requiring help with basic activities of daily living or have frequent doctor’s visits.

The project is one of three in the state selected to receive funding from the Health Care Innovation Award program under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

The project involves 50 patients on Oahu and Hawaii island and hopes to expand to 1,500 patients statewide. If you would like to participate, call 547-6761 or the St. Francis Healthcare Foundation at 547-8030.