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Briain Kelly, 29 Aug
Patients in the West of Ireland are accessing medical care from home as
part of a virtual healthcare initiative being rolled out by Galway
University Hospitals in collaboration with Community Healthcare West.
While the patients remain under the care of their treating doctors and
medical team this new programme allows them to receive monitoring of their
ongoing care from home.
The initiative will also reduce the need for hospital attendance and is
expected to save hundreds of bed days per year.
It is aligned to the ambitions of Ireland’s 10 year health and social care
reform programme Sláintecare, which aims to avoid unnecessary hospital
admissions and support patients at home.
Galway patient Frank O’Connell, who was diagnosed with COPD nine years
ago, shares his experience and the profound impact the ‘Virtual Care
Pathway’ has had on his life. “Since my diagnosis, I’ve been in hospital
on numerous occasions for stays of anything up to ten days.
“In the last two months, I’ve had two more infections, both of which were
treated at home with this new service. I was able to catch the infections
at the early stages and my recovery was very fast on both occasions.”
“I have an excellent team of people behind me as well as the most
wonderful nurse, who’s been very attentive with me. She’s gotten me
through my infections at home on both occasions.”
“There’s an immense difference being treated at home as opposed to going
into hospital. I hope the service is there for a long time to come, I
really appreciate it,” added Frank.
The programme’s digital platform is delivered through mobile health apps,
which help patients track key health metrics and monitor symptoms from
home.
A clinician dashboard displays real-time information on a patient’s
condition, alerting medical professionals to changes so they can detect
deterioration early and deliver timely care.
The programme has had a successful trial in the Galway- based Chronic
Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) service.
The COPD virtual care pathway is already delivering real benefits, using
digital technology to reduce the length of stay for patients who have
already been admitted to hospital.
It also provides patients who present to the Emergency Department, with
stable COPD exacerbations, direct access to the service, resulting in
hospital avoidance.
Since the introduction of the service in April, 30 episodes of care have
been delivered via the pathway, saving 205.4 bed days with the average
length of stay in virtual care now at 7.6 days, a 35.5% improvement on the
length of stay compared to the inpatient national average.
Through a user-friendly application, ‘MyPatientSpace’, patients can report
daily symptoms, and are equipped with a pulse oximeter to monitor vital
health metrics such as oxygen levels and heart rate on a daily basis.
Any deviations from target levels or problematic patterns provide
immediate notifications, allowing for rapid action and personalised care
plans to address developing concerns before they escalate.
Patients who have a confirmed COPD diagnosis by spirometry, live in the
Community Healthcare West area, and are within 30 minutes of University
Hospital Galway are eligible for the service.
“Patients with COPD require more hospital visits, but with this new
pathway, we are already seeing a reduction in hospital reliance,”
explains, Dr Sinead Walsh, Respiratory Consultant at Galway University
Hospitals and Respiratory Lead for the Galway City Integrated Care Hub.
“While supporting patients’ preferences for care in their own homes, which
results in more autonomy and a higher quality of life, we are also
minimising the need for hospital admission, promoting early discharge, and
lowering the risk of hospital-acquired infections and deconditioning.”
Chris Kane, Hospital Manager, Galway University Hospitals added, “The
objectives of this distributed healthcare model, are to improve patients’
access to services, convenience, and health outcomes. It also seeks to
give patients the tools to play an active role in their own recovery.”
“The virtual platforms mean patients will not only be able to monitor
their progress, but also have direct access to educational materials, and
participate in the decision-making process with their healthcare
providers.”