Monitoring health at home: Yukon to test new program

A pilot program, startingin Yukon this fall, will allow some patients withchronic disease to skip visits to the clinicand, instead, log on to a computer tablet at home.

"It's the technology that is catching up to what patients want, in terms of being able to monitor their own health," said DaveWattling of TELUS Health, the company working on the project with the Yukon government.

Up to 50 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) will be part of the program that beginsin September.

They'll be given tablets, weight scales, blood pressure monitors and other equipment to measure vital signs, oxygen saturation and lung performance, at home. Anurse will train patientsto use the equipment.

The data will beshared with a care provider, who is remotely monitoring the patientand can respond when issues or concerns arise.

"It's kind of an 'everybody wins' strategy.The patients love it, it's convenient," Wattling said. "It's very simple to use, very big buttons, easy connectivity between the devices.

"You get that ongoing coaching, that ongoing relationship with the care provider, without actually having to go to the clinic."

Benefits for remote communities

Wattling says the technology has been a bigsuccess wherever it's been introduced. He says it's been shown to reduce emergency roomvisits and shorten hospital stays, savingmoney for thehealth care system.

He also says the technology, which has been used by about 7,500 Canadians so far,has "almost 100 per cent patient recommendation."

The Yukon program will be available to COPD patients throughout the territory, Wattlingsays.

"The biggest benefit, frankly, is for those that live in remote communities,because you are saving significant travel time."

The government says the trail phase of the project willlast until March 2017, withan assessment to follow.