Project Scope
Project objective is to scale up work to support care homes to use remote monitoring tools, share monitoring data digitally and develop use and understanding of digital equipment (e.g. devices and Wi-Fi)
North East London comprises 8 Local Authorities, across which there are 259 Care Homes with 5,483 declared beds, supporting approximately 4386 residents (80% capacity)
Digital Offer
- Digital Maturity
- Access to computer
- Access to stable Wi-Fi
- High-speed Wi-Fi throughout property
- Data Security and Protection Toolkit
- Completed ‘Standards Met’ level of data security toolkit
- NHSmail
- Access to NHSmail
- Regular utilisation of NHSmail
- Medication Proxy Access
- Care Home orders medicines for residents via proxy access
- Practice receives query online, checks requests & issues script
- MS Teams
- Access to MS Teams to enable video-conferencing interaction to discuss individuals care as part of a Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT)
- Use video-conferencing for interaction between residents and friends/family
- Coordinate My Care (CMC)
- Supports digital care planning accessible to health and social care professionals and urgent care providers
What is Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) for Care Homes?
Remote patient monitoring (RPM) uses digital technologies to collect medical and other forms of health data from individuals in one location and electronically transmits that information securely to health care providers in a different location for assessment and recommendations.
The kit involved allows care home staff to measure vital signs and soft signs on a digital platform supporting communication between professionals.
RPM is aligned with tools such as the National Early Warning Signs score to detect and respond to clinical deterioration as well as a Restore2 ‘Soft Signs’ checklist which helps care home staff to pass on concerns to other healthcare professionals.
The focus on avoiding unnecessary face-to face contact during the pandemic has enabled an acceleration of the ability to embed the routine use of this technology.
The inclusion of structured tools and questionnaires helps avoid any important information being omitted and these assessments are supplemented by evidence through the recording of observations/clinical data. This, especially, empowers care home staff to swiftly and confidently report potential decline to ensure high quality care and better patient outcomes.
Benefits of Remote Monitoring
- Ability to rapidly identify deteriorating residents
- Can reduce admissions to local emergency departments
- Enables clinicians to react faster
- Fewer GP appointments required
- Improved connectivity to healthcare professionals
- Provides clinicians with an up to date picture of resident’s health issues