Executive Summary
"The ability to monitor patients from a distance, using electronic devices to record and send measurements of patients’ vital signs, has been a mainstay in the use of medical technology for years. But the needs and expectations of patients with chronic conditions and of healthcare professionals who care for those patients have changed considerably since remote patient monitoring devices were first introduced. To fulfill these needs, emerging technologies must go far beyond simply monitoring standard vital signs, or just adding new technical features. Instead, they must be able to address the needs of patients as people—connecting patients, caregivers, physicians, nurses, and others in an integrated, systematic, and interoperable way that has not been done on a broad scale."
"Fortunately, telehealth technologies are evolving to provide both patients and healthcare professionals with real-time, interactive, data-rich health management systems that can engage both patients and their care management teams more fully in the treatment of their conditions. And just as important, research that focuses more clearly on how people interact with technology has led to a more comprehensive and coordinated approach to designing technology systems."
"This paper explores the ways in which the next generation of telehealth technology can help satisfy the needs of patients in the years ahead, a time that will be marked by significant growth in the number of people who live with chronic conditions. This technology will be particularly useful in working with the chronically ill because it can be used to create a more integrated approach to patient care through the inclusion of all the key people involved, from the patient and their physician, to their nurse, family caregiver or other healthcare professionals."
Conclusion
"Telehealth is on the verge of exciting and ‘game-changing’ advances, made possible by these technological and design innovations. Because they are designed to be used proactively by patients, healthcare professionals, care managers, family members, and others, new telehealth technologies, such as a personal health system, must meet the needs of all the people who are likely to use them. This means that a personal health system should be easy to use and unobtrusive; personal health systems should be able to provide timely, accurate, and trustworthy information; it should promote the flow of information to all members of a patient’s care team; it should provide a convenient medium for communicating appropriate information on a timely basis. For all of the members of the patient’s care network, this new generation of telehealth means better care delivered at a patient’s home. Higher quality, well-managed, personalized care—that is the desired outcome from the proper integration of personal health system technology into a patient’s care plan."
"At the core of this benefit is the belief that a two-pronged approach, involving better access to information and greater patient empowerment and engagement, will aid in both medical decision-making and adherence to treatment regimens. In this way and by bringing patients and their caregivers into closer partnership through technological connectedness, the personal health system is poised to become a powerful care management tool."
Intel Health