Evaluation of a Telemonitoring System Using Electronic National Early Warning Scores for Patients Receiving Medical...

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Digital Health
• Remote Patient Monitoring

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of telehealth and wearable sensors for patient vital sign monitoring.
• The electronic National Early Warning Score (e-NEWS) system is crucial for identifying and managing acute illnesses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate a telehealth system using e-NEWS for vital sign monitoring in integrated home-based medical care (iHBMC).
• To enhance early detection of patient deterioration and improve care delivery in home settings.
• To optimize remote monitoring within iHBMC, aiming to reduce emergency visits and hospitalizations.

Main Methods:

• A telehealth system was deployed at a medical center and home health agency in Taiwan.
• Patients received integrated home-based medical care (iHBMC) and had vital signs monitored via sensors twice daily for two weeks.
• Data transmitted to a cloud server calculated e-NEWS; patients with scores up to 4 received interventions and reassessment.

Main Results:

• Twenty-eight participants (median age 84.5 years) were enrolled; 27 completed the study.
• The median e-NEWS was 4, with 397 abnormal readings prompting interventions like earlier home visits and medication adjustments.
• 86% of participants reported satisfaction with the telehealth system.

Conclusions:

• The study confirmed the feasibility of integrating telehealth with e-NEWS for early detection of clinical deterioration in iHBMC.
• While beneficial, the system may increase caregiver workload and stress.
• Further research is needed due to the small sample size, short monitoring duration, and regional focus.