Remote monitoring launched across Hampshire and Isle of Wight

A digital platform which supports the remote care of Covid-19 patients has been launched across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

Inhealthcare has been rolled-out in primary, acute and out-of-hour care settings. So far, the Isle of Wight, West Hampshire and Portsmouth areas are live, with the rest of the county to follow in the coming days.

The service will help healthcare staff and patients monitor symptoms of suspected or confirmed Covid-19 patients, while maintaining social distancing and allowing them to recover safely at home.

The introduction of the platform supports the Covid Oximetry @ home (CO@H) service, which has been designed to support identification and management of patients at risk of deterioration.

Patients with confirmed or suspected coronavirus are given an oximeter to monitor oxygen saturation levels in their bodies and report these readings alongside other key symptoms on a regular basis to their healthcare team.

For staff, Inhealthcare offers a web-based dashboard of patients being monitored, prompts when readings haven’t been submitted, or when a patient may require intervention or support.

For patients, it offers a range of ways to provide their symptom information and oximeter readings, which are collected at regular intervals during the day, prompting clinical supervision or more help as needed.

Patients choose their preferred contact method and can submit their oxygen readings, temperature, and levels of breathlessness via a link sent by email or SMS text message, or by inputting data on their telephone keypad via an automated phone call.

Data can also be inputted manually by the CO@H team for patients who need to or would prefer to speak to someone over the phone.

Readings are kept securely within the Inhealthcare solution, accessible only to relevant CO@H team members.