University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire launch remote monitoring

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust is to launch a remote monitoring programme to support patients with heart conditions.

The aim of Doccla’s virtual wards is to optimise patient care pre- and post-op for those undergoing ablation procedures [a procedure which treats atrial fibrillation] but the trust will also be able to gather data to get a better insight into how the the procedure can impact a patient’s condition.

The tech-led, remote monitoring initiative will see virtual wards established to support 100 atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. Devices will monitor patients at home, and send specific information to Doccla’s digital platform so that it can be analysed by heart specialists.

Dr Tarv Dhanjal, consultant cardiologist and electrophysiologist, said: “This innovation will benefit patients by giving them the flexibility to maintain their everyday lifestyles without compromising their health while also helping us to optimise the care we can give through close monitoring.

“The ambition to digitise the pathway for AF patients stems from the need to understand more about the effectiveness of ablation procedures. AF affects one million people in the UK and, with the creation of this virtual ward, we cannot just keep a close eye on patients’ wellbeing through the process, but we can get access to valuable insight to help us begin to better understand the benefits of these procedures on peoples’ conditions.”

The specialised and secure virtual ward at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire will capture electrocardiogram (ECG), selected vital signs and symptomatic data from patients who are preparing for a cardiac ablation procedure and will also be used post-op for three months to aid a smooth recovery.

Should abnormal readings be recorded, they will be flagged and the patient contacted to determine if additional intervention is required. Their physical and mental well-being will also be regularly assessed through routine calls from their medical team.

Dag Larsson, CEO of Doccla, said: “Our virtual wards use best-in-class technology to get patient information to the doctors and nurses at the right time in order to improve patient outcomes.

“Digitising remote monitoring allows NHS Trusts to optimise care of patients, support communication between medical teams and patients at home, thus enabling the effective management of patient’s conditions.”

Last September Doccla raised £2.4m in an oversubscribed seed round, to support its ambition to make virtual hospitals a core part of healthcare.