Telehealth Improves Quality of Care

Posted: January 31, 2008

Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society

Bob E. has congestive heart failure (CHF). In one year Bob was hospitalized 11 times and spent time in a nursing home at least twice. Sadly, each time Bob was discharged, he was usually back in the hospital or nursing home within a month. 

Then, Bob was enrolled in a home monitoring program and received telehealth care for 6 ½ months. While in the telehealth program, Bob was hospitalized only once in the first month of the program because his physician was trying to determine how much weight Bob could gain before he needed to take an extra fluid pill.

Once that threshold was established, Bob and the telehealth nurses were able to closely track his weight using the home monitoring equipment.  Each time Bob’s weight met the established threshold, he took the extra fluid pill. In this way, he was able to better manage his CHF, and reduce the number of days he spent in the hospital. 

After 6 ½ months, Bob and his wife moved into a care facility together to better address her health issues.

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